Christian Reflection and Prayer

In recent weeks, we’ve seen firsthand that our justice system
treats some people like they don’t matter. Grand juries in
Missouri and Staten Island both decided that the deaths of
unarmed black men were not worth further investigation by
declining to call for a trial of the police officers who killed them.

This isn’t just a problem in Ferguson, not just something that
happens in New York. We hear over and over again that our
society is treating our black sisters and brothers as though
their lives don’t matter.

How do you change a culture that systematically devalues
our black brothers and sisters? Start locally. A letter in your
local paper calling for justice is a powerful way to reach your
friends, neighbors, and community with the message that
ALL people are made in the image of God.

Your voice is critical. If we are ever going to change our
culture that disregards the worth of black lives, Christians
need to speak out.

We need all Christians to speak out against the injustice
we’ve seen toward our black sisters and brothers. The work
of the church is reconciliation – now let’s get to it!

In faith,
Janelle and the rest of the Sojourners team