Sister Cheryl Liske, OP (Dominican Sisters of Adrian, MI), Coordinator of Gamaliel Training Department, Member of Gamaliel affiliate MOSES, Detroit, MI
In my morning paper I read that a federal appellate court reversed a lower court’s decision that gave Florida felons the right to vote regardless of outstanding legal financial obligations: a decision that disenfranchised an estimated 774,000 ex-felons in Florida who could otherwise register to vote. Then way down in the paper I see, FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT DAY, in the city of Warren (Nr. Detroit) a veteran couple’s home was vandalized and “shot-up” because they have a “Black Lives Matter” sign in their window. Yesterday, in the NY Times, I see that 80% of the 900+ most powerful people in the US are White.
Hate crimes and the damage they do come in many forms.
Questions for Reflection
- It’s “reasonable,” right, to expect people to pay their legal fines before allowing them to vote? It’s “reasonable,” to want to protect my neighborhood from those BLM anarchists, right? It’s reasonable to have the best qualified lead us – even if they are all white people, right?
- How many times have I used “reasonable” to justify or ignore bias and racism and deny the truth and justice of the beloved community?
Sacred Text
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9 RSV)
The Common Prayer on Our Journey
Source of all being, Sacred mystery, you are the wellspring of justice. Weaver of the warp and weft of history, weave our lives into the fabric of your will. Guide us towards the Beloved Community. Forgive us when we have failed to give shape to the Beloved Community in our communities and in our lives.
All around us the ugly onslaughts of white nationalism, hate crimes, and systemic racism devastate your people, divide us, and threaten our democracy. All around us the wicked strut, and in high places are those who encourage the basest of attitudes and actions. Grant us wisdom and courage to confront these evils with the power of love and truth. Free us from timidity and equivocation. Help us to be bold in thought and action. May our lives and our faith communities model the change we hope to see in the world.
As we approach the November elections, keep us mindful that the right to vote is a sacred trust won by beatings, by imprisonments, by blood, by the relentless struggles of many who came before us. Help us to honor that legacy. May we vote our conscience and encourage others to do the same.
Heal our nation. Heal our hearts. Heal our nation. Amen.
Gamaliel National Religious Leaders’ Caucus invites you to 40 Days of Reflection on Our Journey to the Polls
Few national elections have had similar consequences as the November Election in 2020. Our nation stands in crisis and at a significant crossroad. The Gamaliel Network, an interfaith coalition of persons of faith who stand and act together for justice and equality, pledges to undergird the 40 days leading up to the election with prayer and reflection.
We urge you to use the Common Prayer below every day. On each day, we have asked a faith leader, from different traditions, to offer a reflection on the Common Prayer at this Moment of American Crossroads. We urge you to begin this prayer preparation with a day of fasting on Sept. 24,(or a similar expression of spiritual preparation), and then to engage in prayer at a time of your choosing each day, to prepare yourself, your friends and neighbors, and our nation, for this election.
The Gamaliel Religious Leaders Table has written a “Theological Statement on Hate Crimes and White Nationalism.” a faith statement on “White Nationalism.” The link to this statement is: https://gamaliel.org/our-work/religious-leaders-caucus/gnrlc-a-faithful-response-to-hate-crimes-and-white-nationalism/
Each reflection will include the leader’s personal reflection, questions for contemplation, and a suggested scriptural text from their tradition.
The Gamaliel National Religious Leaders’ Steering Committee