Black Lives Matter Sign from Asbury United Methodist Church in DC Burned by White Supremacists Protesting the Election Results
The legacy of white supremacy was on display Saturday in Washington, DC when a group of white supremacists tore down Black Lives Matter signs from two historic African American churches in the nation’s capital – Asbury United Methodist Church and Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church. Both signs were destroyed and the one from Asbury was set on fire. These horrific acts are not isolated events. Rather they are vivid reminders of America’s original sin of racism that continues to infect our nation today. It is important to recognize both its pervasiveness throughout our history and the fact that the administration under Donald Trump has contributed to its current manifestations. As people of faith, this is not just a “political” or “social” issue. Rather it is a call to both repentance and action. Especially in the predominantly white church, we need to repent for not being clear that racism is sin in all its manifestations, not just in its most horrific forms. The majority of white Christians in America have either supported Donald Trump or remained silent in the face of racist policies and actions promoted or emboldened by this administration. This call to repentance is not limited to the Trump administration. What we are experiencing now is the fruit of a long history of complicity that limits faith to individual salvation while ignoring or even promoting racism that denigrates the image in everyone who is the victim of white supremacy. It is time to turn around and change our minds (this is the meaning of repentance) so that we can go in the direction of God’s justice and love for all people. Watch the video posted below for more information and insight about the churches targeted on Saturday.