Loving and forgiving God, we come to you today recognising that in matters of ethnicity we have no choice – we are who we have been made to be.

We have each of us been shaped by different forces; some of us have been ground down, whilst others have been built up. Some of us have been worn away, or have become fractured and broken. Some of us have found life a burden rather than a joy. None of us have experienced the perfect life.

Some of us have inherited power, whilst others of us have inherited powerlessness.

Some of us have been born white, in a world where whiteness confers privilege. Others of us have been born black, in a world where darker skin carries disadvantage.

We know that this is not the world as you would have it be, but it is our world, and it has been our experience.

None of us asked for our skin colour, none of us asked to be born the heirs of oppression, none of us asked to inherit power or powerlessness.

So before you, and in the name of Jesus Christ who loves all people equally, regardless of ethnicity, gender or social status, we come now to recommit ourselves to your vision of the world.

We come now to pray ‘your kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven’, and to offer ourselves once to live out your coming kingdom of equality and justice in our lives, in our schools, in our churches, and in our communities.

We confess the sin of racist exclusion, the abuse of power to oppress and demean. May those of us who have ourselves experienced exclusion be the first to speak up for others. May we create spaces for reconciliation.

We pray for our school. May we become a place of reconciliation, where each human soul is valued, and where equality in Christ is a reality in our midst. Forgive us those times where we do not live out our calling as your people. May our school model the new humanity of Christ to those in the communities where we live.

We pray for our school. Where there is division, may we bring restoration. Where there is inequality may we bring justice. Where there is powerlessness may we lift up the broken hearted. Where there is damage may we bring healing.

Amen.

adapted from https://www.bloomsbury.org.uk/because-black-lives-matter-a-prayer/

I am attaching the link to a lecture which I attended in 2018 given by Fr Bryan Massinge an Afro-American Catholic priest who is a professor at Fordham University in New York. He was brought to South Africa to deliver the Winter Series Theology lectures, which he did in four cities. He talks particularly of our unconscious racism of which we are all guilty. He draws parallels between the USA and RSA. I imagine that this is also possibly happening in Namibia and Zambia. I found it very insightful and believe that it could be a useful tool to share with you. It is about 50’ long. (This was sent to all Heads of Isasa schools by Hugh Fynn on Tuesday)

I’m sharing this link as I attended his lectures in Cape Town and share Hugh’s sentiments wholeheartedly.

https://www.jesuitinstitute.org.za/sunday-reflections/the-truth-%c2%ad-however-painful-will-set-you-free-wlt2018-lectures-kick-off-in-pretoria/

Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation

From the Center for Action and Contemplation

Click here to access the website