The nation is burning, help us to not extinguish the fire!
AP News map showing cities across the country where crowds are protesting police violence after the killing of #GeorgeFloyd
Most Holy and Divine One,
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
The God of Sarah, Hagar, Rachel and Leah,
On this past Pentecost Sunday, as our nation began physically burning because of systemic oppression, help us God....
Help us to resist the urge to extinguish the fire, instead sit and be still in the pain.
Help us to sit in and through the fire, listening to the voices of hopelessness, frustration and deep sadness around our country with a nonjudgmental, pastoral/chaplain ear.
Help us to resist victim-blaming and victim shaming, and listen instead. Rioting is the language of the unheard, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. proclaimed almost 60 years ago, help us listen instead.
The nation is burning, help us to not extinguish the fire!
Help us to resist citing empty, surface and meaningless Christian bible scriptures and cliches that lack deep theological analysis, but remember and highlight the Jesus that overturned tables of capitalism and economic oppression of persons of color. Help us remember and highlight the God that commanded Moses to hold Pharaoh accountable.
The nation is burning, help us to not extinguish the fire!
On this Pentecost Sunday, Lord, help us to resist taking a blind eye to injustice by remembering all the “good” people and institutions in the world, but with the Holy Spirit’s Fire, courageously and prophetically call out structural racism, sexism, classism and homophobia that exists not only in police departments, but healthcare institutions, schools, churches, Fortune 500 companies, etc.
The nation is burning, help us to not extinguish the fire!
Help us carry this same fire and energy in addressing police brutality to also address gun violence and gang violence, sexism and patriarchy, and transphobia because ALL Black Lives must matter.
The nation is burning, help us to not extinguish the fire!
We call the names of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd. Help us remember to not only call the names of our Black men who die from police brutality, but call the names of our Black women who die from police brutality as well. We call the names of Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland and Rekia Boyd. Help us remember our Black Trans women who also die from police brutality. We call the name of Tony McDade.
The nation is burning, help us to not extinguish the fire!
As some cause physical destruction of our communities out of a spirit of Black rage, help us to not condemn, shame or guilt them, but remember that they/we have been suffering from psychological trauma and terror in these so-called United States of Amerikkka since 1619. Help us seek mental health therapy and resources for the disenfranchised, disheartened and disillusioned among us.
The nation is burning, help us to not extinguish the fire!
Help us carry that fire to the Voting Booth to impact long-term legislative changes in policies and laws so that after the physical protests have ended, after the media cameras have been turned off, true change will occur.
The nation is burning, help us to not extinguish the fire!
By Rev. Dr. Danielle J. Buhuro