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Relief

I was driving to Eve’s softball game yesterday when the verdict was pronounced for former officer Derek Chauvin. While I never rejoice at anyone going to prison, it was a relief that he, and perhaps the system he served, was held accountable for the murder of George Floyd. But I don’t think it would have happened without the people, or that bystander video.

Grief

When I arrived at the game I had a series of texts from a group of clergy and organizers noting that, right around the time of the verdict, a Black girl had been shot...

Land and learning in South Carolina

During our trip last week to be with family in South Carolina I got to spend a day in Beaufort/Port Royal, about an hour and a half down the coast from Charleston. It is home to one of the deepest natural harbors on the East Coast and was a strategic base for the Union army which captured the port in 1861 and held it throughout the Civil War. The wealthy confederate planters fled the area, leaving behind their homes, their cotton fields, and the 10-12,000 persons they had enslaved. The Union needed money and men. The formerly enslaved needed a sustainable freedom. Thus began the Port...

Midweek Blog: Death Penalty Repeal

In March, Virginia became the 23rd state to put an end to the death penalty, and now there is momentum in Ohio to do the same here. Bipartisan sponsored bills have been introduced in both the Ohio House and Senate, and now is a crucial time to make sure representatives hear from you. During this season of Easter, this can be one of the ways we practice living out the resurrection and helping to bring life in places of death.

The group Ohioans to Stop Execution (OTSE) is especially encouraging people to contact senators and urge them to support...

Daily Connector | April Adult Education Discussions | Katie Graber, LT

As Leadership Team was preparing for the April 25 congregational meeting, we realized how many big topics we have to discuss. We decided that two topics (COVID and reparations) deserve a whole hour to hear from the committees and discuss what their findings and recommendations mean for our community. We will use the Christian Education hour in the weeks after Easter for full congregational discussions on these topics. Although only members are able to vote at the April 25 meeting, we are hopeful anyone and everyone can participate in the discussions each Sunday.

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Daily Connector | Part VI: Reparations Essay | Wilbur Miller

I’m sharing with you a couple snapshots of what I am learning about our diverse nation’s migration story.

The last eleven years Shirley and I have been living among African Americans in Olde Towne East here in central Ohio. The last several years I have been reading about the history of African Americans in our country. I have been shocked by the graphic stories of how the Christian church has taken an active role in promoting slavery and white supremacy since 1619 when they first arrived here on these shores.

Why didn’...

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