Recognizing that there is a path forward

For me, sheltering in place during the coronavirus pandemic has led to a flood of emotions, thoughts, flashbacks and reflections. Perhaps that is the result of trying to practice more intentional self-care through being more disciplined and attentive to meditation and breathing activities, as well as attending to spiritual practices such as prayer and journaling. One of my recurring thoughts has been the phrase “E pluribus unum” — out of many, one — which was a key part of the founding narrative of the United States and which first appeared on U.S. currency in 1795 (the same year the church I currently pastor was founded).

Another one of my flashbacks has been when I watched and listened to Huston Smith on PBS, discussing the world’s great religions and providing insights into the diversity of beliefs, practices and rituals.

I can remember being intrigued by his exploration and fascinated by his presentation, particularly his assertion that a commonality shared by all faiths is the concept of compassion or love. Perhaps that is one of the reasons I am drawn to interfaith dialogue and collaboration and why I helped to form an Interfaith Council for Wesleyan University during my seminary training at Yale.

As I practice self-care and look to deepen my spirituality, I am confronted by two plagues: one that attacks the respiratory system and one that is an asphyxiation of sorts in which people yell that they can’t breathe. One which is unfamiliar (the coronavirus pandemic) and the other which is all too familiar (the murder of black men and black women by the police). Both these plagues have exposed racist practices and inequity in our society.

In terms of the coronavirus pandemic, minority communities are affected at disproportionate rates for both infection and death. In Connecticut alone, black and brown residents are affected at double to four times the rate of their proportion of the population. This infection rate is driven by underlying health conditions, which themselves are a result of the inequities in access to and quality of health care. Moreover, frontline and “essential” employees (such as mailpersons, sanitation and public transportation workers) also are more likely to be people of color and because of their “essential” employment status are unable to “shelter at home.” Accordingly, these workers often must choose between the safety of their health, on the one hand, and their economic safety, on the other hand.

In the case of the second plague, the murder of George Floyd on Memorial Day by a Minneapolis police officer — following shortly after the murder of Ahmaud Arbery while jogging in his Georgia neighborhood and Breonna Taylor while resting in her Louisville home — has spread a fire (both figurative and literal) across the United States. The anger, frustration, anxiety, despair, depression and fear fueled by these twin plagues has now created a conflagration that we’re unsure we’ll be able to extinguish.

“No justice, no peace” has been the cry of the protesters. In this cry, I hear the protesters calling for an America that truly reflects “E pluribus unum.” A country in which we are one nation of equal opportunity and rights, a country of compassion where everyone, regardless of race, creed, color, ethnicity or sexual orientation is treated fairly and is not subject to racism. I believe Ibram X. Kendi in his book, “How to Be an Antiracist,” provides us a transformative lens through which to look at what racism really is and what we should do about it. Kendi’s belief is that an idea, action or policy is either racist — that is, contributing to a history that regards and treats races as inherently unequal — or it is anti-racist because it is trying to dismantle that history. That there is nothing in between. That there is no pure state of racism or anti-racism; and that people of all races and backgrounds can fall in either category depending on their ideas, actions and the policies they support. Only by confronting systemic racism can a just and equitable society be formed.

In “Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life,” Henri Nouwen writes, “Prayer and action … can never be seen as contradictory or mutually exclusive. Prayer without action grows into powerless pietism, and action without prayer degenerates into questionable manipulation. If prayer leads us into a deeper unity with the compassionate Christ, it will always give rise to concrete acts of service. And if concrete acts of service do indeed lead us to a deeper solidarity with the poor, the hungry, the sick, the dying and the oppressed, they will always give rise to prayer. In prayer we meet Christ, and in him all human suffering. In service we meet people, and in them the suffering Christ.”

No justice. No peace. In the United States, nearly 41 million Americans live below the federal poverty line and more than 140 million people (43.5 percent) are either poor or low-income. In addition, almost four in 10 children spend at least one year of their lives in poverty. On June 20, the Rev. Dr. William Barber will hold a virtual Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival (www.poorpeoplescampaign.org).

This virtual, online march will focus on systemic racism, poverty and inequality, the war economy and militarism, and ecological devastation. I invite you to join me in attending. Prayer and action are needed at this moment to eradicate racism and truly manifest “E pluribus unum.”

Namaste

THE REV. HIRAM BRETT