A moment of relief. A glimpse of hope. It has been such a long struggle for this first moment of accountability in the death of George Floyd. Though there are miles to go, today we have seen a glimmer of what might someday come to be: Justice. Equity.

The struggle will go on. The work is hard, the world often unfair. But for now, for today, we come together and grasp this seedling of a just world close to our hearts. Praying that with diligence, labor and care, it will bloom into a future where Black lives matter, where every life is recognized as sacred.

We have a long, long way to go. But today we’ve seen that what we knew in our hearts is true – that, in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” We give thanks to God and to all who have fought the good fight through unimaginable barriers, opposition and suffering, and who continue the battle today. And we bow our heads and remember all those over the years who will never celebrate with us.

Let’s breathe. Celebrate. Remember. Give thanks. And get back to work.