This year's SC Annual Conference was a rather uneventful, peaceful, and pleasant affair. The expected fireworks and reaction from the actions of the General Conference did not occur. The only event which might have counted as controversial was the report given by the Chair of the Board of Church and Society, Genova McFadden. She spoke well on the continued need for racial and social justice within our fair state. As she stated, even though we have made progress in many areas, we have not come far enough.
As to what do we need to do? Well, I echo Genova's desire to continue working both within and without our denomination to bridge the racial and social economic gaps that are present. We, in the South Carolina Annual Conference, are in a very unique place. We have become known nationally as the state which will not let the Civil War die (AKA. War of Northern Aggression). Some are so proud of their versions of our state's heritage and are so very willing to fight for that heritage, that the states is not allowed to inherit the wealth and riches which are it's due. Granted, we are no longer a state that supports slavery. However, we still live in a state that subjugates people of color and the poor by preventing them from having access to a decent education, good health care, good food, and decent shelter. This is not a heritage of which I am proud, nor is one I want to pass on to my future children. The eyes of the world are looking at us, and we are doing some of the most fooling things.
Yet, we have proven that we can be motivated and organized to accomplish great things. Yet again, our Annual Conference is currently gearing up to fight the Lottery. This is good. The Lottery is not something I want to see in our state. It is, in essence, a tax on the poor. The poor in our state do not need any additional taxation. It is a simple issue for us to rally around. I wonder if our considerable efforts are waited on what has become a popular issue. Should we focus our time and talents on issues which are far more pervasive and sinister? Do we dare?
I am convinced that if we put our considerable efforts into working on resolving racial justice issues, we would have a far greater and much more positive affect on our state and its future. The Lottery is a simple issue. Racial justice is far more complex. It involves the need for confession, forgiveness, mercy, tough love, and time. It will be a long process, but it must start now. If we do not start now, then we will be having this conversation once again in a year or so, and every year from here on out. I do not want to leave my future children a legacy of hate and derision. Do you?
So, what can we do? Well, for starters we all, regardless of our gender and race, can look within ourselves for those seeds of racism, prejudice and hate, both big and small. Once we find them, we need to confess that they exist and exorcise them. We each need to ask ourselves who is our ultimate authority. Do we look to God, who commands us to love, justice and mercy, or are we listening to the world that demands conformity, mediocrity, and hypocrisy? Where do we stand, and what will we do to live the life of justice-love to which God has called us Second, we need honest conversations based on mutual respect. We are at a point where change has to happen first on an individual level. Then we can move on to the community and state level. Third, get involved in the organizations and opportunities for ministry like Shalom Zone, Salkehatchie, Volunteers in Mission, local homeless shelters and food banks, and mentoring children in our local communities. Through these ministries, both the individual and the organization have a real opportunity for engaging in activities that can foster change.
We are at the Dawn of a new quadrennium, a new decade, and a new century. Won't you join me in working to bring the loving, justice seeking ministry of the Kingdom of God here to South Carolina? |
