Contemplative Prayer:

Find a comfortable place to sit for a time of connecting to God. For me, the best time is first thing in the morning with my coffee. If you are a night person the best time might be at night long after the kids are asleep.

Set an alarm for 5 minutes. Say,

“Come, Holy Spirit.”

Open yourself up to what the Holy Spirit wants to speak to you today. Maybe open your hands like you are going to receive a gift.

Sit in silence until the timer goes off. During this time simply follow your breath in and out. Notice when your thoughts interrupt you, and without judgement return to your breath.

Read Scripture:

If you have a bible you might want to highlight in it. Any version will be fine. Or you can read here.

Genesis 1: 26-31 NRSV

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

So God created humankind in his image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

See Color:

Now look at Photographer Angelica Dass’ beautiful work matching skin tones to Pantone colors. As you look at the pictures the repeat a phrase from our Bible reading “in the image of God he created them” or “it was very good.”

 Respond: Write in a journal, share with a friend, on social media or in an email with me.

1. Did you know there were so many shades of skin? How did you feel looking at those pictures?
2. What do the phrases, “in the image of God he created them” and “it was very good” mean to you?
3. If scripture is God speaking to us, what does God want us to do with this passage (considering of the diversity before us)?

Closing Prayer

Creator God,

You made all of creation and said, “it is good.” You made humans and said, “it is very good.”.

Forgive us for not seeing the good and the beauty in each person we meet. Help us overturn the racism and bias that our culture has taught us in our own minds and behavior.

And let us join together as a beautiful and diverse people of many colors who worship you tear down the structures that speak lies that your creation is not beautiful.

Let us say not only that Black lives matter, but that Black lives are beautiful.

Come, Holy Spirit. Empower this time, that we would see a piece of your Kingdom today.

Amen.