| Capitol Attack, Archbishop Tutu, Reparations & Voting Rights
NCC Newsletter January 7, 2022 |
| | | This week I want to touch on two matters, the passing of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the anniversary of the insurrection at the US Capitol.
Archbishop Tutu was a beloved and prophetic leader in Christianity, in the anti-apartheid struggle, and in the global movement for peace and freedom. He was a personal hero of mine since I was an African history major in college in the late 1970s and a participant in the Coalition Against Apartheid at the University of Illinois.
Archbishop Tutu’s deep commitment to the ecumenical movement was inspiring to me. He was on the staff of the World Council of Churches and later served as general secretary of the South African Council of Churches. Rooted in Anglicanism, he was a world figure who gave hope to people of all faiths.
Secondly, as we celebrate Epiphany, or Three Kings Day, and mark the revelation of God incarnate in Jesus Christ we also mourn the anniversary of the violent attempt by then-President Trump and his followers to overthrow American democracy and murder senior elected officials, including Vice President Pence.
The shock and shame of the failed coup quickly gave way to denial and resistance. Even that very night 147 members of Congress refused to accept the results of a fair and free election. President Biden decisively won the election by seven million votes over a president who was never popular with the American people, denied the reality of the pandemic, was an avowed racist, and each and every day dishonored the office he held by way of bitter and divisive words and deeds.
Tragically, many people who refer to themselves as Christians continue to deny the reality we all face and seek to create chaos and discord in support of Donald Trump.
We have a long way to go to put our democracy on solid ground and two positive attempts underway in the US Congress—to protect and expand voting rights and to address human infrastructure needs—hang by a thread.
We may be closer to widespread violence than we realize. We must simultaneously work to confront systemic racism, economic inequality, dismantle militarism, address climate change, and reach out to those with whom we fervently disagree. This is the task of everyone.
As I ponder the meaning of Epiphany and the crisis in our nation, the phrase, “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight,” taken of course from the beautiful Philip Brooks carol, “Oh little town of Bethlehem.”
As we face our fears, we know our greatest hope is in Christ.
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| | | In Remembrance of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu |
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The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) is grateful for the life of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. We remember his strong spiritual witness and leadership in the long struggle against apartheid which he approached with humility, passion, and a fervent love for God’s people. We hold dear his affection, compassion, kindness, and sense of humor, which helped to sustain him in the fight to end apartheid and throughout his life.
We are thankful for his strong ecumenical commitment. His life’s work unified the church in the fight for racial justice. We remember his work with the World Council of Churches in Geneva from 1972-1975, and, during a crucial and dangerous time of the anti-apartheid campaign in South Africa, his service as the general secretary of the South African Council of Churches from 1978 to 1985. During this time, he was recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. The NCC looked to the South African Council of Churches and Archbishop Tutu for leadership and guidance in the long and difficult struggle to end the racist apartheid regime.
The NCC grieves with the Anglican Church, the people of South Africa, and the global village, as we all mourn the loss of one of our great leaders. We are consoled knowing his legacy will continue across generations. May his memory be eternal.
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| | NCC Statement One Year After the Attack on the US Capitol and 2020 Election
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The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) again condemns and repudiates the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. On that day our democratic form of government was assaulted; the rule of law was trampled; the U.S. Capitol was defaced; law enforcement officers were set upon; members of Congress, staffers, and others who work at the Capitol building were threatened; and, appallingly, nine deaths were caused. We lament and pray for the lives lost. May their loved ones find peace and comfort.
We pray for the healing of those who worked at the Capitol that day and who continue to suffer from major orthopedic and neurological injuries requiring surgery, and psychological disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder and heightened anxiety. May they recover and experience complete restoration physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We also pray that healing would come to our nation, recognizing that there can be no healing or restoration without truth and repair.
With great concern, we continue to witness our democracy under attack, the undermining of electoral processes, and the mockery of truth in political discourse. We support the full investigation of all those who planned and executed the attack, including the former president and his political allies, and for those found responsible to be brought to justice. We remain steadfast in praying for our government leaders, that they may pursue justice.
Since what was supposed to be the ceremonial acceptance of the 2020 election on January 6th, voting rights have been under siege across the country and voter suppression efforts have greatly intensified. We hold up the fact that the 2020 election was free and fair and has withstood all recounts and more than 60 legal challenges. We cannot ignore that many of the votes contested were legally cast by Black and Brown people in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. These actions have proven once again that the vestiges of racism and White supremacy are still affecting and infecting our nation. To ensure our democracy prevails, the NCC calls on the Senate to pass the Freedom to Vote Act, which includes many of the most important provisions that were in the For the People Act passed by the House, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Both will safeguard and improve our democratic processes and ensure Americans can safely and freely cast our ballots so that every voice is heard, and our elections reflect the will of the people.
