On May 31, Centre Congregational Church participated in a rally against police brutality, in solidarity with people of color in our country - people who, after 400 years, still struggle with systematic racism.
As I was setting-up the outdoor seating, someone drove by and, seeing the sign in front of the church, shouted from the car window, “All lives matter!”
I found myself taking a deep breath and, remembering words that seemed apt, prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are saying” (Luke 23:34).
Thinking more about it, several examples arose underlying the problem I have with the “all lives matter” retort, one that, on the surface, might appear reasonable.
In 2018, I traveled with a Florida-based United Church of Christ delegation to Pétion-Ville, a community on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Haiti Partners, a remarkable organization that is changing lives multigenerationally - primarily through education - hosted us. I immediately thought about Brattleboro's interest in sister communities and...