We’ve Come This Far

Our Racial Justice Working Group publishes this blog of its deliberations from time to time.

The Rev. Dr. Martha Tucker’s Meditation on Repair

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If you remove the yoke from among you, the accusing finger, and malicious speech;
If you lavish your food on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted;
Then your light shall rise in the darkness, and your gloom shall become like midday….
“Repairer of the breach,” they shall call you, “Restorer of ruined dwellings.”                                        —Isaiah 58:9–10, 12

So many prophets radically and poetically call us to participate in a sacred restoration of wholeness, to be “restorers of the breach”. I believe that this is a valuable lens through which to gain perspective on the concept of reparations. Continue reading →

Initiatives of Episcopal Dioceses & City of Boston

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When we met last July in Chapel Camp, Emmanuelites said that they would welcome learning more about resources related to repair, reconciliation, and reparations. Last week, we offered a glimpse of Diomass’s journey on the topic. We’ve begun to explore other dioceses’ postings about discussions and/or commitments to ongoing processes and approaches to restoration and healing. We are gradually learning, too, about other local churches’ processes of inquiry and action in this regard. Continue reading →

Our Journey into Reparations

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As we begin our shared journey into Reparations, we need to assess how far we have come, both individually and as a faith community. Last Fall in a historic vote, the 237th Annual Diocesan Convention created a Reparations Fund with a goal of $11.1 million, “as part of our effort to address our legacy of wealth accumulated through the enslaved labor of Africans and Afro-Caribbeans on our behalf and for our use today.” More information is here.

We will draw on our diocesan Tool Kit for Reparations in Community, as we explore our response to reparations. Before any talk of specific reparations, however, we must explore some basic questions together from that Tool Kit.

Continue reading →

Chapel Camp Devoted to Repairing the Breach

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Our Chapel Camp on July 30, 2023 was devoted to a discussion of our study and thoughts about the Church’s moral obligation and opportunity to engage in reparations. This responsibility rightly involves a relational approach that includes, but also goes beyond, focusing entirely on cash payouts toward addressing ongoing economic, educational, and health inequities.

Our Rector and other parishioners gathered to share initial thoughts on how we might, during sabbatical time this fall, offer resources to broaden our understanding of the moral and spiritual dimensions of reparations. To begin, our vestry discussed Luke 19:1-10, the story of Zacchaeus.

In addition, here are two resources recommended to vestry members during our introductory conversations:

We will continue this column as our exploration continues and will include other voices from our congregation.

–Mary Beth Clack, Cindy Coldren, Pat Krol

Published in This Week @Emmanuel Church August 30, 2023; Sept. 7, 2023