Statement in Support of

Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes

April 8, 2021

We are publicly stating our support for our sister, friend, and colleague, Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes. 

We, along with Dr. Walker-Barnes, are contributors to the bestselling book, “A Rhythm of Prayer: A Collection of Meditations for Renewal” edited by Sarah Bessey. All of us were asked to submit work to this collection and Dr. Walker-Barnes contributed a prayer entitled, “A Prayer of a Weary Black Woman.” This past week, a pastor posted multiple screenshots of the prayer to social media, igniting a firestorm of harassment, criticism, coordinated attacks, threats, and furor against her and the book.

The anger people are expressing is in response to a line at the beginning of the prayer which reads, “Dear God, help me to hate white people.” While some may consider this to be a provocative start to a prayer, its intentional extraction from the rest of the prayer obscures its context and the biblical model it is based on. Our sister is bringing her weariness and her anger over the real sin of racism to God. In what is a clear moment of deep grief, she is talking intimately with her God about her exhaustion, her longing to simply not care anymore. We are given a vulnerable glimpse of her lament, her suffering, her weariness at the call to love her neighbours even when they oppress and marginalize her as a Black woman. Yet even in the very midst of this, we witness her prayer turn towards what she knows to be true about God’s call to justice and love. She turns towards trust. She turns towards hope and love even when she is wounded and heartbroken. She praises God for protection, for the call to be “an agent in your ministry of justice and reconciliation.” She names the beloved community who continue to call her to rise to the call of love, not hate. 

Dr. Walker-Barnes is demonstrating the Biblically-based call towards loving our neighbours as Jesus said, in real time. This beautiful, powerful prayer is modelled on the Psalms of lament and anger, often called imprecatory Psalms, found in the Bible. The Bible is often more honest about these complicated emotions than a lot of religious people. Prayers in Scripture often reflect a similar arc of anger and exhaustion and longing that turns the petitioner right back to trust in God’s goodness, hope, and call to love, just as Dr. Walker-Barnes modelled so well. Even though she does not owe anyone an explanation, we are grateful to Dr. Walker-Barnes for graciously sharing the backstory behind the prayer which you can read here.

Dr. Walker-Barnes’ prayer is faithful, honest lament, modelled on Scripture. It is a gift of intimacy and vulnerability to the Church and we are grateful to her, not only the prayer, but for her work and her witness in the world. The backlash that Dr. Walker-Barnes is facing because of her prayer ironically serves as proof of why such a prophetic, powerful, and potent prayer is necessary. 

As her fellow contributors (including the editor of the book), we are honoured to stand at her side in full solidarity and support. We renounce the attacks, the violent rhetoric, and the outrage against her and those of us associated with the book. We join in Dr. Walker-Barnes’ call from that exact same prayer to “pray and press on, in love.”

Signed by

Sarah Bessey, editor and contributor  

and contributors,

Alia Joy

Alicia T. Crosby 

Amena Brown 

Barbara Brown Taylor

Rev. Emily Swan 

Rev. Emmy Kegler

Rev. Gail Song Bantum

Kaitlin B. Curtice

Kelley Nikondeha

Laura Jean Truman 

Lisa Sharon Harper

Marlena Graves

Micha Boyett

Rev. Mihee Kim-Kort

Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber

Nish Weiseth 

Osheta Moore

Rozella Haydée White

Rev. Sandra Maria Van Opstal

Stephanie Tait

Rev. Winnie Varghese