Statement of Support for Rev. Dong Hwan Lee

Rainbow Tree, Open Methodists, HA:N UMC

Today, we step out from the stillness of our prayer rooms, carrying the breath of prayer within us. We sense the Holy Spirit’s flame kindling in our hearts and follow its light  into the open square. God's fire dissolves the walls of division, and the holy wind gently enfolds the weary, opening the doors of fearful hearts and awakening souls long asleep. The living water of the Holy Spirit quenches the thirst for truth, breathes life into dry souls, and opens eyes and ears, illuminating a path beyond prejudice. We step beyond the door of fear, crossing the walls of discrimination and hatred to share with you the story of God’s boundless love that flows freely without borders.

Thursday, July 27, 2023,  7 pm at Lincoln Memorial

GATHERING OF THE PEACEMAKERS (Pungmul) 

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION TO THE VIGIL

As Buddhism and Christianity (both Catholic and Protestant) are majority faith expressions in the current southern part of the Korean Peninsula and among the Korean Diaspora in North America, this interfaith vigil will reflect their spiritualities of healing, reconciliation and hope.

We at HA:N United Methodist Church are outraged and heartbroken by the racism and violence against members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, especially our women, our elders, migrants and those struggling with poverty. As a predominantly Asian American and multi-racial congregation, we grieve for all the lives lost and hurt, particularly since the start of the COVID pandemic. And we are devastated by the thousands of AAPIs across the country who have been targets of violence, including the six Asian women murdered in Atlanta, Georgia on March 16, 2021.

05/31/20

HA:N United Methodist Church condemns the appalling murder of Mr. George Floyd by the Minneapolis police. This is yet another instance of violence perpetrated against our Black brothers and sisters in a long and unbroken succession of state sanctioned terrorism inflicted on the Black community. This pervasive policing of and violence against Black bodies are evident throughout the whole of our society. It is clear that these horrific tragedies are not the result of the actions of a few bad apples, but rather the fruit of a diseased orchard.