Lament, Pray, and Act
With our world and communities reacting and reeling from both the continued loss of life from the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing fight for justice for Black Lives, many of you might be searching for ways to be active in your communities. Here are some resources to help you navigate your next steps.
- Take action in your local neighborhood: Local food banks especially need assistance during this time
- Participate in the actions of ecumenical, denominational, and interfaith bodies: Massachusetts Council of Churches, Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), and Unitarian Universalist Association all have resources for charitable works and social action
- For those who are white: Find actions that will take the burden off of People of Color, be proactive in anti-racism, read up on dismantling white privilege here and here, and make a racial justice to-do list
- Write letters: Write letters to your elected officials to protect healthcare and emergency funding for working people, and/or adopt a senior self-isolating pen pal
- Prepare yourself: Do you see things in your community in need of change but lack the skills to step in? Tool up by finding a lesson on YouTube, a podcast, a webinar, or a mini-course to give you the education to lead the way
- Take care of your own mental health: BU offers resources for graduate students through Student Health Services, Behavioral Medicine, The Danielsen Institute, and The Center for Anxiety & Related Disorders (CARD). Turn off social media and news coverage if you become overwhelmed
- Have a conversation with someone you know: We often are around people different than ourselves without ever opening up to talk about that difference. Here are two STH Doctor of Ministry alums talking about and modeling such a conversation
- Engage in meaningful spiritual practices: Dean Moore recently wrote “Lament is a pathway to share pain, to be fully human, to journey toward the heart of God, who holds more pain than all of us together can imagine and who will never let us go.” Be present in your spiritual practice to grieve and provide clear guidance for your next steps.
We deeply love and care for you all. May we hold each other close and continue to be agents of change during this confusing and deeply troubling period in history.