Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Emergent Village

Home
Progressive Christian
Black History – White Woman

Black History – White Woman

Last updated on: February 22, 2012 at 7:51 pm by Susan Phillips

Black History – White Woman 2012-02-22T19:51:57-06:00 Susan Phillips

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Thank you. I’m sorry.

I need to say both. Thank you to everyone who has written, sung, or spoken the difficult truths of racism, discrimination, oppression and privilege. Thank you to my friends who have taken the time to tell me their stories so that I might understand my own history

better, so that I might understand myself better. I’m sorry that you have these painful stories to tell. I regret that I didn’t already know them. I realize now that I’ve been callous about your experience and ignorant of my own privilege. I apologize for those times when I’ve relied on you to teach me about oppression rather than take responsibility for learning it myself.

Thank you and I’m sorry.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” If he is right, then I cannot understand the garment of my own life, without knowing more of yours. To the extent that I have earned your trust to hear your story, I’m grateful. To the extent that I have not earned your trust, I hope to be humble and faithful. To the extent we may never trust one another enough to bear one another’s stories, G-d, hold us in your grace.

So, I offer this prayer…

When I do not see my own privilege – open my eyes.
When I do not hear the cries of my neighbors – open my ears.
When I do not acknowledge my own complicity in unjust systems – open my heart.

When I see privilege excused, give me courage to speak.
When I hear discrimination pardoned, give me faith to act.
When I find oppression allowed, give me love to build a new reality.

Please, dear G-d.

Previous Post

February 20, 2012

Talking with Father Richard Rohr

Next Post

February 22, 2012 Strange Christianity Made in America: Part I by Randy Woodley

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Addiction Advent Atheism Authority Bible Cartoons Christian Year Christmas church church planting Civil Rights Community Contemplative Spirituality Culture emerging church Empire Eschatology Evangelism Events Gender Healing Humanism Islam Justice Kingdom Lent Movement Building Multi-Faith Music mysticism New Wave Emergence origins Personal Poetry politics Prayer Preaching Privilege Racism Religious naturalism Resurrection salvation SKEPTIMERGENT Theology Trauma Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2017 November 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How many years did it take Solomon to build his palace?

Select your answer to see how you score.

10 years 15 years 13 years 7 years