Pastor Thompson,

Thank you for this courageous column. You've touched on very important points.

That some of my fellow Whites ignore the context and misinterpret the meaning of "Black Lives Matter"as a devaluing of other lives. 

That Regional Conferences are needed as long as African-Americans feel they are the best option for dignity, equality, and mission within a dominant culture. (In regards to abolishing them, it's revealing that other Conferences don't volunteer to be absorbed into Regional ones.)

That we of other races need to open our hearts to Black suffering. We Adventist Christians before anyone else. Forgive us for not walking beside you as we should. Even when "it's not our fault" may we see that "it is our fight” in Christ Jesus.

You've tried to enlighten and educate us. I pray the Holy Spirit empowers great change in us and among us.