We in the Dallas faith community who have been serving in the Vickery Meadow area for many years — and will remain active in the years to come — grieve alongside the family and neighbors of Thomas Eric Duncan.
In times of sorrow and uncertainty, this is what neighbors do: engage, support, pray and love.
As representatives of a diverse group of churches, synagogues and traditions who have deep roots in Vickery Meadow — people of different faiths, colors and backgrounds, and joined by our colleagues in the nonprofit community — we stand united, purposeful and passionate in our support of Vickery Meadow.
Vickery Meadow is our neighborhood. Those who live in Vickery Meadow are our people. This is the case in times of calm and times of crises, such as the death of Thomas Eric Duncan and the widespread fear over the Ebola virus.
We have in our thoughts and prayers all those affected.
At the same time we pray, we decry racism, language of intolerance, prejudice and indifference. These acts of injustice tear at the fabric of our community at the precise time we must draw together.
Let us be clear: There is no time and no place in our city — not in Vickery Meadow, not in any neighborhood — for hateful speech or xenophobia. Country of origin matters not. We in the faith community speak in one voice and in shared conviction on this point.
Vickery Meadow is home to a wonderful, diverse community of residents, many of whom are immigrants who have made Dallas home.
But we believe more is possible. The opportunity for all of us, united in our determination and support, is to emerge from this Ebola scare stronger, more compassionate and unified in purpose: to build a better Dallas, a city of neighborly love.
Debra J. Robbins is a rabbi at Temple Emanu-El of Dallas. Reach her at drobbins@tedallas.org. Brent Barry is pastor/head of staff at NorthPark Presbyterian Church. Reach him at bbarry@northpark pres.org.
This column is endorsed by R.J. Holt, Park Cities Baptist Church pastor, and by Myanmar Christian Church, Nepalese Community Church, NorthPark Presbyterian Church, Park Cities Baptist Church, Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Dallas, Temple Emanu-El of Dallas, Vickery Baptist Church and Wilshire Baptist Church.
