During the July 1, 2020, Dismantling Racism Town Hall, the Rev. Fred Day, General Secretary of the General Commission on Archives & History, was asked about John Wesley's experience with racism and slavery in his day, and what he might say to us today. This is Day's response.
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Transcript
The Rev. Fred Day: The most telling thing about John Wesley in the discussion about race, relates to his letter to William Wilberforce the year before his death. And his writing to William Wilberforce to say fight the good fight. He said, You are going to be facing forces unlike you've never faced before when you fight this fight.
So this is a fight that we're facing that he faced in his day and that he compels us to fight in our day, that is true to the baptismal vows we take about renouncing the spiritual forces of wickedness that we see in the wiles of racism in our time.
So what he would say to us today is, You're in for the battle of your life, but best of all God is with us and God is on our side in that fight. So don't grow weary in the fray. Your way, the Christian way, is against the way of the world, against the way of racism, against the way of slavery, and will not abide.
This video was posted July 28, 2020.
United Methodist Communications contact is Joe Iovino.
