Statement on AAPI Violence
This statement was written by Meg Ermer and Abby Hansen, students at Southern Adventist University who are part of the Adventist Peace Fellowship Chapter on campus.
The Adventist Peace Fellowship mourns the loss of the eight individuals, six of whom were women of Asian descent, that were tragically murdered in the Atlanta shooting on March 16, 2021. Our hearts are broken when we see recent footage of elderly AAPI people being violently attacked while bystanders remain silent. We acknowledge the traumatic impact of recent hate crimes on the Asian-American community. We also recognize the pain and frustration that comes from generations of being scapegoated and dehumanized. Not only has the Asian-American community been targeted during this past year of pandemic, but the U.S. has a long history of xenophobia against Asians as well as the degradation and fetishization of Asian women.
Jesus is the antithesis of this type of behavior. During his time on earth, Christ did not let the stereotypes of the time stop him from specifically seeking out relationships with foreigners, women, and those at the bottom of the social ladder. He taught that all people—regardless of class, religion, gender, ethnicity, or occupation—are his valued children and have a place in his kingdom.
As Christians, we are called to follow Jesus’s example and take care of his people, keeping in mind that this includes every person. This means listening to their pain and taking the time to mourn with those who mourn. In our daily lives, we are called to condemn acts of injustice—at any scale. Racial jokes and stereotypes are the seeds of future violence: it is our duty to stop these seeds from taking root and fueling acts of hate that result in losses of life.
We press onward with the goal of creating a community of healing, one in which women are viewed as daughters of God, in which immigrants are welcomed with open arms just as God will one day receive us into his kingdom. We vow to throw off our habit of complacency in the face of injustice and to stand with our brothers and sisters, assuming their struggles as our own, so that together we can strive for restoration and peace (2 Corinthians 13:11).
The Adventist Peace Fellowship (APF) is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2001 that seeks to raise consciousness about the centrality of peacemaking and social justice to the beliefs and heritage of Adventists. We support public service, activism, advocacy, and scholarship that reflects the radical spirit of many Adventist pioneers. We welcome all Adventists and friends of Adventists to join our network and to add their voices and their talents to the work of peacemaking.