Race

I am hoping that someone reading this will learn from my failures. I am still developing the muscle-tone at midlife to have conversations with people of color where I mostly just listen, the way God listens to me. I am a white male leader at a multiethnic, majority-white church, and I’m learning from my mistakes. I’m offering them here in the hope that if you need to, you might learn from them too. 

“History and Scripture teaches us that there can be no reconciliation without repentance. There can be no repentance without confession. And there can be no confession without truth.”
― Jemar Tisby

Lord, You are the source of all rightful authority. All things hold together in you.  Forgive us for the ways that, when it comes to politics, we have worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator. - A Prayer Responding to the Events at the U.S. Capitol

We’ve all responded to the heartbreaks and disappointments of this past year differently. Disappointment has left folks questioning God. Like the driver who ignores the service lights on their dashboard, others have ignored the emotional toll 2020 has brought and continued into their life without adjustments.

Enjoy this look back at the top Do Justice articles written in 2020 (ranked by top pageviews).  It was a big year for us to be reading and praying about justice and you’ll see themes of this year in all of our top articles.  It is our hope and prayer that these articles blessed you and moved you to new action.

 “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” - John 1:14  Blessings to you this week as you reflect on the third candle of advent ‘love.’ 

I am angry and I am unsure why. I was pleased by the election of Joe Biden’s defeat over the current president. I was concerned many Americans would opt out of the 2020 election, but I was surprised by one of the highest participation of Americans due to early voting and mail-ballots in my lifetime. I was comforted that the election was not close as many pollsters expected which would have caused additional angst in the United States. Still I am angry and I am searching for an answer. 

“I just think that truth and reconciliation is sequential, that you can’t have the reconciliation without the truth.” - Bryan Stevenson

The times that we are living in are increasingly putting people on the two ends of a spectrum. Responses to Covid, e-learning, racial injustice, and politics has our world in an uproar. One thing that has been difficult to grapple with in my head is the way that we as another. We, as a nation, as well as the body of Christ, are so divided that the revival that many seek seems a bit far off.   

We as image-bearers of God have an unprecedented opportunity to re-engage with our community tables that have been set before us. Our tables need to be large enough to invite our neighbors to join us for food, laughter and conversation. So naturally we ask the question, who is my neighbor?