The Upload
Posted on Aug 19, 2016 by
Hey Salem Community-
What would it take for you to act on behalf of another who was experiencing oppression or struggle? What circumstances would trigger you to step out of your comfort zone to fight injustice?
Many of you have watched the news and witnessed the unrest happening in Milwaukee, WI. Most of the reporting leads us to make a value judgement on an extremely complex situation with very little information. We are forced to choose between police and potential suspect or between black and white. A two minute news story pieced together by outsiders to tell the story of a whole community of people.
This past July our senior high students traveled to Milwaukee, WI and partnered with All Peoples Church just about 5-10 minutes from the resent unrest seen in the news. All Peoples is a vibrant congregation located in the heart of the African American community on the North side of the city. We built incredible relationships and learned about the real issues facing the African American community in Milwaukee.
We learned that Milwaukee used to be a significant destination on the Underground Railroad and is now the most segregated city in the country. We learned that 4 out of 5 black children live in poverty and that Milwaukee has the largest achievement gap between white and black students. We learned that Wisconsin incarcerates the most black men in the country. We learned that the unemployment rate is nearly four times higher for blacks than whites. We learned that the lines of socioeconomic segregation are clearly drawn as almost three-fourths of Milwaukee’s poor live in one concentrated area of the city. We learned that the relationship between police and the African American community is strained due to continued incidence of police brutality, racism, and mistreatment.
As I reflect on our week with this amazing congregation and community, I get frustrated and wonder if anyone is listening to the cries of her children? Are we willing to do the hard work of building relationships and breaking down barriers?
In this weeks gospel lesson (Luke 13:10-17) Jesus heals the crippled woman on the sabbath and receives a tongue lashing from the leader of the synagogue for it. I love Jesus’s answer, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?”
Jesus calls us out of our comfort and into the messiness of community. He calls us to respond to the suffering of our brothers and sisters and the injustice we see and ignore. Jesus calls us to love radically and work hard to remove the barriers that divide.
Peace- John Holt (Director of Youth and Family Ministries)
The mission of All Peoples Church is to Let the Glory of the Lord rise among us! We are committed to faith in action believing as scripture says: faith without works is dead.
Our core values show how we see glory rising:
1. Kids Come First 4. We Partner for Justice
2. We Make Disciples 5. We Provide Sacred Space
3. We Serve Soul Food 6. All Peoples means ALL PEOPLES