Remarks by Vice President Harris During a Church Service | Detroit, MI

Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ
Detroit, Michigan

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, church.  Good afternoon. 

 Please have a seat.  Good afternoon.  (Applause.) 

Oh, it’s so good to worship with you all today.  It is so good to worship with you today. 

Today is a special Sunday for me, and to be here in this home — I just thank everybody. 

Presiding Bishop Sheard, I thank you.  First Lady Karen Clark Sheard, I told you, you just spoke to my soul this morning.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)  And to the bishops and members of the clergy, to all the elected leaders who are here today, including Senator Stabenow, my dear friend; Senator Butler; Congresswoman Lawrence; and to the entire Greater Emmanuel family, what a blessing to be here in this historic church.  I thank you.

And under the leadership of the presiding bishop and chief apostle of the Church of God in Christ — (applause) — and a church that has stood for justice for over a century.  And what a blessing to be here in Detroit, the home of gospel royalty — (applause) — (laughs) — and the anointed Clark Sisters — (applause) — whose music has lifted us through the seasons.  I feel so blessed to be with everyone here.

And I bring greetings from my pastor, Dr. Amos C. Brown of Third Baptist Church in Oa- — San Francisco, California.  (Applause.) 

So, church, in just two days, we have the power to decide the fate of our nation for generations to come.  And as we prepare for that moment, I am reminded of a passage from scripture.  The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “For I know the plans I have for you.”  (Applause.)  “They are the plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”  

Church, God has a plan for us.  He has good plans for us, plans that will heal us and bring us together as one nation, plans for freedom, plans for opportunity, plans for justice. 

But let us remember, it is not enough to just believe in those plans.  We must act.  Not enough to only pray, not enough to just talk.  We must act on the plans he has in store for us, and we must make them real through our works, in our daily choices, in service to our communities, and, yes, in our democracy.

Church, I do believe the prophet Jeremiah understood this responsibility when we think about this story.  As a young prophet, he watched as leaders abandoned the people.  He saw them enrich themselves while the poor suffered.  He witnessed them make hollow promises while justice was being denied.  That’s why he spoke hard truths.  He challenged those in power and confronted injustice. 

Jeremiah knew something profound.  The Lord’s plans for the people are made real through the people, not through empty words but through faithful action. 

Now, I grew up in a church that took that lesson to heart.  As a little girl, on Sundays, my sister, Maya, and I would go to 23rd Avenue Church of God in Oakland, California, where we attended Sunday school and sang in the children’s choir.  Not nearly — (laughter) — in fact, Brenda Lawrence and I were saying, the way you sing, in my mind, that’s the way I sing, but not actually.  (Laughter.)

But it was growing up and in church that I first learned, of course, the plans that God has for us and the teachings of the Bible.  My earliest memories of those teachings are about a loving God; a faithful God — (applause); a God who asks us to speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves and defend the rights of the poor and the needy. 

Growing up in the church, I learned that faith is a verb.  We show it in our action, in our deeds, in our service, and in hard times when we may, yes, grow weary in doing good but we must remember the plans the Lord has for us. 

     And so, today, as we look ahead to a moment that will define the very character of our nation, I do believe Jeremiah’s prophecy holds great urgency.  As a nation, we fal- — face real challenges.  We face real challenges.  We carry real burdens.  We feel real pain. 

And we must remember that faith, combined with our actions, gives us power: the power to move past division and fear and chaos — (applause); the power to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God; and the power to fulfill the promise of America, the promise of freedom and opportunity, not just for some but for all — a promise the Black church has understood and pursued for generations — (applause) — to help America live up to its extraordinary potential. 

So, church, we have two days — two days until we decide the fate of our nation.  (Applause.)  And here is what feeds my spirit as I travel across our beautiful nation from state to state and from church to church.  I see faith in action in remarkable ways.  I see a nation determined to turn the page on hatred and division and chart a new way forward.  (Applause.)

As I travel, I see Americans from so-called red states to so-called blue states who are ready to bend the arc of history toward justice.  I see an incredible number of our young people, our young leaders — oh, it would inspire you to see how they are organizing for change.  What I love about that generation, Bishop, they are quite impatient — (laughs) — in a most wonderful way. 

As I travel our nation, I see neighbors helping neighbors — who were perfect strangers before but now neighbors — recover and rebuild from disasters.  I see voters standing together to defend freedom.

And while we know there are those who seek to deepen division, sow hate, spread fear, and cause chaos, this moment in our nation has to be about so much more than partisan politics.  (Applause.)  It must be about the good work we can do together, about our fundamental values, and about us as Americans and as people of faith.

Here in Michigan, right now, each of us has an opportunity to make a difference, because in this moment, we face a real question: What kind of country do we want to live in?  What kind of country do we want for our children and our grandchildren — a country of chaos, fear, and hate or a country of freedom, justice, and compassion? 

And the great thing about living in a democracy, as long as we can hold on to it, is that we have the power, each of us, to answer that question. 

So, I’ll close by saying, let us answer, then, not just with our words but with our works, not just with our faith but with our feet, as we walk to the polls.  (Applause.)  And let us use our power to advance the cause of freedom, opportunity, and justice. 

Yes, let us turn the page and write the next chapter of our history, a chapter grounded in a divine plan big enough to encompass all of our dreams, a divine plan strong enough to heal division, a divine plan bold enough to embrace possibility — God’s plan.  (Applause.)

And in these next two days, we will be tested.  These days will demand everything we’ve got.  But when I think about the days ahead and the God we serve — (applause) — we were born for such a time as this.  (Applause.) 

The road ahead won’t be easy, but in times of uncertainty, we are reminded, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”  And, church, morning is on its way.  (Applause.)

    God bless you.  God bless Detroit.  And may God bless the United States of America.  I thank you.  (Applause.)

END