VIEWPOINTS
Casting out the colonial evils of racism by Bianca Gallant, Protestantse Kerk in Nederland
A
fter the first CWM conference on the theme “legacies of slavery”, I felt a change of heart, and my attitude of “let’s move on with our lives” changed to “how can we arrive at a suitable approach to the painful history of slavery?” As a representative of the Protestantse Kerk in Nederland, it was an honour to participate in two CWM Legacies of Slavery hearings in London and in Jamaica. While preparing for the conference, I was touched by the position paper clarifying the hearings which stated: “Slavery (past and present) is an open wound, it is difficult to heal, it is complex and it is a sin.” The legacies of slavery hearings are a part of the journey toward healing and wholeness in the brokenness of silence and complicity. The brokenness of a world where manifestations of racism and racist attitudes are becoming more common. The project is a time of listening, story-telling, lamenting and confessing to live into the authentic reality of Jesus’ call to love and full liberation for all God’s people. This was literally the beginning of a call for me. Any faithful Christian would and should feel obligated to get more knowledge of all this. After these two meetings, I became more aware of the legacies of slavery and the impact on people's lives. This context is also very much applicable to the history of slavery and the colonial past of the Dutch conquerors in Suriname, my birthplace.
42 | INSiGHT
My first conclusion was: If the church/Christianity has done so much harm back then, it is up to the church/Christians today to make a significant contribution to dismantle the power dynamics that divide and conquer, to continue casting out the colonial evils of racism that violate the gift of community, the meaning of church and the integrity of creation. The call to restorative justice should be considered a concrete sign of repentance and renewal. And that is exactly what the Legacies hearings invite us to do. In the Christian faith, there is a shared sense of sinfulness and brokenness of people. Thus, churches or places where Christianity is practised should become places where there is space for a conversation about the mistakes of the past, lamenting and the possibility of being healed again. Every year around the first of July, the Day of Abolition of Slavery in Suriname, Keti Koti (meaning “broken chain” in Surinamese) is celebrated by our Evangelical Lutheran Churches in the Netherlands. This denomination is part of the PKN, the main church of which one is found in the heart of Amsterdam. There will be a service held on the topic of slavery and freedom, and a meal of exotic snacks is shared before we move to the order of the day.
