Rev. Momberg Apologizes for Chapel Talk
The Lodge received an apology from Rev. Thomas A. Momberg this afternoon in response to his chapel talk on Sept. 17, 2019. We are reprinting his letter here with permission:
Dear Members of the St. George’s Community:
I was wrong, and I apologize.
I thought I had carefully written and delivered a talk in the chapel service on September 17th that was appropriate for St. George’s middle and upper school students, faculty, and staff. I was wrong, and I apologize.
I failed to make clear my point about trusting God, no matter what our fears may be. Instead, I offended and even scared some of you. Hearts were broken, mine included, because of what I said.
I thought I had done enough of my own, hard work on my own racism to be able to share some of what I had learned. I was wrong, and I apologize.
We are all students in the school of life, no matter how old we get to be. I still have some things to learn about what to say and not to say about race.
I thought I was communicating something helpful in my talk about what I had learned from my mistakes in life, including the moment in my teen-aged years when I was afraid of someone my own age whose skin color was different from mine. I was wrong, and I apologize.
In my talk I failed to say, clearly and directly, that I should never have been afraid of Black boys. Period. I also failed to say, clearly and directly, that, with God’s help, I am no longer afraid.
I thought some of you who have been through some pretty troubling times lately might be heartened by my reflections. I was wrong, and I apologize.
I have learned that, as Bryan Stevenson says, we are all more than the worst mistake we have ever made. I ask your prayers and seek your forgiveness, even though I know you may not be able to offer either or both of those to me, now or ever. I continue to pray for your healing from this painful time.
~ The Rev. Thomas A. Momberg
