Jasper Peters

The moon tonight and some other recent astrophotography I have been able to take

In Loving Memory of Reverend James D. Peters, Jr.
January 17, 1933 – May 10, 2025
Reverend James D. Peters, Jr. of the New Hope Baptist Church in Denver, Colorado, was called home on May 10, 2025. Born on January 16, 1933, Reverend Peters dedicated his life to faith, community, and love.
A viewing will be held at New Hope Baptist Church on Friday at 6:00 p.m. The funeral service to celebrate his remarkable life will take place on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at New Hope Baptist Church, Denver, Colorado.
Friends and family are invited to join in honoring his legacy and the profound impact he had on all who knew him

It is a privilege and a burden to share with you the passing of our father—the Rev. Dr. James D. Peters Jr. after 92 years of vibrant life. He died on the evening of May 10th, 2025 surrounded by love and prayer, in the presence of his family.

Having entered into ministry at the age of 19, he led a historic career in pastoral ministry, Civil Rights, church leadership, and incredible advocacy for the poor and oppressed.

As his family, we recognize we are not the only ones who have been blessed by his work and witness, and there are many who will feel the gravity of his loss. We are now the ones who will remember the work and sacrifice of leaders like him; it is left to us to carry on his memory and legacy. We offer to you what we would request for ourselves—grace and room to process and prepare for what is next.

We will confirm plans for his funeral and create opportunities to remember his life in the days ahead. In the mean time, our family would like to thank all of the people who have expressed their love and support to our father through his whole life, especially through these last days.

I want to name the fourth-worst part about the insidious, racist lies that have been told this week. Our former President lied about a community of people, invoking unfounded rumors that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were stealing, killing, and eating the pets of their neighbors. First, this is a lie. I trust that most people who hear it realize this, but it is important to state plainly. Second, it is racist. Haiti became the first Black-led republic to abolish slavery in 1804, after a long fight against the French colonizers. Despite their victory, they were forced to pay back France for the loss of profits through 1947, preventing them from having a functional economy, even today. Third, this does real harm. To use people from Haiti as a caricature in this moment is an easy reference to anti-Black and anti-immigrant rhetoric. It would be bad enough if this only impacted people of Haitian descent in Ohio—but it won’t. This will impact Black people, immigrants, and vulnerable people in all of our communities. This kind of hatred is like smog— we all breathe it in and it makes us all sick. Which brings me to the fourth worst part of this lie—which especially concerns people who follow after Jesus.
These lies are designed to make you see other people as dangerous, and less human than you. We are called to see our neighbor, even one who seems foreign or strange to us, as one who is deserving of love and care. We are called to see our neighbor and not invoke difference, but remember that the creating and sustaining love of God makes us family. When we see people who may be in need, who perhaps are hungry, it is the highest betrayal of the ways of Jesus to accuse them of stealing, accuse them of cruelty, to create pretense to reject, isolate, or hate your neighbor. This is not the most important point—and it may not be the lens for everyone. But if you follow Jesus, one of the worst parts about this lie is that it is anti-Christ— it points us against the ways and heart of Jesus, and makes us much less like him.
I hope and expect that you are already convinced of the falsehood of these claims. I share this in hopes that we take the time to name the things that uphold our values and beliefs, as well as the things that betray them.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Jasper

I have been who I am for my entire life