Speaking for anti-racism curricula for youth

Testifying at a Legislative Committee hearing at GC78.

The Rev. Wil Keith of Holy Cross Faith Memorial in Pawley's Island testified before the Formation and Education for Ministry Committee in favor of D040, a resolution to create and fund youth anti-racism curricula. The text of the resolution is here, and Fr. Wil's remarks are here:

"My sisters and brothers, we reap what we sow. As Christians, I hope this is something that we have all heard or read somewhere before.  It’s a simple concept, really. If you sow cotton, you will not reap peanuts or tobacco, you will reap cotton. Many of those who have been called to minister to and among the youth of our Church recognize this as a sowing ministry. We treasure the all too few moments of reaping when a youth of bygone days returns to us as a God-loving and Jesus-following adult. 

"However, recent events in my diocese have reminded us of the darker side of this principle. The perpetrator in the Charleston, South Carolina shootings said that he “almost” didn't go through with the killings because of the welcome and hospitality his victims showed him on that night. I imagine that this was the first time he may have been allowed, by himself or by others, to experience this outside of his own race…my race. In the Kingdom of God, to experience and share this welcome and hospitality across race and culture is the norm. 

Resolution D040 promotes sowing the seeds of cross cultural understanding and reconciliation. It promotes the seeds of sisterhood and brotherhood as fellow children of God and it seeks to sow those seeds in our most amenable and susceptible soil…our children."