Another month is upon us and that means it is time for another video to challenge white supremacy and promote racial justice. This month’s installment comes from Nurturing Justice, a collaboration of justice seekers who are engaging in deeply transformative work to end racism and dismantle the ideologies that undergird racist systems in America. I am blessed and privileged to be engaging with Nurturing Justice’s founders, Rev. Dr. Kris Watson and Rev. Clare Twomey, as I gather with members of the Indiana-Kentucky Conference (UCC) Anti-Racism Task Force the first and third Thursday of each month. (Find more about Nurture Justice at nurturingjustice.org.)
As I continue to honor my commitment to share with you the engaging, challenging videos we have been viewing throughout the course of our exploration together that you might join me on this journey of dismantling racism both within ourselves, our institutions, and our broader society, I offer installment number three: Decolonizing Christianity on Vimeo, a conversation between Rev. Dr. Velda Love, the UCC’s Minister for Racial Justice, and Dr. Miguel De La Torre, author of the recently released “Decolonizing Christianity: Becoming Badass Christians.”
After you have viewed the video and taken some time to process, I invite you to email me to share some of your takeaways. What did you learn about the need to decolonize Christianity? What did you learn about yourself? What does it mean to become a “Badass Christian”? What might that look like at First United? What thoughts, resistance, questions, curiosities arise for you? How are you being invited, challenged, inspired to act?
It is my hope that through engaging in this virtual exploration together we may be further encouraged and empowered to join with partners in our community to dismantle white-skinned supremacy and racism in the church and American society and build up a just, equitable, beloved community where all are treated with dignity and respect.
Let the dismantling/building continue!
Jessica
Rev. Jessica Petersen-Mutai, Senior Minister
Email: revpetersenmutai@firstuc.org
Mobile: 812-727-4414
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