The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America January-March 2015 - (Page 12)

racIal JusTIce The Gospel Is Not a Neutral Term: Excerpts from an Interview with Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou by Jake Dockter E ditor's note: The following are excerpts from an interview that blogger Jake Dockter of Theology of Ferguson1 conducted in November with Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou about his involvement with protests in Ferguson, MO, after the killing of a young, unarmed African-American man by a white police officer in August. He is associate pastor at First Baptist Church of Jamaica Plain, MA, a BPFNA Partner Congregation. J D: How do you see the gospel informing your protest? RS: First and foremost, the gospel is not a neutral term. If it is being deployed as a catch phrase for the white evangelical discourse that places a premium on conversion over being against justice-seeking, then I reject "the gospel." It is motivation to resist oppression. If "the gospel" is in line with the reading of the Bible that Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglas, Will Campbell and Martin Luther King had, then "the gospel" is central to our call in Ferguson. To that end, Walter Wink's assessment of Jesus as a nonviolent revolutionary committed to organizing the poor in the face of occupation is critical to how I view the role of clergy in Ferguson. The belief that God gives a preferential option to the poor as posited by the liberation theologians is yet another way in which the gospel is interpreted to support our work on the ground. JD: What do we make of the Christians on both sides of the issue, as protestors for and against police? RS: Christianity has always had two dominate strands-imperial and prophetic. The text and tradition was contested and compromised from the inception of Christianity. Much of the writing associated with the Apostle Paul is a compromise with the Roman Empire. Christianity, more often than not, has served the Empire. Beginning with Constantine's conversion, to Martin Luther's support of the Catholic Church's repression of the peasant revolt, to segregationists using the biblical story of Ham to justify slavery, the church- writ large-has always been on the wrong side of history. So Christian support of Darren Wilson is par for the course. Prophetic Christianity, which is on the edges of the tradition but claims the heart of the faith, has rejected the spirit of the Empire and sided with the oppressed. Unfortunately, the prophetic tradition is not the popular or dominant strand of Christianity at work in the world today. JD: Can you provide some information on your two recent experiences with police? What happened and what occurred inside the jail? RS: I have been arrested twice in Ferguson. The first time was during the nightly action led by youth organizers associated with Lost Voices, Hands Up United and Millennial Activists United. During their nightly protest at the Ferguson Police station, local clergy came out to support them and bear witness in solidarity. To do that, we knelt and prayed in front of a garrison of police. (see "Gospel" on page 21) Danniel Ismael Aguilar, a Master of Divinity student at Union Seminary, stops during a march to Interstate 44 in St. Louis to raise hands in prayer. Photo courtesy of Nathan Watts. 12 Baptist Peacemaker JAN-MAR 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America January-March 2015

No Longer Strangers: The BPFNA’s New Strategic Plan
A Reflection On Our Convictions & Motivation
Board Welcomes Kadia Edwards as Young Adult Representative
Baptists, Others Respond to Ebola Crisis
Gimme Shelter: My Vocation as a Peacemaker
Kidnapping of Students Leads to Outrage in Mexico
Parting Thoughts
With the Beating of Our Hearts: Bearing Witness to Other’s Pain
Dispatches from Ferguson: A Two-Part Account of a Week in St. Louis
The Gospel Is Not a Neutral Term: Excerpts from an Interview with Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Seko
Selma, 50 Years Later: A Memoir
Imaging, Journeying & Standing before One Creation, Part 1: Who Shaped My Image of Creation?
BPFNA Receives Grant for Justice Work on the US/Mexico Border
Central African Republic Rebel Groups Train for Peace
The Global Influence of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Resources & Opportunities
Keep It Real

The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America January-March 2015