My Fellow United Methodist Communities Associates,
I am angered by the tragic death of George Floyd and feel deep grief for his family and our nation. To those of you in the black community, there is no way I can know your pain and anger, but I know I can walk alongside you as we work through our pain and anger together. I cannot understand how our society produces and tolerates racism.Our hearts are broken by what is happening in our nation. We must use this painful time as a turning point to a better future that embraces our common good by listening, learning and being committed to taking action to create a more equal and just society.Micah 6:8 says “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”We all need to take action to make sure all in our ministry are protected and have safe ways to let us know where we are falling short. I feel like our next steps will be to listen to our associates of different races and colors and figure out how we can advance antiracism in our ministry.
As a starting point, will you join me on Tuesday, June 9 at 1 p.m. for a time of personal reflection lasting 8 minutes and 46 seconds? I’m asking that everything and everyone at United Methodist Communities come to a standstill for this time across the entire system simultaneously…whether you are at work in one of our communities or at home. Take this time to reflect on a devotion that Pastor Marcia from The Shores has prepared for us.This is only a start. We must be called to action. I will be asking the Community Mission Teams to convene and initiate a conversation to advance this narrative in each community. After deep conversation, we will build upon what we learn from each other as we move forward to a better day.
Respectfully,
Lawrence D. Carlson President & CEO
