In the wake of the horrific shootings in Atlanta a few weeks ago targeting Asian Americans, my inbox and social media feeds were filled with statements from organizations decrying the violence. As I read, I wondered what, if anything, Life Together should add to the chorus. For anyone who knows this community, after all, our condemnation of white supremacist violence is a given. The devaluing and objectifying of Asian Americans in our culture, particularly toward those who identify as women, clearly manifests the Empire Way that we are called to counter with the Way of Love. We are publicly committed to rooting out racism in our communities and in ourselves. What intention do we bring to re-stating all that in this moment?
In reflecting on that question, two responses stand out. Everyone in the Life Together community may know our values, but those in our community who identify as Asian American or Pacific Islander (AAPI) may especially need to hear them now. Racist violence acts to push the targeted group back to the margins of society, to isolate them and remind them of their vulnerability. I’ve learned as a white person how such violence impacts an entire community, not just the individuals who experience the violence directly. And that makes expressions of solidarity so important. Members of the AAPI community need to know that they are not alone, not invisible. They need to know that others will act alongside them and amplify their voices calling for justice.
In this Holy Week, when Christians reflect on the story of Jesus’ betrayal and crucifixion, I’m also reminded of confession and repentance– of actively turning away from the Empire Way and toward the Way of Love in the ways we speak and act in the world. We think of that as an individual thing, but institutions can do it, too. Life Together was born out of a majority-white Christian denomination, and is still led by two white women. We have at times caused harm, including to some of the people reading these words. In that context, naming wrong when we see it is an act of repentance: in the words of Maya Angelou, “Then when you know better, do better.”
In that vein, let me be clear that racist violence targeting the AAPI community is antithetical to the Way of Love, the Jesus Way, that all of us at Life Together seek to embody. We are all called to work with AAPI leaders toward prophetic change– whether that’s by joining actions in your local community, attending an online bystander intervention training, or reaching out to offer support to friends. And may our prayers for those who died in Atlanta be more than words. May they be the foundation for real and lasting change.