Today’s sermon is a conversation between Rev. Danielle K Bartz and licensed minister for social justice at Peace UCC in Rochester, Jerry Locula.
Thank you!
Rev. Danielle Bartz, the governing body {Council} of this great Congregation, members and visiting friends! I bring you greetings from my family in Liberia. I also bring you greetings from Senior Pastor Paul Bauch of Peace United Church of Christ in Rochester.
Rev. Danielle, I thank you and members of this great Church {Frist Congregational Church UCC} here Winona for the invitation.
Rev. Danielle has been the mentor for my license for the past one year the half years. We are having a wonderful journey together. I have learned so much from her. I thank her for the great encouragement; especially whenever I feel that that territory – the territory of racism is uncomfortable and untouchable to talk about. She has always said, “Jerry, you can make it. No matter how difficult and uncomfortable the subject {racism) maybe, we have a sacred responsibility to preach God’s word.” Rev. Danielle is such an amazing person! A great Theologically! I see her as a blessing not only to First Congregational Church here in Winona, but in the wilder UCC.
Few months back, Rev. Danielle shared with me her excitement about the good news that this building – this edifice – this Church was granted the status and named as one of historical places in America by the National Register of Historical Places. I shared your joy! I congratulate you for the preservation of this piece of history that has brought you this far!
Today, Rev. Danielle and I will be sharing the pulpit. Rev. Danielle and I have a dream to change the world to the best where both Black people and White people can have difficult, but honest and respectful conversation about race. The primary objective is, for all of us to live together without seeing color in anyone, but to only see each other as God’s people.
So, today’s, message maybe a hard – uncomfortable and unsecured conversation, but please do not worry. With the power of the Holy Spirit, everything will be fine.
One of the issues in our world that has either created animosity amongst people, spoiled amazing relationships, separated people and communities, broke down institutions, and caused chaos, is the question about greatness.
In our text {Mark 9:30-37}, the disciples of Jesus are heard auguring amongst themselves about who is the greatest.
Now, there is nothing wrong with making an argument as long as it is done in a respectful and peaceful manner.
Here, the scene of Jesus’ disciples making argument amongst themselves is like: let’s say, fans of Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings or fans of New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox arguing about who is the best football or baseball team in the country or the world.
Yes, we have more money and more fans. We have won 10 games in a season. We have earned several thousand gold medals and trophies. Yes, we are the best! We are the greatest!
The scene was also like White people and Black people arguing about who is better than the other or who is superior and has privilege then the other.
But one thing we need to understand is that Jesus’ greatness is different from what human being sees as greatness.
While they were arguing, Jesus called up the twelve disciples. He took a child and put on his lap and said these words in: {Mark 9:36-37}: “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all. Whoever welcomes one of these little children (lifting the child up), in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
Jesus explicitly points out that greatness is being like a child. That little child portraits love, amusement, happiness, humbleness, friendship, closeness and togetherness.
We become the first and greatest when we choose to be servants of God. We can only be true servants of God when we are truly servants of each other. And one way we can truly become servants to each other is through love.
But the question is: How much love, how honest, how genuine or to what extend our love for each goes?
It is this love Pastor Danielle and I are talking about.
Rev. Daniel Comes on Stage:
Jerry:
Danielle, I heard about racism but I never experienced it until I came to America in 2007. In Milwaukee, White people called me nigger. They told me I didn’t belong to the city but the jungle. They said that I was not a human being to walk with a White girl – my friend, Susan whose family had invited me for that weekend to see the Art Museum in Milwaukee. I was disheartened by their attitudes against me. I was shocked that this happened to me in America – the world’s greatest democracy.
Question:
Why have White people always treated Black people this way? What is the main reason for this? What’s the justification?
Danielle’s Response:
I have never been able to understand the human inclination to hate someone – so, I therefore don’t understand the justification for racism. But I do understand fear, even fear that makes no logical sense. And I think fear is the force behind racism. Fear of the other, fear of difference, fear of losing perceived power. And fear can be taught, by that I mean people can, and often do, learn who to fear. And because fear is such a powerful emotion, and can lead people to do horrifying things, it is difficult to unlearn. So, while I do not believe there is any justification for racism, I can, unfortunately, understand why it exists – because I understand the power of fear.
Jerry:
Recently, Clare, a very good friend of mine, {White} who live in a White neighborhood in Rochester, asked me to let her dog out while they were gone to Chester Wood Park for much of the day. Letting Rosie out, a White neighbor to Clare who was headed out, saw me on the porch and got so suspicious about my presence in the yard. She began driving around the block – back & forth just to see what I was up to. After several lopes around the block, she drove South of the street and parked. All I thought she was calling the police. Not knowing she was calling my friend.
“Oh! O yaa! Man! I see a Black man on your porch! I am so scared for you! My fiend immediately told her, “O, that’s Jerry! He is our friend! We asked him to let Rosie out. Please do not put him in harm’s way. Clare’s husband, Eric said, but she wouldn’t be suspicious of a White man in our yard.
