Like you, I watched late into the night last night after the Grand Jury decision in the death of Michael Brown was announced. For the first hour or so I was hopeful that the response by those gathered would indeed be peaceful (and it was, in places, but that was not where the media necessarily chose to focus). Before long the anger of many who know first-hand what it is like to live as the next Michael Brown couldn’t be contained. While it’s probably too simplistic an analysis to say that the sin of racism continues to haunt us, my feelings were of profound sadness as I woke up this morning.

I will have the luxury of being able to travel for Thanksgiving without fear of being stopped because of the color of my skin — it’s a luxury I can’t forget.

May we each pray for peace at our Thanksgiving tables. And then may our prayers turn to action– action examining the ways that we may, perhaps even unknowingly, contribute to systemic racism; action holding government and law enforcement accountable for the safety of everyone in our communities and action making sure the sin of racism is not visited upon generations to come.

Our prayers are with the people of Ferguson, and people everywhere, who seek to express their anger and frustration with non-violent means.

Yours in faith,

Cynthia