The bishop opened his sermon by articulating the reasons he called for a Day of Repentance.
“The purpose of this day is to make a public declaration that human slavery is sin and a fundamental betrayal of the humanity of all persons involved,” he said. “To publicly condemn human slavery in its past and present practices, [and to] acknowledge, express our regret, and apologize for any support, justification, and participation in the racist, injurious, and discriminatory practices that still continue.”
"[We must]," Gibbs charged, “keep everything we do or say out in the open; the whole truth on display. The whole truth on display.”
He said the irony did not escape him, that he was to person to stand before the body “representing the Episcopal Church to say I’m sorry for slavery and racism.
“I feel that someone else should be standing here, I should be sitting where you are, and they can apologize to me,” he said. “But let’s get the whole truth out. The whole truth is I chose to be a member of this Church, and all along the way, I have made choices to accept the call to the priesthood and the call to election as a bishop. I knew this was a racist Church when I joined it, and yet I joined it anyway.
“The whole truth is that the only one who can in fact save us from our sins and from our selves is Jesus Christ,” he said.
Gibbs said that the Episcopal Church “is linked to and mired in racism” and that he was standing before the congregation “to apologize for our past and our present.
“I hated that name because, first of all, we have problems with ‘anti-anything.’ But [another] problem I experienced in that group almost immediately was this—truth be told—sinful place being where racism was solely, completely, 100 percent about black-versus-white.”
Gibbs explained that when he arrived in the Diocese of Michigan 10 years ago, the diocese had the Bishop’s Anti-Racism Committee, which reminded listeners formed the acronym BARC.
“I hated that name because, first of all, we have problems with ‘anti-anything.’ But [another] problem I experienced in that group almost immediately was —truth be told, sinful place being where racism was solely, completely, 100 percent about black-versus-white.”
He went on to explain that there is a black-versus-Hispanic racism, a white-versus-Hispanic racism, and vice versa. Gibbs also pointed to the social and religious dynamic of a significant Muslim, Christian Arab, and Chaldean population in the Dearborn area.
“And if you don’t think there are racism issues between blacks, whites, Chaldean, and Arabs, you have been living in a hole.
“The whole truth is the only way we face our sin. It is the only way we seek repentance. It is the only way we can be reconciled,” he said. And only then will the way be open to resurrection.
Your COMMENTS (150 words or less)?
Your LETTER to the editor (50-350 words)
Dear Editor:
Yes, it is easy to express repentence for historical slavery and racism. It is another thing to address contemporary bondage and racism! And that is where the Bishop failed. Not a word was said about the bondage and racism perpetuated by political corruption, demagoguery and neglect in our cities and schools. No convention resolutions address these outrages; no convention resolutions call for leadership modeled on Christ's teachings. Political correctness would not permit it.
Hundreds of thousands, including a President, died to end historical slavery, but the Episcopal Church lacks the courage to address the contemporary problem. For decades,The Episcopal Church has been part of the problem; not part of the solution. The failure to give thanks for those who fought and died to end historical slavery and the failure to repent for the Church's adherence to political correctness as it's guide, show that there is much "truth" yet to be told.
Detroit, MI