Those words are taken from a Marvin Gaye song 'Wholy Holy." A live recording of this song by Aretha Franklin sustained me spiritually while I was doing a seminary internship at Living Waters AIDS ministry in the mid 1990's. I listened to it over and over. It still gives me chills.
To believe in each other's dreams -- what better way to honor the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the dream he offered us.
At the Garden Church through our annual Martin Luther King Teach-ins, through our Perspectives Worship series, and through our Anti-racism study, we have heard the stories of people of color, women, LGBTQI+ people, port drivers, hospitality workers, and those experiencing homelessness... And I write this list with a keen sense of having only scratched the surface. We have a lot more listening to do! A lot more believing in each other's dreams to do!
This year, while COVID cases are spiking again and so many people are needing to quarantine, we have postponed our MLK Teach-in to a later date to be determined. We will worship in person, however, with masking and physical distancing protocols in place.
I will take the occasion to reflect on where we are to reflect on where we are a community in our commitment to social justice and anti-racism.
To quote from 'Wholy Holy' again. "We can conquer hate together."
Let's do it,
Rev. Jonathan