Rodney Sisco Symposium in Response to Mass Shootings May 2022
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As we began to finalize the draft on this statement the horrifying news of the shootings and murder of 19 innocent children and 2 teachers in Uvalde, Texas, an 80% Latino community, flashed across the screen.
No….Not again? How can all this CONTINUE to be happening? In May alone four mass shootings in quick succession claimed 35 innocent lives!
May 11th – Korea town – Dallas, Texas
May 14th – Tops Supermarket – Buffalo, New York
May 15th – Taiwanese Worshippers – Laguna Woods, California
May 24th – Elementary School – Uvalde, Texas
All these hearken back to an all too recent past of the murder of Latinos in El Paso – 2019 and Asians in Atlanta – 2021 where 23 and 8 lives were snuffed out. Let us not forget the gruesome televised murder of George Floyd in 2020.
After each event, we are outraged, shocked, upset – but then these senseless incidents happen again and again.
In June 2020, during our summer of Racial Reckoning the Sisco Symposium issued a statement which included this which applies here also:
“..our country has been faced with the most pervasive public health crisis it has ever known, and we have marshalled every resource across every industry to combat it. Unfortunately, just a few days ago, before our very eyes, we all witnessed a significant crescendo of the world’s greatest public health crisis and have seen how ill-equipped we have been to address it. Systemic Racism and Oppression of Black People and others of Color is not new, and while recent losses of George, Ahmaud, and Breonna have brought it to the forefront once again, it has always been there, awkwardly, comfortably unresolved for too long.
We grieve with the mothers, fathers, children, siblings, and families who are forced to reimagine life without their loved ones. For our family, it has also been deeply personal.
With over-cried eyes and on our knees to Almighty God in our family room – Worship has been our weapon! The windpipes of our people have been compressed for a very long time.”
What can we do? What can we as Disciples of Jesus Christ do differently in our own spheres of influence? We simply cannot remain silent.
The Rodney Sisco Symposium remains clear and consistent and most importantly fully aligned with the Word of God. We are ALL image bearers of God. Racism in all its abhorrent forms and masks is a SIN as it seeks to diminish, eradicate, belittle, condescend, despise, and murder. We stand in solidarity with our siblings in Christ of all races, nations and tongues. None of us are supreme nor superior to the other; neither can we replace each other.
The Rodney Sisco Symposium is committed to its mission to inform, prepare, and influence future Christian leaders to see, embrace, and practice holistic biblical Kingdom Diversity. We do this through our annual symposium on a college campus, Webinars and On-site Workshops Training. All this with a distinctive voice based on the clear and compassionate Word of God.
Rodney said, ‘…being the body of Christ is that we understand what grace is. Grace says that we are to be patient with each other. We spend time with each other. We’re preparing young men and women to know…how to be people who are able to engage with difference and conflict in a way that still says we’re doing it as men and women of God.”
Our work is strategically and unashamedly focused on developing leaders whose world views are purposely biased toward diversity, equity, and inclusion as taught in the Bible – Rev 5:9, ‘…from every tribe, every nation, every tongue, every people…’ and with the desire to work toward that NOW. – Matt. 6:10, ‘…Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven…’
We invite you to co-labor with us in this work. Stand Strong and Stay Blessed!
Hasana Pennant Sisco
Co-Executive Director
Rodneysiscosymposium.org
630-699-8390