This week, we think about our ALIVE Value ‘We Value Justice & Respect’ as we take the month of October to celebrate Black History Month.

Black History Month celebrates the achievements, culture and history of people with African and Caribbean heritage.

Take a look at this short video, which introduces us to some stories of ‘pioneers.’

The people we've just seen had something in common.

They didn't all do the same thing.
They didn't all come from the same place.
They didn't all have the same experiences.

But they made a way.

They challenged assumptions, fought against injustice and broke down barriers. And none of this would have been easy. Along the way, they would have faced racism, prejudice and opposition from others.

But they kept going.

And in doing so, they didn't just change their own lives.

They changed what was possible for the people who came after them.

That's what makes a pioneer.

So what would it mean for us to be pioneers?

The Bible gives us a really clear challenge in Micah 6:8: 

What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Notice that it doesn't say think about justice. It says act justly.

That means justice isn't just something we believe in. It's something we do.

So this week, your challenge is to go first.

• Go first in speaking up when someone is being treated unfairly.
• Go first in including someone who is being left out.
• Go first in listening to a story or perspective that is different from your own.
• Go first in challenging a stereotype or comment that puts someone else down.
• Go first in giving someone else an opportunity to be heard.

Pioneering can start with one decision, one conversation, one act of courage.

And here's the challenge:

Act justly.

Love mercy.

Walk humbly.

And be willing to go first.

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Let’s take a moment to pray.

God of justice,

Thank you for the pioneers who have gone before us. For those who challenged injustice, broke down barriers and made a way for others.

Give us the courage to act justly when we see something that isn't right.

Give us the compassion to love mercy. To notice those who are overlooked, to listen to those whose voices are not always heard, and to treat every person with dignity and respect.

And teach us to walk humbly with you. Not seeking attention or praise for ourselves, but being willing to use what we have to make a difference for someone else.

Help us not to wait for somebody else to go first.

Show us where we can make a way, where we can open a door, where we can speak up, and where we can help someone else know that they belong.

May our words and our actions make our school, our communities and our city places where justice and respect can grow.

Amen.

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