Executive Presbyter, Sheryl Kinder-Pyle wrote on June 2, 2020

Rise up, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand;
do not forget the oppressed.
O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek;
you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear
to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed,
so that those from earth may strike terror no more.

Rise up, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand;
do not forget the oppressed.
O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek;
you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear
to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed,
so that those from earth may strike terror no more.
(Psalms 10 NRSV selected verses)

I am deeply saddened by the death of yet another victim of police abuse. George Floyd’s cries of “I Can’t Breathe” haunt us all. We are angry, we are confused, we are overwhelmed with despair. Our nation is in the midst of civil unrest. Peaceful protests are being taken over by violence. We cry out with the psalmist, how long O Lord?

My hope is that as people of faith we will find our voice. We will speak out against the principalities and the structures that enable systemic racism to persist. We will examine our own complicity and silence. We will work for reconciliation and deep healing. We will continue to be stunned.

God promises to hear our cries. May God show us how to love our neighborhoods and to shine the light of Christ upon a nation in darkness.

  • Join the Whitworth Calling Community of Reconciliation – contact the Office of Church Engagement for more information
  • Attend Biblical Justice Forums hosted by Spokane First Presbyterian
  • VIDEO:  J Herbert Nelson, Stated Clerk of the PCUSA—“There’s Work to be Done”
  • VIDEO:  Presbytery Leaders:  A Prayer of Lament
  • Netflix has a Black Lives Matter collection of movies, documentaries and short stories available.  The movies “13th” and “When They See Us” are available there.
  • The movie “Just Mercy” 
  • PC(USA) Special Committee on Racism, Truth & Reconciliation
    Ruling Elder Pam Praeger (Bethany) is a part of the PC(USA) Special Committee on Racism, Truth & Reconciliation, which was formed in 2016. The Facebook page for this committee features discussions with Dr. Mark Lomax, who was one of the authors of the 216th GA Study on Reparations, and with Dr. Yoo from Columbia Theological Seminary. Please take a look HERE, and like their page on FB to keep up to date with anything new!