Dear friends,
‘Before you judge my life, my past or my character. Walk in my shoes, walk the path I have travelled, live my sorrow, my doubts, my fear, my pain and my laughter. Remember, everyone has a story, when you've lived my life then you can judge me.’ Anon.
Many years ago, I read a book Called ‘Black like me’. It was published in 1962, and was written by a white man, John Howard Griffin. With the help of a doctor he darkened his skin and trudged alone, as only a southern black American can be alone, through the hostile Deep South.
There he discovered the true horror of being black in a world of narrow-minded, brutal whites. He writes his harrowing account: “I offer it in all its crudity and rawness. It traces the changes which occur to heart and body and intelligence when a so called first class citizen is cast on the junk heap of second class citizenship.”
The worldwide protests in recent days after the death of George Floyd, are a painful reminder of our failure to treat others as we would like to be treated. The systemic and cultural racism is real and an everyday reality for many.
The swell of protests, even under lockdown, have expressed the frustration and fear that we still have a long way to go and the temptation to just get back to the ways things have always been?
We have joined in with the applause and support for the NHS and key workers for weeks now; many of whom have been overlooked and underappreciated, many of whom are from the BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities). Will we cease to appreciate and support them once the pandemic recedes? Or can we build a new normal, offering the radical approach Jesus took with those who were considered beyond the pale? Jesus came for all of us, not just some of us, that was the new normal for him, may it be so for us too.
Peace
Tim