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Early this morning, the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, Inc. sent a ministry resource document, We Will Never Give Up to help faith leaders personally to deal with their own feelings about the shooting deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile at the hands of white police officers, and to also equip them to bring a word of hope to the people who will be sitting in their pews on Sunday.
Now, we come again, to say we embrace and pray for any and all people whose lives have been disrupted by hatred and violence, including the families of officers who were killed in Dallas on Thursday evening. These officers serve in one of the most racially diverse departments in the nation. The God we serve demands that we do that, and in praying for others, we invariably strengthen our own tender souls. It seems that the words of Psalm 11:5, which we quote in our resource document, have surely come to meet us face to face: “The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, and his soul hates the lover of violence.”
We have been overwhelmed and affirmed by the appreciation being expressed for our resources during this trying time. We are getting additional requests to share other resources. Surely, only God can guide through such a mangled, manipulated and messy machination of the truth as African Americans know it to be.
We are now suggesting that you also consider the following additional resources in light of the Dallas tragedy: the profound reflections by Dr. Michael Eric Dyson and Ms. Lesley McSpadden, mother of Michael Brown. Additionally, a hauntingly prophetic word, Freedom Movement Speech by Dr. King, delivered in Chicago, July 10, 1966, and a post-Dallas message from an elder who supported our Ministry Resource Guide, which we have updated for your continued circulation and posting.
Please continue to send us your thoughts and ideas. We are trying to be a messenger in the Watch Tower as we journey with the pain, confusion, frustration, anger and angst felt by us all.
Rev. Dr. Susan K. Smith
Communications Consultant, SDPC
