This commentary is by Devon Thomas, the new pastor serving Bethany Church in Montpelier and the United Church of Northfield. He is also a proud Black Vermonter.
You may have noticed that the United Church of Northfield rang its bell in commemoration of America’s 250th birthday. I would like to talk about that.
The United Church of Northfield is not a political monolith; in truth, many of us would prefer we keep politics away from the church as much as possible, but it is impossible for us at UCN to separate this particular birthday of our nation from the moral and ethical conflicts our national policies and social behaviors have evoked within our hearts. It is impossible for us at UCN not to recognize that our nation’s 250th birthday is a moral moment, and many in our church believe our country is on the wrong side of it.
As a congregation devoted to the principle of loving our neighbors, we have serious criticisms of how America has chosen to treat our neighbors here and abroad. We cannot commemorate America without speaking to the cruelty our nation has inflicted on neighbors in Gaza or Venezuela, and now Cuba. We also need to acknowledge the brutality inflicted upon our own citizens and residents in the migrant and trans communities. These are only a few points of tension that have compelled many at UCN to speak out on this particular birthday.
We believe America can be a more perfect union, and we hope that no matter how far our nation may fall from grace, there is a possibility for redemption. We understand that our nation has always struggled to recognize and repent of its sins, such as the genocide of native peoples, as well as its history with slavery and racism. America has always been a flawed nation, and still it is our home.
As the pastor serving the United Church and a Black Vermonter, I have always had complicated feelings about our nation. Yet my Black heritage has taught me that no matter how I may feel about America, I am invested in the betterment of this nation.
For Black Americans, America has always been a home that refused to recognize our existence and the harm it has inflicted upon us. Still, it is our home. Black people will never truly be at home until America accepts that. This is true too for the migrants seeking asylum from oppression, women denied reproductive freedom, the poor who struggle to pay their bills, the LGBTQ+ community, and people of all underrepresented and marginalized ethnicities and cultures. We too are a part of this union, and America will never be a perfect union until it embraces all of its neighbors as equally deserving of its love.
If you are feeling the same tension many at UCN feel this Fourth of July, know we are ringing a bell for you. If you have criticisms of our country, know those criticisms are not un-American. The freedom to criticize what we love is what makes America truly great. This is our home, and as long as that is true, we have a responsibility to stay critically engaged, to stay vocal and to have hope that one day life, liberty and happiness will belong to all Americans.
To make a more perfect union, we need to accept that Americans are an imperfect people. The United Church of Northfield is ringing its bell for all of us, the seen and unseen people of America.
