As protests continue here in Portland and across the nation, there is much that needs to be said. I want to begin with the basics.

Justice has always been a matter of life and death for Black, Indigenous and People of Color in the United States. Justice, fairness, dismantling systems of oppression therefore has always had an urgency for People of Color which has only rarely been shared by majorities of those who identify as White. I do not believe that urgency is even glimpsed by many who identify as White.

The structures that keep Black Lives in jeopardy must be changed before any dream for Beloved Community can become real.

For those who might believe that the arrest of three more police officers in Minneapolis is “enough,” you must understand more deeply what is at stake. Fundamental change is needed and support for fundamental change has never been sustained.

First Unitarian Church embraces the goal of Beloved Community. In this time of mass protest and militarized response, in this time of transparent racism and resistance to change, we are called to keep our eyes on that prize.

The peaceful protests on our streets embody a vision for Beloved Community that crosses the racial and generational divides. The press describes this vision as the Obama Coalition, but it is the future of this nation, if this nation is to have a hopeful future. Our nation is being shown what hope looks like by citizens of all ages and racial identities and genders who are marching peacefully, mourning the many deaths and calling for a new way forward.

The protests are demanding more than a mere hearing. We need more than mere glimpses of hope. That goal of Beloved Community must be translated into policies and practices that will change the way our community functions.

There is no image of Beloved Community we can affirm in which our communities are policed as war zones, in which curfews are customary and “public safety” officers wear battle dress. We still cannot find enough PPE, but every police force in the nation seems to have an unlimited supply of tear gas, rubber bullets and riot gear. These are the tools of a police state.

We cannot allow the violence of a few, who try to take advantage of the protests, draw attention away from the generations’ long violence against Black and other Communities of Color, exemplified in recent murders by police.   

We align ourselves with the frontline voices that call for a radical re-purposing of our police organizations and their practices.  The goal is a new vision in which justice, equity and compassion replace racism, militarism and profit as the driving principles and the accepted practices of our life together.

The Beloved Community has no need to dominate its streets with the equipment and techniques of war.

The Beloved Community does not fear its people, it protects them.

The Beloved Community knows that our safety lies not in weapons of war but in the depth of relationship we create and sustain.

The Beloved community knows that only the emergence of justice can begin to move us toward peace.

Creation of Beloved Community is our hope. We need to keep our eyes on that prize and our energies moving steadily toward it.

Blessings,

Bill