From cycles of injustice to cycles of equity
The world is in constant revolution. A revolution is simply a cycle. Our very solar system instructs us that it requires more than a singular rotation to cause a revolution. We measure our years by a full revolution around the sun which requires 365 rotations. To participate in a revolution is to participate in understanding, engaging, and either continuing or changing the direction of a cycle.
We are all born into a whirlpool of history whose cycles were formed long before us. Whirlpools are both sustained and changed by momentum. From the time the ships carrying enslaved Africans arrived on the James River at Manchester, Richmond had already been engaged in the whirlpool of false human hierarchies.
The tides of this whirlpool have historically swept through government, business, education, health, and even religious institutions. These currents of inequity gathered force and momentum both from those who participated knowingly and from those who simply just rode the currents of the time. Unfortunately, the perpetrators of these inequities often misused their faith practice as a justification for maintaining systems of oppression.
The Christian church in Richmond, specifically, has historically complied but also resisted the false theology that emerged from oppressive societal streams of their time. The same religious institution that was abused by some to justify segregation is also the same institution that marched and organized against segregation to demand a more equitable society. Therefore, it is important to note that there is a legacy of faith leaders that did not contribute their momentum to the oppressive streams of their time. They had a proper relationship with the truth of their faith, and through deep reflection, listening and honest accountability, these visionaries built interconnected streams of resistance.
More importantly, faith can inform followers to not just be conformed and caught up in the streams of their time. Faith can also compel followers to overcome streams of oppression with streams of justice.
Would you like to take part in our Faith Rooted Revolution?
Get Involved! Email Allan-Charles Chipman, IofC USA’s Faith Rooted Organizer & Strategist, at allan-charles.chipman@iofc.org to discuss how best to connect up.
