Windrush Day – Call for 2 minutes silence on Monday 22 June 2020

Windrush Day – Call for 2 minutes silence on Monday 22 June 2020

The Bishops, Archdeacons and Dean of the Diocese are calling the people of the Diocese to observe two minutes’ silence at 11.00am on Windrush Day, Monday 22 June.

Bishop Christopher writes: “I rejoice at and take pride in the diversity within the Diocese of Southwark which I see as God’s gift and blessing. We have stood strongly with the Black Lives Matter campaign and we want also to lament past and present injustices and wrongs, celebrating the gifts and talents of people of Caribbean heritage and the many ways they have enriched our churches and parishes.

“As we spend two minutes in silence let us contemplate the lives lost in the slave trade; lament the racism and racial inequality built into our national systems and structures since that time; and consider what action we can take to confront racial injustice today.

“Let us make Windrush Day 2020 a day when we as a Diocese pledge to change structures of inequality in the Church as we seek to implement our vision of increasing the diversity of lay and ordained leaders in our parishes and institutions.”

You might find it helpful to use the prayer written by the Dean for Black Lives Matter at the end of the two minutes’ silence:

God of all, who loves each of us for who we are, to whom each life matters, who counts the hairs on our head who knows when a sparrow falls; teach us to love as you love to respect, to honour, to care and to protect each of our sisters and brothers, that your embracing, including kingdom may come now and your love be known. Amen
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