Our black friends, colleagues, family, and fellow citizens are fighting through a sea of pain, sorrow, and fear the likes of which no white person can understand.
Many of us want to help. Many want to reach out. In the face of our friends’ terror and anguish on social media, we say things like, '“I love you. I see you. I hear you. I’m here for you.” And we mean it.
But white people, every one of us who “see” our black friends need to be every bit as ready to see black strangers, too. We need to be every bit as willing to step up for black people we don't know as we would be for our friends.
We have to be willing to stand up for people who may not look or talk like our friends, who might make us a little bit uncomfortable because they talk or dress differently than our crowd. Who may not have the education or economic status we’re accustomed to being around. Who we’ve been taught to avoid.
If we’re really not racists, then we have to stand up and be willing to put our white bodies in front of black bodies when they are threatened by other whites. It’s that serious.
We have to strongly and unashamedly call out racism from relatives, friends, co-workers and bosses, board members, patrons, and people in power. we have to do it in person when it happens.
It’s easy to say, not so easy to do. But it's got to happen.
For black people to be safe, for us to learn to be a decent society, for us to rid our nation of the deep river of poison that is threatening once again to sweep us all away, we white people have to stop judging, stop making excuses, do our share of the work, and take on our share of the burden.
Not only for our friends. For the brothers and sisters we don’t yet know.
Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured.
Hebrews 13:1-3
Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, the companion at your side…
Quran 4:36
קודם שהאדם יסדר תפילתו בבית הכנסת…
צריך שיקבל עליו מצוָת ואהבת לרעך כמוך
ויכוין לאהוב כל אחד מבני ישראל כנפשו.
כי על ידי זה תעלה תפילתו כלולה מכל תפילות ישראל
ותוכל לעלות למעלה ולעשות פרי
ובפרט אהבת החברים העוסקים בתורה ביחד.
צריך כל אחד ואחד לכלול עצמו כאלו הוא אבר אחד מן החברים שלו…
ואם יש איזה חבר מהם בצרה צריכים כולם לשתף עצמם בצערו
(דרושי השחר א, ע”ב)..
Before one arranges their prayers in the synagogue…
they should take upon themselves the mitsvah to love one’s neighbor as one’s self,
and direct themselves to love all of the children of Yisra’el as if each were one’s own soul.
Through this, one’s prayer is raised up to be included amongst all the prayers of Yisra’el
and [the prayer] can raise up to the heights where it can bear fruit.
And specifically [this is like] loving friends who study Torah together.
Each and every one of us needs to include ourselves as if we were but one limb from the body of friendship …
and if any of one’s friends are in trouble then we all need to share the sorrow together.
