“Those of us who are considered white in our society have much work to do to counter-act our society that was created to benefit white people, and marginalize others. In a country where the top 100 wealthiest people have more resources than the bottom 150 million, and where the majority of people that are incarcerated are people of color, it is hard to make the argument that white privilege and racism are not realities. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves. Part of that education is the realization that these separations and divisions caused by white privilege are toxic to us, as well as those that are marginalized. We need to learn to live differently, loving all people, and finding the face of God in each person. We must embrace the example of Jesus of creating inclusive community, opposing the individualism of our society, and acknowledging that the resources of our world are given by God bountifully for all people to thrive. It is the responsibility of those of us who have been blessed with more than we need to ensure that others have what they need. This involves confronting the structures that distribute resources disproportionately. We need the partnership of other cultures to let us know when we are too blind to see that we are not accomplishing those goals. We also need to learn that by standing silently by, while others are oppressed, makes us complicit in the oppression.”
Written by EALA Board of Directors’ member Cathy Crimi, Nashville, ELCA Southeastern Synod, May 2015
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