Dear Pali Pres,
February is Black History Month, a time set aside to celebrate black men and women who made significant contributions in American and world history. This month is an important reminder that our diversity is a gift from God; as it says in the very first chapter of the Bible, we are all made in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1: 26). Black History Month is also a valuable time for us to recommit ourselves to the pursuit of racial equality and the end to racial discrimination and racism. This is an ongoing challenge, but one that is worth all our efforts and prayers as sisters and brothers in Christ.
In that spirit, I share with you a wonderful prayer from Rev. Demanya Kofi Akoussah, who is a pastor in the United Church of Canada. Originally from Togo in West Africa, Pastor Akoussah crafted this prayer based on texts from Isaiah, Genesis, and the Song of Solomon. It certainly spoke to my heart, and I hope it speaks to yours too. Let us pray…
It pleases me greatly to know that I am made of soil
and in the end will return to dust.
So why should I be worried
by the contempt of those who pay no heed to this truth
when they insult and discriminate against me
because of the colour of my skin?
Can the potter be ordered about by the pot,
or the clay instruct the artisan kneading it
into a chosen form?
O, my God, how can I not praise you?
I give thanks to you, my Creator,
for you have made me with intelligence and wisdom,
and I am proud to have been created Black.
I thank you, Lord, for my sister, who you made so beautiful,
her skin polished by the sun.
To paraphrase the Song of Songs,
I thank you, O God, for having made us diverse,
for giving humanity such wonderful harmony,
just as many different flowers together create a garden’s beauty.
Lord, I pray for those who harbour hatred for people of colour.
Heal them of their ignorance
that they might realize the vanity of their lives.
For whatever they may be today,
we all shall return to dust.
Lord, empower us to be wise and humble
so that we may love one another
as you have loved us and come to have true LIFE. Amen!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Matt