My Dear NBTS Community,

Buried deep in Paul’s letter to the Church at Rome he describes those times when our words fail us and we must depend on God to pray on our behalf.  He whispers to us that when we do not know how to pray the Spirit pleads with God on our behalf with “groans too deep for words.”  This past week has felt like such a time in the life of our nation. Senseless killings in Louisiana, Minnesota and Dallas have left us numb and speechless and yet filled us to overflowing with deep sorrow and rage. We no longer have to imagine the pain of these places and people as the blood on sidewalks and streets seep through our screens into our very souls.

In such a time as this,we embrace the suffering of others as our own.  It is the call of every follower of Jesus to know that when one suffers all of us must feel the pain.  And we also pause in this quiet, difficult moment and re-commit ourselves to difficult conversations about race in this country. With each killing, someone inevitably calls for us to have the difficult, painful conversation about race and power and privilege.  A decade ago we began that conversation at NBTS and now every member of our student body, staff, faculty and board of trustees is encouraged and equipped to be a part of the dialogue.

At a recent gathering of more than 250 seminaries in North America, NBTS was identified again and again as the community of faith and learning that has begun and sustained the conversation that the whole nation must face.  It is one of our most abiding commitments that each of us will become an agent of change so weeks like this past one will not become the “new norm” for our beloved country.

May God hold each and all of us in these painful days and guide us toward a beloved community that works for justice so we can finally live in peace.

Gregg Mast

New Brunswick Theological Seminary