Page 53 - Catholic Extension Magazine Winter 2019

This letter is an attempt to comple- 7. This may be hard. I know it will be 8. Perhaps we thought that preju-
ment those efforts and to reflect on difficult at times for me. Words like dice and intolerance were a cancer
these issues from the perspective of racism and white supremacy make of years past. Maybe we felt that El
the border. us uncomfortable and anxious and Paso was immune from the xeno-
I don’t use these labels lightly. We phobia ravaging the United States.
6. In the first part of this letter, I hope live in a brutally unforgiving culture On August 3rd, we were robbed of
to bear some of the weight of the where these words are tossed about that innocence. But do not be afraid.
reality of racism that has been part like weapons. But perhaps we are The Lord Jesus can lead us through
of the experience of many here on also aware that these conversations this dark moment into something
our border. In the second part, we may require changes to the we think bright and unexpected. For even if a
will shoulder this reality in the light and live. Challenging racism and whole army of hate should threaten
of the life, death and Resurrection of white supremacy, whether in our us, if we are faithful to Jesus and hold
Jesus. Finally, we will ask how grace hearts or in society, is a Christian on to love, in the words of the poet
can heal the shared wounds of our imperative and the cost of not facing Julia Esquivel, what can they do but
borderland community and transform these issues head on, weighs much threaten us with Resurrection?
the awful events of this summer into more heavily on those who live the
something meaningful. reality of discrimination.

PART I
This is Racism

Do not stay far from me, for trouble is near, and there is no one to help.
Psalm 22, 12

9. How do we begin to understand country surely also play a role. to ‘white’ people than to people
the El Paso matanza? How should of color. This is a perverse way of
we think about racism and white 11. But the mystery of evil motivating thinking that divides people based
supremacy? attacks like the El Paso matanza goes on heritage and tone of skin into ‘us’
deeper than these. It is something and ‘them’, ‘worthy’ and ‘unworthy’,
10. The never-ending mass shootings more complex than laws and policies paving the way to dehumanization.
leave us feeling dazed, wounded, alone can fix. What else explains the
fearful and helpless. Causes and perversity of attacks on African Amer- In other words, racism.
solutions seem evasive and our icans, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and other
nation’s political life is broken. The communities? 13. Racism can make a home in our
Catholic Church in the United States hearts, distort our imagination and
supports the ban on assault weapons 12. This mystery of evil also includes will, and express itself in individual
that lawmakers senselessly let expire the base belief that some of us are actions of hatred and discrimination.
in 2004 and our Church continues to more important, deserving and Racism is one’s failure to give others
advocate for reasonable regulations worthy than others. It includes the the respect they are due on account
on firearms that Congress still won’t ugly conviction that this country and of being created in the image and
pass. The constant pressures on its history and opportunities and re- likeness of God. And it is more
families and the embarrassing lack sources as well as our economic and than that.
of access to mental healthcare in this political life belong more properly