As the latest round of racially-based sin has struck our society over the past few weeks, I have thought back to the tension I felt in the sermons I preached on race about a year and a half ago. In one sense, addressing the sin of racism is simple: to demean or dismiss or devalue anyone on account of their skin color is a sin in the eyes of God. Furthermore, the Bible is clear over and over again that it has always been part of God’s plan to form for himself a people composed of all ethnicities. In another sense, the sin of racism can be tricky because it can be difficult to know how to best address it or respond to it or fix it.
In light of this, we must ask what is our role as the church? Beyond voicing that racism is clearly a sin before God and that God extends love and forgiveness to all equally through Christ, how can we as God’s people take steps to ensure that we are not potentially harboring any racist attitudes toward those of a different color? Though this is by no means a comprehensive answer, I propose two simple responses as potential steps: (1) listen (2) lament.
Those of us who are white possess a certain experience with respect to our country, while those who are black may possess a very different experience. Are those of us who are white willing to listen to those who are black? If we assume that we understand the racial issues in our country, we may be mistaken because we simply haven’t taken the time to listen to someone else whose experience may be different than our own. Below I have included two links, one to a book I read when preparing for the sermons on race, and the other to a panel recently conducted by my friend Jon Quitt at Hope City Church (formerly Vineyard of Tuscaloosa). While I did not agree with every viewpoint either in the book or on the panel, I found it a healthy exercise to simply sit and listen to other believers whose experience differs from mine.
Secondly, our posture and attitude toward any racist act of any kind must be one of lament. The Bible is full of examples of God’s people lamenting over sin, and we should lament every time we hear or see any form of racism. It is a reminder that we live in a broken world and that we longingly wait for the return of Christ, who is the only final and ultimate solution to all sin, including racism. Perhaps one of the best ways to cultivate a posture of lament is to listen. When I’m not willing to listen, I’m more susceptible to speaking rashly or being defensive or assuming that there is nothing I have to learn because I don’t view myself as being racist. And so may we listen, for in listening we learn to empathize, and in empathizing we learn to lament not only the brokenness of our world but also the brokenness of our own hearts, thus turning us once again to our ever-present deep need for Christ.
Ben
Below are two resources that I have found helpful in interacting with this subject. The video is a panel done by Jon Quitt at Hope City Church a couple weeks ago; please start watching at the 44min mark.
Under Our Skin - Getting Real About Race
Benjamin Watson