Dear White Peacemakers
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As I grappled with the anger and simmering apathy of an expected aquital of yet another police officer killing an unarmed black man, I logged onto Instagram and found an Anabaptist preacher holding a live breath prayer exercise. As Osheta Moore, drew us into shalom, participants offered their words for a prayer of peace. “Radient Refuge” (breathe in) “Wait with us.” (breathe out). I painted this image as we prayed together.
This was one of my first exposures to a pastor who was 1) speaking about our current events and 2) offering up a different way—one that resembled the Jesus I remembered in Matthew.
Osheta was preparing to release her book soon and so after this breath prayer I pre-ordered my copy of Dear White Peacemakers to find out more about this new way of living out my anti-racism in this world.
Reading this book felt like a healing balm and also a parent’s firm challenge to rise up and above our defalt anti-racism work. As someone who has left the church, but still follows the faith of Christianity, I found hope in reading Osheta’s story.
“An anti-racism peacemaker is a person who actively works toward holistic restoration of the interpersonal and systemic effects of white supremacy through nonviolence and empathy.”—Osheta Moore
Osheta’s words about righteousness hit home to me as she asked us as white peacemakers to work towards dikaiosyne heart of justice—meaning not just rightness with God, but also rightness with each other. Her call to speak up in the little things, to “say the hard things, Push instead of pull back, Build a culture of shalom-seeking as white image bearers” was a challenge to me.
The other huge take away for me was Osheta’s desire to not make our work against racism about our anger. She isn’t saying to not be angry. But if justice means making whole, then that is what we seek in humanizing ALL people.
“Antiracism requires us to feel intently, and our anger is a natural response. It requries us to take our adrenaline and channel it towards actions that will challenge systems and expose injustice.” —Osheta Moore
Osheta’s Instagram presence is a continuation of this peacemaking shalom. Her breath prayers and calling in as fellow peacemakers has challened and encrouaged me to remember The ultimate Peacemaker we follow as our example—Jesus.
If your anti-racism work is rooted in the example and life of Jesus, I invite you to follow and support the work of Osheta Moore. Her voice is one of many in the journey towards a more just world, but it is a voice that is important and needed for us as peacemakers.