Few nights ago, Clare called to tell me that the neighbor went to apologized, but said she was looking out for her neighbor. Clare’s husband, Eric’s reaction was, if she is looking out for the neighbor by getting so suspicious of a Black man, then they were is problem?
Questions:
- Why are White people so suspicious of Black people?
- Do you have any Black friend?
- What image you see, whenever you see a Black man?
- What would you have done genuinely different if it was you seeing a Black man on your neighbor’s porch in your White neighborhood?
Danielle Response:
It wasn’t until I started seminary at the age of 21 that I lived in a mixed-race community. Eden seminary, when I was there, was about 40% African and African American. It was the first time I was taught by a Black person, it was the first time I developed true friendships with Black people. And, it was the first time I was challenged to question the assumptions I had.
I recall our African and African American student group giving a presentation to the school about how often they were pulled over by the police in the area around the school, which was a predominately white and wealthy neighborhood. Black students and faculty were pulled over, often for no reason, far more often than white students and faculty. I remember listening to this presentation, and I admit, I doubted it. Looking back on my skepticism, I understand now that I was just beginning to learn that my reality and privilege as a white person in a white neighborhood was not the same as my Black classmates. So, even though the people telling me about their lived reality in the neighborhood we shared were my friends, I struggled to believe them. It has taken me a long time to learn, and I am still learning, that my experience of the world is not the ‘rule.’ That my experiences are my own, and the experiences of my Black neighbors and friends are different. So, I now strive to listen with a more open spirit, to hear the truth I am being presented with, and when I notice myself doubting that truth, to remember that doubt is a part of my privilege.
Jerry:
In 2010, like everyone entering the pool, I went through the general shower and got a bath before entering a swimming pool in Costa Rica. White American holiday makers who had entered the pool before me, immediately walked out of the swimming pool simply because I {a Black man} has entered the pool. A White woman whom I didn’t know but saw what had happened to me, came up said to me, “I feel your pain. I stand with you. I am sorry for what just happened. Nothing wrong with you. But something wrong with them.
Questions:
- Have you ever seeing such a situation and walked up to the victim and act exactly like what that lady did?
- Hearing the remarkable reaction of this White woman, is there a lesson White people can learn?
Danielle’s Response:
The truth is, I can’t remember a time when I witnessed such a flagrant example of racism occurring right in front of me. But, I am therefore forced to wonder, what I haven’t noticed, or what I have noticed and didn’t understand what I was seeing. Your question has caused me to look back and wonder what I wasn’t paying attention to in the lives of my Black friends and neighbors. And your question will, I hope, stay with me to help me be more aware.
The truth is, I have a long way to go to confront my own learned racism and white privilege. And I also know how incredibly lucky I am that I have been able to develop honest and true friendships with Black people. That is something so many white people don’t have in our incredibly segregated country. Jerry, you and I have a relationship held together by our shared faith in God, based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, and steeped in our mutual desire to create as much good in the world we can. You and I are lucky, and we therefore have a responsibility to use our relationship to deepen the conversation between our races.
Jerry
Conclusion:
Thank you so much Rev. Danielle!
As people of God, we can only be great NOT by our privilege or our skin colors.
As people of God, we can only be great NOT when we blow out other people’s candles.
As people of God, we can only be great NOT by our place in society.
As people of God, we can only be great NOT by hate, segregation, discrimination or injustice.
As people of God, we can only be great when we remember our childhood’s virtue: by showing love to others, by being humble, by bringing laughter, by encouraging togetherness and by seeing everyone as one people in God’s world.
Amen!
Pastoral Prayer
Danielle: Good and loving God, you have created each of us in your image, and desire for us to live together in the Beloved Community of your kingdom. Help us to recognize your face in the faces of all we encounter, because it is only together as your diverse creation can we truly see you.
Jerry: There are times, God, when we question your hope for our unity. We too easily see the hatred, fear, and injustices of the world and we find ourselves wondering, is this all there is? Help us, in those times of despair, to lean into your promise of hope and the Good News taught to us by Jesus Christ – that we are all beloved by you, no matter the differences we think may divide us.
Danielle: And as we lean into this hope, may it give us the courage to speak up, to act with integrity, to bring justice and peace to our community, and a resilient spirit to continue this work in your name, always.
Jerry: As we pray this for ourselves, we extend these prayers to all of humanity, for we know that prayer is not in vain. For all of those who have suffered and continue to suffer under the whip of racism – we pray.
Danielle: For all those who use their privilege to exercise power over another and create harm instead of good – we pray.
Jerry: For all those who work tirelessly day and night to bring about your Kingdom here on earth – we pray.
Danielle: For all of those who are learning and seeking to learn about the glorious diversity of your creation – we pray.
Jerry: And for all those who simply need to rest – we pray.
Danielle: God, your greatest gift to us is the relationships you desire us to have with you and one another. So, as we pray to you, we do so with great gratitude. And, we do so in the name of Jesus Christ, our teacher and guide, who taught us to say together…Our Father…