Pastor Catherine Gilliard co-pastors New Life Covenant Church in Atlanta, Georgia.
I recently went to see the movie Selma and it is a must see! I find it particularly timely in how it reminds us that the issues that were being confronted over 50 years ago have ignited many of the non-violent protests that are going on today. The injustices that were being addressed in the film are intricately woven into every fabric of society. So I wondered, as I watched the Selma movie, how an African American woman film director did so little to highlight the contributions of women foot soldiers in the Selma movement. Diane Nash is mentioned but in scene after scene she is shown listening to the debate. Her leadership is ignored and silenced and with it another opportunity for a new generation of women to witness how women in our past have risen to give leadership in how we fight the injustices that need our voices.
Our church is going to go and see this movie together and it will add to the discussion we are having in one of our current Wednesday evening offerings on ‘How Faith Shapes Social Justice Movements’ and to our larger discussion about what a justice movement is really about. Activists in justice ministries understand our mission is not centered on acts of compassion or the extension of mercy, which are all embedded within justice ministry. Our mission in justice ministries is about dismantling praxis and systems that deny people access to the resources that allow them to live meaningful lives that give witness to the faithfulness of God. Any movement that is not Christ centered and does not force us to rely on the Holy Spirit’s power and direction is already doomed to mischaracterization and our marginalization of the other. Continue Reading »
