Our hearts are heavy these days as we are once again reminded of the array of horrible problems that African Americans and other black Americans face every day. We also grieve the recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, along with countless others who have died in similar ways. 

We deplore the sins of racism and ethnocentrism and their deadly consequences on individuals and communities. We stand on the teachings of Scripture that all men and women are made in the image of God their creator.  

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to serve him in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves and striving for justice and peace as we seek to uphold the dignity of every human being. 

We are committed to this calling and will continue to listen and learn from our black brothers and sisters, facilitate conversations aimed at catalyzing more faithful and courageous gospel witness related to our nation's racial tensions, and work to improve the plight of brothers and sisters of color in this country and around the world. 

We call on the Beeson community to join us in prayer that we will fulfill this calling and commitment to love our African American neighbors as ourselves. Please also pray for the safety and well-being of African Americans across this nation and specifically for our African American students and alumni.

If a member of our community would like to share a prayer request or receive counseling, please reach out to our dean, Douglas Sweeney, dsweeney@samford.edu, or our director of student services, Ronald Sterling, at rdsterli@samford.edu. 

“We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” 1 John 4:19-21