We cannot deny that Christian nationalism was on display during the attack on the Capitol when the largely white movement attempted to elevate their actions as being closely aligned with God. Many falsely proclaimed that they were battling the forces of darkness so that they could use all means, even undemocratic and violent ones, in order to win their political contest. We outright reject these claims. Christian nationalism is of great concern to the members of the NCC and, indeed, to all Americans who are committed to justice and peace. On April 20, 2021, the Governing Board of the NCC adopted The Dangers of Christian Nationalism in the United States: A Policy Statement of the National Council of Churches, which challenges the Christian nationalism on display during the attack on the Capitol and that has seeped into American life.
The NCC is committed to working to end the divisiveness within our communities. Nothing less than radical hospitality and love, generosity and sacrifice are necessary to secure justice and peace. |
| | | Letter Signed in Support of H.R. 40
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| | NCC was a sponsor of a letter sent to Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, on December 21, 2021 in support of H.R. 40 which reads in part, "We — the undersigned faith-based organizations representing millions of people of faith across the country — strongly urge you to support the passage of H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans Act. This bill would establish a commission to examine the history of enslavement and discrimination in the United States from 1619 to the present and recommend appropriate remedies. Contrary to popular misinformation, H.R. 40 does not commit the United States to pay any money to anyone. It only begins a study process where the cases for or against reparations can be studied systematically and in depth. We believe that such a study is vitally important to understand the full depth and breadth of the effects of slavery in the U.S., both the accounts from the past as well as well as its lasting impacts today.
During this holiday season, our interfaith coalition is writing to ask that you bring H.R. 40 to the House floor for a vote before the end of December. Our faith traditions recognize the importance of reparative justice. Our more than three-thousand-year-old sacred texts call for amends to those who have been harmed. The 32-year effort to pass H.R. 40 is one step in the direction of honoring our faith. The number of co-sponsors and “yes” votes is unprecedented. Now is the time to bring H.R. 40 to the floor."
The letter concludes, "As people of faith, we are calling on you to join our call to action and pass H.R. 40. We are called by our Creator to do what is right and repair wrongs done to another human being and to work for personal, social reconciliation, and renewal. We believe we are duty bound to follow this spiritual call to honor and protect all people’s inherent dignity and to seek justice when that dignity is violated. This December, we have an opportunity and sacred obligation to bring H.R. 40 to the floor and pass this monumental legislation.
As our nation works to heal from the egregious attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021 and the COVID-19 pandemic, we must also discern our own complicity in the use of laws and customs to justify enslavement, systemic racism, and white supremacy. We should allow the truth to speak. Until the United States honestly addresses the original transgression of slavery and the centuries of systemic actions to deliberately keep the descendants of enslaved Africans brought to America poor and born to a destiny of being disadvantaged, there will be no healing, moral accountability, or peace in our country. Reparations are a matter of Justice, found in our sacred faith traditions, international law, and practiced by Congress in response to the internment of Japanese Americans and more recently with the 9-11 Survivor Fund. This Congress has an opportunity to live up to the ideals in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. Reparations is a peaceful and just way to provide new safeguards for African Americans future security. The time is now, the call is reparations."
Organizations signing onto the letter:
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Church World Service
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
Presbyterian Church (USA), Office of Public Witness
Union for Reform Judaism
United Church of Christ Justice and Local Church Ministries
Faith in Public Life
The United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, US Provinces
Bread For the World
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team
Sojourners
Alliance of Baptists
Quixote Center
The letter was also sent to Rep. Steny Hoyer, Rep. James Clyburn, Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, Rep. Tom O’Halleran, and Rep. Matt Cartwright. |
| | | | Contact your Congressional representatives to express your support of the voting rights acts and H.R. 40 through NCC's Action Network System.
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| | | Attend the Next Reparatory Justice Webinar |
| | | Join our Reparatory Justice partners for the upcoming webinar, "The Interconnection of Reparations and Voting Rights," to explore the difference between racial equity and equality, reflect on the theology of this justice work, and learn the important connection between voting rights and reparations. Register in order to attend the live webinar at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 19, 2022. The recording will be broadcast in the evening on YouTube and Facebook and be available for viewing on those channels. Link for registration: https://bit.ly/reparjust2 |
| | | | COVID-19 Pandemic: Get the NCC Vaccine Hesitancy Fact Sheet |
| | According to the latest research, church and faith leaders can successfully encourage people to get vaccinated. Some religious Americans, including Christians of color and White mainline Protestants, have indicated that certain religious approaches made them more likely to get vaccinated.
The National Council of Churches has produced a Fact Sheet: A Christian Approach to Vaccine Hesitancy to aid church and faith leaders in having courageous conversations about being vaccinated. The fact sheet also provides a scriptural basis for a compassionate response to vaccine hesitancy and provides responses to Biblical misinformation around vaccination.
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| | | | | NCC Facebook Account is Not Working
If you regularly follow NCC on Facebook, you may have noticed we are not very active lately. The NCC Facebook page has denied all of the admins access for several weeks and calls for service from the company have gone unanswered. We hope this issue will be resolved soon! In the meantime, you can connect with NCC on Twitter and Instagram at the links below. |
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