When I was in my late 20s, my grandmother revealed something to me about my ancestors. They were slave traders.
My family and I decided to spend time retracing the Triangular Trade route of our ancestors, learning about and documenting the massive extent of Northern complicity in slavery. Yes, Northerners. The Land of Opportunity existed only because this booming economy was built on unpaid labor.
This is an invitation to the whole church – each congregation and each individual – to uncover the details of our relationships to slavery, segregation, and racism. Drawing from Isaiah 58, how can the church be “the repairer of the breach,” materially and relationally? Those words from Isaiah weave tangible physical repair with spiritual repair, toward the healing and reconciliation that lead to new life in Christ.
This message is excerpted from “The work of repentance” by Katrina Browne in the November 2018 Gather magazine. Today we commemorate Benedict the African, confessor, 1589.
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