We must reject calls for color blindness. That diminishes and washes out God’s gift of diversity. We should be color amazed, recognizing the strength that comes with all our many colors. God as creator made all of us in God’s image.”
- Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, Presiding Bishop ELCA
Strive for justice and peace in all the earth.
Part of our baptismal covenant is “to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.” As a congregation, we see racial justice as part of this promise and call to action. We seek to listen, learn and be willing to leave our comfort zones to live into this covenant. Good Shepherd’s Racial Justice Team offers opportunities for education and action around race, power and privilege. We are new to this work, and understand that we have much to think about, confess, learn and do. We invite you to join us on this journey. Read Pastor Ken’s July 2020 letter to the congregation on the topic of racial justice.
“The message to take away from Anne’s story is to stop prejudice and discrimination right at its beginning. Prejudice starts when we speak about THE Jews, THE Arabs, THE Asians, THE Mexicans, THE Blacks, THE Whites. This leads to the feeling that all members of each such group think and act the same.”
— Miep Gies, who was instrumental in hiding Anne Frank and her family during World War II, as quoted in “The Betrayal of Anne Frank” by Rosemary Sullivan
As a symbol of sacred remembrance and lament of the Indigenous children who suffered and died at residential schools and for their families, as as one step in our journey together to honor and heal relationships with our native siblings, orange fabric was hung in Good Shepherd’s sanctuary and on the crosses on the front lawn during a prayer service on November 1, 2021. The fabric remained in place for 225 days, until June 14, 2022.
Read more here.
ELCA Truth and Healing Movement
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), announced the launch of the ELCA's Truth and Healing Movement in April 2023. The focus of the initiative is to increase the church's understanding of the impacts of colonization on Indigenous people in past generations and in the present. Learn more about the movement on the ELCA website.
Good Shepherd’s Land Acknowledgement Statement
Good Shepherd introduced its land acknowledgement statement in May 2023, the result of many months of research and gathering input from multiple sources and people, including from Living Waters Lutheran Church in Cherokee, NC. Using a land acknowledgment is one step in our congregation’s partnership with the people of Living Waters and in our continuing journey toward healing, justice and the flourishing of all God’s good creation.
“As God calls us to be stewards of creation, we acknowledge that the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Brevard, North Carolina, gathers on the ancestral homelands of the Cherokee people. We honor this beautiful, diverse, and abundant land and the people who care for it - past, present, and future. We acknowledge and regret the violence and trauma caused by colonialism and continued unjust policies. We open our hearts and minds to the work of ongoing learning from and actively seeking justice for and with our Indigenous siblings.”
A deeper look at the statement can be found here.
Learn more about the Racial Justice Work of the NC Synod.