Statement of Convicition

The following is a statement of conviction that I wrote in preparation for the work.

As a college educated hetero-sexual white male with United States citizenship, I have inherited immense, unearned privileges. These privileges have been given to me by a violent system of heteropatriarchy and white supremacy. I want to recognize this reality and admit I am a part of it and have internalized it. With this understanding, I commit to undoing oppression both in our society and in my person. I commit to accepting criticisms by individuals when I act in such a way that perpetuates these oppressions. I commit to act as an ally to the people that are most affected by heteropatriarchy and white supremacy. I pray and ask for forgiveness from my community, knowing that I will fall many times at this work because this is a journey of liberation for myself and others. But I assure you, I commit to getting up again and again each time I fall. I believe this is the work of Christ. We are all one in the Kin-dom of God. Saint Paul speaks to this in the book of Galatians by saying, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

The work is dangerous. I understand and accept that. The Gospel reminds me there is a cost to the Christian life and that cost can be the cross. If I am asked to meet this challenge, I hope I do it with joy, knowing that our hope is in the Resurrection. I also know that God’s grace will be with me.

If anything should happen to me such as kidnapping and/or other violence, I am committed to the nonviolent love of Christ. The Gospel of Christ commands me to love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me. I want no armed intervention to save me. Nor do I wish harm or injury on those involved, including the perpetrators. I do not want any ransom paid on my behalf; this will only continue the cycle of violence. I also do not want the demonization of the perpetrators to foster. Instead, I hope my community and my family will seek to understand the deep reasons behind their actions such as, the legacy of oppressions, colonialism, and U.S. lead war and genocide. If the perpetrators are captured, I ask that they receive a just trial and cannot be sentence to death nor life in prison. Rather, I hope for a process of restorative justice to take place and forgiveness to happen.