From “Living Into God’s Dream: Dismantling Racism in America” by Catherine Meeks
The Christian faith is based upon being committed to God’s dream for us personally and communally. Our living creatively into the future involves our devotion to the compelling vision of God’s realm of shalom. This is a major biblical theme in Judaism and Christianity. Throughout the sacred Scriptures, God is longing for a people who will become a faithful community, in covenant relationship with God, is integral to God’s purposes that the whole creation be in harmony with God.
Racism is a social and spiritual crisis. Being motivated against racism is to recognize a major impediment to the realization of the Beloved Community. However, eliminating racism does not, in and of itself, bring forth Beloved Community. Other societal ills are soul crushing. Living in community can be experienced as “hell on earth” when society fails to give sufficient attention to addressing poverty, mental health care, religious bigotry that pits one religion against another, sexism, violence as a chosen remedy to conflict and hostilities against people because of their sexual orientation. Opposing racism and other social ills need to be rooted in the vision of God’s dream of Beloved Community where persons respect, nurture, and love one another as sacred people of God.