John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world..." (Jn. 1:29-34)
As we begin to reflect on the life of Dr. Martin L. King, Jr, I ask that you will think about these prolific words from his sermon titled "A Drum Major's Instinct." Dr. King asked this question, "Do you know that a lot of the race problem grows out of the drum major instinct? A need that some people have to feel superior. A need that some people have to feel that they are first, and to feel that their white skin ordained them to be first." These words are apropos as we look over our nation and see countless acts of racism, which gives rise to a "Drum Major's Instinct." In the Bishops' Letter on Racism, they sadly admit that Racism is very active, "Racism comes in many forms. It can be seen in deliberate, sinful acts. In recent times, we have seen bold expressions of racism by groups as well as individuals. The re-appearance of symbols of hatred, such as nooses and swastikas in public spaces, is a tragic indicator of rising racial and ethnic animus." I personally don't agree with the idea of "re-appearance of symbols of hatred," for me they never disappeared, I am just saying. However, the Gospel for Sunday gives us hope as John points to the Lamb of God, who will take away the sins of the world. And since the US Bishops called racism a sin, we need the Lamb of God more than ever, to take away this sinful behavior from our world today before one more senseless crime takes place. John, the Baptist, was one who testified that Jesus takes away sin. Let us also stand and testify that through the love of Jesus, we can remove the poisonous sting of racism. What actions can we do to combat acts of racism? Contact