From the Bishop: Call to Solidarity

The violence that took the lives of eight people in Atlanta this week, six of whom were women of Asian ancestry, has brought to the forefront the reality that there has been a dramatic increase in hate crimes, acts of racism and discrimination targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The group Stop AAPI Hate has documented 3,795 incidents over the last year alone that include verbal harassment and shunning, physical assault, civil rights violations, and online harassment.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders often say that they are an invisible element of our collective struggle for racial justice, unseen in the Black/white binary conversations on race. Even the term AAPI itself is an invention, a label that encompasses communities and individuals with a great variety of origins, languages, cultures, faiths, and economic, legal, and social status. And we all too often fail to honor the full diversity within the label.

In the love and peace of Christ, we ask God once more to help us reach out arms of love, just as Christ reached out his upon the cross, to enfold in embrace all persons, and especially at this moment those of us who are of Asian ancestry. In this diocese, you are our leaders as members of Standing Committee, vestries and of the clergy, and you are our congregants, fellow lovers and followers of Jesus. Along with all people of color, you should not have to fear for your lives and those of your children in living your daily lives. I stand with you in love and in solidarity. I join with other faith leaders in condemning all acts of violence and racial hatred.

We as a diocese have committed ourselves to engage the resolution calling for racial healing and truth-telling in the corner of the world that we inhabit as the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa. The timing alone convinces me that the Spirit of God is calling us and the Spirit trusts us to do this work. And it is and will be work, work that will transform us as a touch by Jesus brings healing and new sight! May Jesus give us His eyes to see each other, that we may fully recognize what a beloved sight that is.

In the peace and love of Christ,

+Alan
The Rt. Rev. Alan Scarfe, Bishop of Iowa