La Sierra's President Fehr, Pacific Union Conference President Graham call for justice

“George Floyd is dead because we permitted racism to flourish in America. George Floyd is dead, at least in part, because the church has failed to provide the moral compass we need,” writes Dr. Ricardo B. Graham, president of the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in a statement published May 29 titled Let Justice Roll. He is also chair of La Sierra University’s Board of Trustees.

“I call on Christians, especially, and people of all faiths to take action in your communities and demand justice. There will never be justice so long as we tolerate racism. We must stop passively accepting the intolerable as the status quo. “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”

States Dr. Joy Fehr, La Sierra University’s president, “For too long words of comfort have been spoken in moments such as these and systems have gone unchallenged.  Universities are places where structures are examined critically and other, more equitable solutions are thoughtfully crafted and proposed.  La Sierra is proud of contributing to this work, but we also recognize much more needs to be accomplished.”

Please read Dr. Fehr’s full statement below. Visit the related links above to read Dr. Graham’s statement on the Pacific Union Conference’s website and also to view a video message from Dr. Fehr delivered May 30 reflecting on Christ’s admonition to love our neighbors as ourselves.

A Call to Honor all Members of God’s Creation

La Sierra University decries in the strongest possible way the patterns of our culture that have led to this moment in our nation’s history.  Our hearts ache for George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, their families, friends, and all members of our communities who daily fear for their lives and the lives of their loved ones because of the contagion of racism. 

As a Seventh-day Adventist faith-based learning community, we are committed to living the values of the gospel: to love God with all we are and to love our neighbors as God loves us. These are not mere words for us, designed to elide systems of oppression, violence, and inequity. When Christ was asked to categorize, to define neighbors, he resisted constructing exclusionary groups by telling the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 30-37), the story of an enemy’s care for a wounded other.  As Amy-Jill Levine explains, Christ undid the question—who is my neighbor—by pointing out that the “who” is not the definition of “neighbor” but the “what” because all have, everyone has infinite value in the Kingdom of God.  Christ’s focus, according to Levine, is “not the identity but the action” (Short Stories by Jesus 104).  How we live the love we have been gifted is our life’s purpose.

For too long words of comfort have been spoken in moments such as these and systems have gone unchallenged.  Universities are places where structures are examined critically and other, more equitable solutions are thoughtfully crafted and proposed.  La Sierra is proud of contributing to this work, but we also recognize much more needs to be accomplished.  Thus, we call on those in positions of power, those in places of privilege, those who have authority over others, and those who are followers of Christ, including ourselves, to act courageously, to care compassionately, to love deeply, to creatively construct new ways, new patterns of being in this world that honor all members of God’s good creation.

Joy A. Fehr, Ph.D.
President
La Sierra University