Racial Justice -- New or Old Thing?

At this moment, I am in the Ballroom of the Red Lion at the Park (Spokane) sitting in a far corner listening to Melissa Woo and Melanie Morrison discuss the racial divide in our country. Melissa as an Asian American has lived the experience of thinking that being white is the goal and now is fighting back. Melanie grew up as part of the privileged white America with a father who struggled with his own prejudices.

I sense so many energies in this room or is it just all inside of me. Some lean in toward the conversation -- some pull away. Sometimes both reactions happen within me. Those of us who call ourselves Progressives -- we have worked have we not since the sixties on the front lines of working for racial justice -- do we need speakers tell us that there is more work to do or that we are still part of the problem? I reel against that suggestion. The theme of this Conference is "Behold a New Thing" -- can't we get beyond this old thing and push for new things?

The truth is many of us would prefer a different vision to focus on this weekend! God, speak your Word to us -- what are we to hear, how are we to respond.