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Dear Beloveds, I found an interesting article that I wanted to share with you in light of July 4th. As we just celebrated this special national holiday, I hope that we can all take a moment to reflect on the blessing of living in this great country and the freedoms that it has given us. Having recently gone to Korea for my study week, I felt a strange longing to come back to the states where there was a beautiful diversity rather than a daily homogeneity that I experienced while I was there. This particular article to which I am referring was written by the Rev. Adam Taylor, who was ordained by the American Baptist Church and most recently led the Faith Initiative at the World Bank Group. He reminds his readers that God created all humans in “God’s own divine image (Genesis 1:27), which precludes any categorical differences in people’s inherent worth or value.” Rev. Taylor went to Emory University for his undergrad education and then Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and he quotes Emory’s School of Theology’s Statement of Faith: “‘Our faith calls us to understand diversity as a gift from God, equity as a moral imperative, and inclusion and belonging as the fruits of the Spirit.’ Our nation’s growing diversity is indeed a gift to be embraced rather than feared or denied. May we, with the Holy Spirit’s help, create more equitable organizations and foster cultures of true belonging and thriving.” As a person of color, I appreciate these words as well, as I was born and raised in this great nation of ours and appreciate deeply its recognition that God sees us all as family, as brothers and sisters, all equal together in God’s love and loving presence. I hope you had a gratitude-filled holiday, and hope that it can also be a time of reflection and thankfulness for all that God has given us and with what God had entrusted us. With great love for you, Pastor Grace
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