It was 1963 and St. Louis broke ground on the world-famous Arch symbolizing “The Gateway to the West.” While many eyes were on the skies watching this seemingly miraculous structure come to be, picket signs circulated around its base to bring attention to unfair, racially biased hiring practices of the monument construction team. It was the start of our own movement for jobs and freedom in St. Louis as others gathered in Washington, DC.

Around the time Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King stood in front of the Reflection Pool, I stood in front of Jefferson Bank raising my voice and taking up space advocating for Black tellers to be hired at the bank. This was my first taste of activism. Soon after, I would be hired as the first Black nurse at Lutheran Medical Center in the Southside of St. Louis. It was in this job; my activism changed its shape. Rather than picket, I found myself correcting people who got me and the only other Black employee confused or learning to not be upset when a patient asked for a white nurse. Quickly, I had to decide and choose to be a part of a solution by maintaining an open mind, offering grace, and learning to see shades of grey in every situation.

The same is true at church. I have been a part of MCC for over a decade. I am moved by the values we proclaim and spirit of the church. Yet, my experience has not been that of the warm, radical hospitality we often talk about in our predominately white congregation. It is the subtle things, not being invited to lunch when someone sitting next to me is. Not being recognized, hugged, or getting confused with someone else. I’ve decided to let go and let God come in anyway, because God always does.

You see, we get immune to what is around us, we are accustomed to that which is most similar to our own selves. Have you noticed the experience others have around you, especially those with a different skin color? Are you comfortable with that? These are the questions that desegregation demands of us. This is a part of wrestling for the dream and being the visible, vibrant place, we want to be – the place God is calling us to be. So, let us all wrestle against our biases while teaching one another to see in shades of grey. Surely, God will meet us there too.