This summer as a community we read the book Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation by Latasha Morrison. It is a great, easy read with lots of theological insight into how each person is made in the image of God. Our call then is to repair and restore one another in love and dignity. We learned a lot together and are now working to continue building bridges in our own lives and in our community. You can plug into any of the things below. or find a place to connect on the Be the Bridge website.
- Albina Vision Trust, the largest restorative redevelopment Effort in America. The Albina Vision Trust (AVT) is a community-driven non-profit 501(c)(3) created to buy back land, rebuild community, and reroot Black legacies and Black futures in the heart of Portland’s central city. Their work intentionally connects place, wealth, joy, and culture, transforming what we build, how we build, and who we build it for. You can find out more at their website https://www.albinavisioninc.com/2, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon is another great place to begin getting curious and engaging with others. EMO brings together diverse communities of faith to learn, serve and advocate for justice, peace and the integrity of creation.
- EMO meets the immediate needs of communities in the greater Portland area through six direct service programs, while seeking long-term solutions through state-wide public policy and advocacy work. There are ways to volunteer both with direct service and advocacy work on their website https://emoregon.org/
- We will be attending as a community the Vancouver Avenue Baptist Martin Luther King Day Service. Dr. King spoke at Vancouver Avenue Baptist in 1961!
- We will also be participating in Juneteenth events next year.
- Commission on Native American Ministries has laid out in their plan with ways for congregations to engage in listening work and reconciliation.
- This fall we will have a chance to do some construction work with Habitat for Humanity on the Capitol Hill Church land. Habitat is countering the racist history of redlining and the decimation of the Albina neighborhood by creating housing and prioritizing return in their selection of homeowners.
May we each be blessed in the work of building bridges.
-Eilidh
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