Dear Westwood Family,
Several weeks ago, in a conversation about empathy in the Loft, Everest Harvey said something that hit me hard: they named how easy it is for us to say “I can’t imagine…” when we hear about something traumatic that’s outside of our own experience.
At first, it seems like a humble response. It honors that we shouldn’t assume we know someone else’s experience. It acknowledges that I cannot know what it’s like to walk through your particular grief, to face the specific prejudices you endure, to overcome the obstacles that are set before you. I cannot, for example, know what it’s like to navigate the world with HIV, or as a young Black man, as a transgender person, or an immigrant.
But also: what would it take for me to spend even a little time imagining myself into the experiences of others? To reflect on what their journey might be like?
I believe God calls us to imagine. We are called to listen and connect, to learn and understand. And, we are called to stand together, especially when any one of us is in need. It can be deeply painful to imagine the experiences of others: to empathize with their fear, to imagine their trauma. Still, this work is holy.
Because we believe that every person bears the image of God, our faith compels us to honor one another, and to work to build communities and nations that honor the dignity of all people. This core commitment of our faith, then, shows up in our politics, as we advocate for laws, policies and structures that embody the gospel.
Today in Washington, DC, United Methodists and other people of faith are gathered together to pray and advocate in a public witness of immigrant justice. This gathering is a response to the gospel’s call to empathy and solidarity. They began with this prayer, which I share here in hopes that you will pray it, too:
Beloved community, we gather today as people of faith and conscience, united by a shared commitment to justice, dignity, and compassion.
We come to lift our voices for immigrants, asylum seekers, refugees, and all who are impacted by unjust systems.
We gather to affirm the sacred worth of every person and to call for due process, fairness, and humane treatment for all.
We gather because our communities across this nation have been occupied by military presence and violent enforcement.
We gather because our neighbors have been profiled and targeted
We gather because our children live in fear and our schools have become targets
We gather because our cities are overwhelmed with violent retribution of an administration that penalizes them for daring to declare themselves a sanctuary.
We gather because faithful witnesses and those who follow a call to protest and protect the most vulnerable are being brutalized and even killed.
We gather because we must. We gather because our shared humanity compels us to.
May the God, Our Creator grant us wisdom and courage for the living of these days.
We gather in the name of Love!
Sometimes, we gather in large crowds – as in worship or in public witness. But even when we are physically apart from one another, we remain connected as the Body of Christ. By our power to imagine and believe that it is so, we remain “gathered” together, committed to honoring God’s presence in each of us and all of us.
May you believe that you are deeply known, and may you step further into your capacity to imagine and connect with others for the sake of love.
grace and peace,
Pastor Molly
