“If you want to kill a village, rape the women. If you want to heal the village, you heal the women.” -- Becca Stevens
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| The women of Millennial Activists United. There's something different this time. |
We have been here before as a nation. We've been here in 1965 in Watts. We've been here in 1967 in Newark. We've been here in 1992 in South Central LA and 2001 in Cincinnati.
Young black men being abused and shot by police? That's not new.
Pain and rage? That's not new.
Clergy and activists organizing? Masses of people on the streets? Apocalyptic language? Terror of a slave uprising sweeping through the white community?
None of this is anything new.
In many ways what is happening in Ferguson, Shaw and all over St. Louis is following a familiar script. Certainly the media, government leaders and the police know the script and are preparing for it to play out the same way.
The same script is not good news for anyone. The same script has brought needed changes, but small ones. The same script has mostly set the stage for the script to be played out again and again and again.
But there's something different this time.
And it's the women.
I found out Mike Brown had been killed when the Rev. Traci Blackmon shared the news on her Facebook page and said, "Sometimes events happen that compel you to tear up your sermon and start over." At 6:30 the next morning, she was asking me to be at the Ferguson Police Department that afternoon to help her lead a prayer vigil.
When Traci asks me to do something, I try to never say no. So I tore up my sermon that morning and preached about what had just happened. And that afternoon, I stood with her in prayer on West Florissant Avenue.
Since that day, nearly 100 days ago, I have tried to follow Jesus' counsel to be wise as a serpent and innocent as a dove. I have tried to balance my desire for both me and Christ Church Cathedral to be a reconciler of all people with the need for us boldly to stand with those who are in need and oppressed.
Since that day, nearly 100 days ago, there have been no shortage of people and groups to align with. I decided early on that I would try to stand with people who
*share my theological foundation that all people are made in God's image, are beloved and must be treated with honor, dignity and high regard
*share my absolute commitment to nonviolent social change and the transformative power of militant love.
*are of the highest integrity and the lowest ego.
And what that means has become abundantly clear.
I stand with the women.
What is different this time is the women. The most powerful voices in this movement do not have names like Martin and Malcolm and Stokely. They have names like Traci and Brittany and Alexis. Yes, there are men, wonderful and strong and courageous, who are leading as well ... but the core of this movement, the heart and soul of this movement, the spiritual power behind this movement are the women.
There's something different this time. And what is different is the women are no longer content to let us men relegate them to the back of the bus. The women are no longer content to let us men repeat the same script over and over again. The stakes are too high. Their babies are dying. Their sisters and brothers are dying. Rachel has been weeping for her children for far too long.
The women are in charge now ... and thanks be to God. They are telling us that they will not stop praying with their feet until there is no more blood on our streets. Everywhere I turn, I am confronted by powerful, courageous and grace-filled women who humble me and call me to my best self. The list is too long -- Traci Blackmon, Rebecca Ragland, Ashley Yates, Brittany Ferrell, Alexis Templeton, Elle Dowd, Susan Talve, Leah Gunning Francis, Heather Arcovitch, Deb Krause, Mary Gene Boteler, Amy Hunter, Robbyn Wahby, Dietra Baker, Tricia Roland-Hamilton, Brittany Packnett, Hedy Epstein, Cassandra Gould ... I'm leaving so many out because the list goes on and on and on and on.
Over the past weeks, I have watched a parade of men step before cameras and talk about the police response that is coming, the government response that is being prepared. I have seen them talk tough and flex their muscles and over and over again use the language of fear. I have not seen them deviate once from the script that has got us to the same place over and over again.
At the same time, I have watched the women pray and anoint. I have watched the women collect scarves, caps and gloves. I have watched the women organize and prophesy. I have heard them use the language of hope and resurrection. I have watch them mine the deep power of tears and bring those tears pouring out of me.
In a day or a week or more, the grand jury will announce their decision. And it seems that everyone is preparing for the worst. It seems that everyone is preparing for the same script to play over and over again.
I do not believe it will. In fact, I believe that we in St. Louis are going to go down in history as the place where the cycle is broken.
Because there's something different this time. And it's the women.
Becca Stevens reminds us, “If you want to kill a village, rape the women. If you want to heal the village, you heal the women.”
I would add one more line.
If you want to transform the village, follow the women.
And that is what I am doing.
When Traci asks me to do something, I try to never say no. So I tore up my sermon that morning and preached about what had just happened. And that afternoon, I stood with her in prayer on West Florissant Avenue.
Since that day, nearly 100 days ago, I have tried to follow Jesus' counsel to be wise as a serpent and innocent as a dove. I have tried to balance my desire for both me and Christ Church Cathedral to be a reconciler of all people with the need for us boldly to stand with those who are in need and oppressed.
Since that day, nearly 100 days ago, there have been no shortage of people and groups to align with. I decided early on that I would try to stand with people who
*share my theological foundation that all people are made in God's image, are beloved and must be treated with honor, dignity and high regard
*share my absolute commitment to nonviolent social change and the transformative power of militant love.
*are of the highest integrity and the lowest ego.
And what that means has become abundantly clear.
I stand with the women.
What is different this time is the women. The most powerful voices in this movement do not have names like Martin and Malcolm and Stokely. They have names like Traci and Brittany and Alexis. Yes, there are men, wonderful and strong and courageous, who are leading as well ... but the core of this movement, the heart and soul of this movement, the spiritual power behind this movement are the women.
There's something different this time. And what is different is the women are no longer content to let us men relegate them to the back of the bus. The women are no longer content to let us men repeat the same script over and over again. The stakes are too high. Their babies are dying. Their sisters and brothers are dying. Rachel has been weeping for her children for far too long.
The women are in charge now ... and thanks be to God. They are telling us that they will not stop praying with their feet until there is no more blood on our streets. Everywhere I turn, I am confronted by powerful, courageous and grace-filled women who humble me and call me to my best self. The list is too long -- Traci Blackmon, Rebecca Ragland, Ashley Yates, Brittany Ferrell, Alexis Templeton, Elle Dowd, Susan Talve, Leah Gunning Francis, Heather Arcovitch, Deb Krause, Mary Gene Boteler, Amy Hunter, Robbyn Wahby, Dietra Baker, Tricia Roland-Hamilton, Brittany Packnett, Hedy Epstein, Cassandra Gould ... I'm leaving so many out because the list goes on and on and on and on.
Over the past weeks, I have watched a parade of men step before cameras and talk about the police response that is coming, the government response that is being prepared. I have seen them talk tough and flex their muscles and over and over again use the language of fear. I have not seen them deviate once from the script that has got us to the same place over and over again.
At the same time, I have watched the women pray and anoint. I have watched the women collect scarves, caps and gloves. I have watched the women organize and prophesy. I have heard them use the language of hope and resurrection. I have watch them mine the deep power of tears and bring those tears pouring out of me.
In a day or a week or more, the grand jury will announce their decision. And it seems that everyone is preparing for the worst. It seems that everyone is preparing for the same script to play over and over again.
I do not believe it will. In fact, I believe that we in St. Louis are going to go down in history as the place where the cycle is broken.
Because there's something different this time. And it's the women.
Becca Stevens reminds us, “If you want to kill a village, rape the women. If you want to heal the village, you heal the women.”
I would add one more line.
If you want to transform the village, follow the women.
And that is what I am doing.
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