Faith in Action

I read Dan Rodericks’ lastest piece in The Baltimore Sun and I had to stop.  Dan wrote about Christopher Clarke - an 18 year old senior at Patterson Senior High School who was caught between a gun battle and shot in my old neighborhood.  Police found his body under a car. 

Chris wasn’t a drug dealer.  He wasn’t a gangbanger.  He wasn’t “asking for trouble”.  He stopped by a friend’s house on the way home from work and was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.  He was a good student, an athlete, a loved member of his church, and a mother’s pride and joy.  He was looking forward to joining the Baltimore City Police Department.

This story and the many many many more like them in Baltimore breaks my heart.

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I was blessed to be a participant in a powerful weekend of Faith and prayer for peace this past weekend in DC.  The weekend’s events were organized by Christian Peace Witness - a coalition of Christian organizations calling for an end to the war, the redeployment of American soldiers, and the rebuilding of Iraq.  Thousands of Christians and those of other Faiths participated in a peace service at the National Cathedral with the overflow watching from surrounding sanctuaries.  I watched the service on the big screen at New York Ave. Presb. Church along with Pastor Andrew Foster Conners (Brown Memorial Park Ave. Presb. Church) and a few of my mentors: Dr. Arnold Howard (Enon Baptist), Dr. William Calhoun (Trinity Baptist Church), and Baltimore civil rights legend, Rev. Marion C. Bascom.  It was a wonderful experience participating in that worship experience with thousands of Believers from across the nation. 

It was even more gratifying and life changing to march forward with hundreds of prayerful people and be arrested at the gates of the White House for participating in an act of divine obedience (civil disobedience).  I spent Friday night leading into Saturday morning in the custody of the DC Police Department.  Being handcuffed, photographed, and fingerprinted for my beliefs was a liberating experience.  Maybe that sounds like an oxymoron, but I found that carrying the cross of public arrest based on my convictions as a Christian, freed me to trust God in ways that I never had before.  As I surrendered my physical freedom to those forces that secure the kingdom of this world, I secured my spiritual liberation to grow in faith to God.  While family and friends were understandably concerned about my decision to go forward with being arrested, I knew that God required a higher level of sacrifice from me.  I could not refuse the moment.  I knew that that night was ordained by God and that my presence and participation there was divinely orchestrated.

Enjoy this video of a short speech I made at a peace rally organized by Baltimore United for Peace and Justice on Monday, March 19, 2007 - the 4 year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmWsLNpXh9c]

Joe Madison is testifying for the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee.  He drops stats, facts, and figures left and right.  While half of my brain is listening to him - the other half is trying to organize my thoughts and sound half way intelligent while testifying. 

Madison is done and Walter Fauntroy goes next.  Like a good preacher he makes a little joke before starting to warm up the crowd.  They chuckle and he proceeds. 

While he’s talking I get my stuff together.  I think I can pull this off impromptu style now.  It hits me in that moment that growing up in the Black Church prepared me for this.  All those times that I had to stand and welcome visitors, respond to the welcome, sing a lead on a song, or pray over the offering prepared me for speaking confidently in front of people.  Thank you Church! (I gotta give a nod to the Future Business Leaders of America Club in high school too.  Did I mention that I placed 2nd in the county in the Impromptu Speaking competition?)

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As many of you know, Young Clergy for Social Change has been actively involved in the movement to end the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, East Africa since our beginnings in March 2005.  We’ve had articles published, collected petitions, been guests on local radio stations, attended rallies in DC, and hosted a Baltimore for Darfur Night at Payne Memorial AME Church (thank you Pastor Qismat Alim!) 

As part of the movement to end the genocide in Darfur, other states and institutions have started divesting from Sudan.  The Sudan Divestment Task Force explains divestment this way:

“Hearkening back to the days of Apartheid South Africa, fiduciaries have explored the option of divesting from companies that either do business in Sudan or with the government of Sudan. Indeed, numerous states, cities, and universities have already divested while dozens of others are currently considering this option.”

Maryland is now one of the states considering divestment.  Senator Verna Jones, Chairwoman of the Legislative Black Caucus of MD, is lead sponsor on Senate Bill 543.  This bill would require the State of MD to create a list of companies that have money tied up with the government of Sudan.  Once those companies are identified, they will be encouraged to discontinue their financial relationship with the government of Sudan.  The goal is to exert so much financial pressure on the government (without harming the people) that it must take decisive action toward ending the violence and allowing the more than 2 million displaced Darfurians to return to their homes.

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Tell the New Congress: Act NOW to Bring the Troops Home!  Join United for Peace and Justice in a massive march on Washington, D.C., on Sat., January 27, to call on Congress to take immediate action to end the war.On Election Day the voters delivered a dramatic mandate for peace. Now it’s time for action. On January 27, 2007, we will converge from all around the country in Washington, D.C. to send a strong, clear message to Congress and the Bush Administration: The people of this country want the war and occupation in Iraq to end and we want the troops brought home now!