You still have time to join us for this weekend's performance of "Blood Done Sign My Name." You won't want to miss it.
We've been told that the title and posters around town don't
give much information about what to expect ... so here it is in a nutshell: the play honestly and unflinchingly examines the
civil rights struggle in the South. Considering the challenges we've been facing as a community of late, the timing couldn't be any better.
Drawn from a book that Amazon says "deserves the widest audience possible," the play tells the story of a young black Vietnam vet who was brutally murdered in his hometown of Oxford, NC. Set in 1970, the incident would fan the long-flickering flames of racial discord in the proud tobacco town. The details are chilling and sometimes painful, but they serve as necessary reminders of a poisonous racial legacy.
We've been told that the title and posters around town don't
Drawn from a book that Amazon says "deserves the widest audience possible," the play tells the story of a young black Vietnam vet who was brutally murdered in his hometown of Oxford, NC. Set in 1970, the incident would fan the long-flickering flames of racial discord in the proud tobacco town. The details are chilling and sometimes painful, but they serve as necessary reminders of a poisonous racial legacy.
If you've been following local news, you know the challenges we face as a community. Last night's Salisbury City Council meeting was loaded with concerned, angry citizens who are tired of the dramatic increase in violence. This past week alone the Salisbury Post reported occurrences of violent crime on a daily, front page basis. Residents are scared. Activists are angry. City Councilman are at odds with each other, frustrated by their eagerness to "do something" but uncertainty as to "what."
There are no easy solutions. The affect of poverty in our community is rearing its ugly head. We are years behind in finding sustainable employment opportunities. The number of vacancies in our police and sheriff's departments is at a crisis level.
What do we do? Lots of ideas are out there. Let's hope leaders will have the courage and fortitude to discern the "right" approach and begin now taking dramatic action.
Behind the scenes we'll continue to do our part, as well. Our 3rd grade reading initiative at Isenberg is showing dramatic results. Armed with two years of data, soon we'll be inviting congregations throughout the county to provide volunteers in every elementary school so that ALL 3rd graders are reading at grade level.
Two weeks ago 15 folks were trained to walk alongside prisoners who are transitioning back into our community. 400 men are released from prison into Rowan County every year. 400. Our goal is to build up faithful, trained volunteers who will walk alongside these prisoners as they reengage their community and their families.
And soon we'll be announcing an exciting new approach to our Barnabas project, in which 12+ at-risk Knox Middle School students are mentored weekly by members of St. John's and the wider artists' community. One of our earliest students, Neeghba Reeves, just graduated from NC Central and accepted a position as a computer programmer in Chicago. He joined us in worship last Sunday and left Monday morning for this new, exciting adventure.
These are long-term project, to be sure, but it takes hard work now to affect dramatic change in the future.
This weekend's play is part of the plan. Our hope is that the two performances will invite honest conversation around a difficult issue. Expect a wide variety of ideas and reactions ... but may the Lord bless us with a willingness to engage the conversation in faithful, productive ways.
I hope you'll join us.
Pastor Rhodes
Behind the scenes we'll continue to do our part, as well. Our 3rd grade reading initiative at Isenberg is showing dramatic results. Armed with two years of data, soon we'll be inviting congregations throughout the county to provide volunteers in every elementary school so that ALL 3rd graders are reading at grade level.
Two weeks ago 15 folks were trained to walk alongside prisoners who are transitioning back into our community. 400 men are released from prison into Rowan County every year. 400. Our goal is to build up faithful, trained volunteers who will walk alongside these prisoners as they reengage their community and their families.
And soon we'll be announcing an exciting new approach to our Barnabas project, in which 12+ at-risk Knox Middle School students are mentored weekly by members of St. John's and the wider artists' community. One of our earliest students, Neeghba Reeves, just graduated from NC Central and accepted a position as a computer programmer in Chicago. He joined us in worship last Sunday and left Monday morning for this new, exciting adventure.
These are long-term project, to be sure, but it takes hard work now to affect dramatic change in the future.
This weekend's play is part of the plan. Our hope is that the two performances will invite honest conversation around a difficult issue. Expect a wide variety of ideas and reactions ... but may the Lord bless us with a willingness to engage the conversation in faithful, productive ways.
I hope you'll join us.
Pastor Rhodes
