Where do we go from here?

I was honored to contribute to the recent Barna report Where do we go from here? How U.S. Christians feel about racism—and what they believe it will take to move forward.

My responses to their questions are below. You can read the entire report (with original research and responses from others) here.

1. Where is there common ground for divergent political groups in the Church? What terminology, approaches or callings can practicing Christians agree upon, regardless of political ideology or affiliation?

First, we must agree that every political party reflects humankind’s culture and is thus damaged by the fall. Since no political platform lines up perfectly with God’s word as revealed in Scripture, or adequately reflects God’s heart for both justice and mercy, believers have to make hard choices. We must vote; it’s a civic duty. We also should lobby for or contribute to issues we believe reflect Biblical priorities, whether pro-life causes, immigration reform, prison reform, etc. When discussing issues, we must listen humbly and welcome all voices to the table. I never want people to say, “This is a Republican church” or “This is a Democratic church.”

2. How do you see the concept of white privilege—its absence or its presence—influence your own life or career?

For most of our years in the pastorate, we lived in a neighborhood that was almost entirely African American. Once, when I saw a White guy on my street, my first thought was, “What’s he doing here?” My young teen daughter got stopped by police for “walking while White” on the way to church. (“Are you ok? Where are you going?”)

We saw the inequities of race and class every day—the fallout from redlining, White flight, underfunded schools, lack of city services, few recreational activities for youth, and how laws were enforced. I had the unique privilege—for a White person—to be the only one of my race many times—to feel the disequilibrium, to carry the weight of my race whether I wanted to or not.

White privilege paid for my college education. My WWII-veteran father finished college under the G.I. Bill and then got VA mortgages. These enabled my parents to live in high-achieving school districts, accumulate capital, and pay for college educations for five children. Those government benefits were generally unavailable to African American veterans because the law was deliberately crafted to accommodate racist “Jim Crow” policies. When my oldest brother got into trouble in college, my parents paid for a lawyer, who got the charges dropped. If my brother had been convicted, he probably wouldn’t have gone on to have a successful thirty-five-year government career. I can’t tell you how many young Black men I’ve known who have been arrested or harassed unfairly, not had adequate legal representation, bail money, or fair trials. It’s not a level playing field.

I think White people are generally unaware of the historical realities—the lingering impact of slavery and Jim Crow (which began to be dismantled in 1965!), let alone ongoing racial injustices. As Whites we usually don’t experience it, so we can choose not to see it.

3. What is the needed path forward for peace between racial groups in the church--particularly between black and white Christians?

I see a tremendous need for education in addressing racial reconciliation, especially for White Christians. In the past, as the dominant culture, we haven’t had to understand and interact sensitively with other cultures to survive, but non-dominant cultures (African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and others) had to be culturally bilingual. That is no longer true in our multiethnic world.

We need to acknowledge, repent, and be proactive about justice. We need to be willing to stay in the room and have these hard conversations. Think about it: if I sin against you, not just once, but for decades, or my ancestors and I steal from you, rape you, or kill you for hundreds of years, I can’t just shrug and say, “Sorry. Why don’t you get over it?” As William Faulkner said, “The past is never dead. It's not even past.”

Because I believe that I’m more sinful than I can understand, I shouldn’t be shocked when someone points out my blind spots. And because Jesus knows and has covered all my sin, I don’t have to cower in shame, denial, or self-hate. In The Happy Christian, David Murray writes, “The gospel doesn’t deny or exploit guilt but deals with it. The gospel humbles both white supremacy and black power. The gospel gives vengeance over to God. The gospel replaces hate with love. The gospel gives powerful hope.”

The bedrock principle of racial healing is our unity in Christ. Our identity as part of God’s universal, diverse “beloved community, and sons and daughters of God through Christ, is our primary identity, superseding all other categories/identities. Christ supernaturally unites us across all racial, gender, ethnic, and class distinctions.

Developing cultural intelligence helps us recognize our own cultural blinders. We have much to learn from those who are different from us racially, ethnically, socio-economically, and in other ways. Our culture—values, behaviors, ways of thinking & behaving—is so deeply rooted that we often fail to see it. Relationships with others from different backgrounds can help us develop a more Biblical worldview, not an individualized or monocultural one. Culturally diverse friendships can challenge us to live according to kingdom values, not cultural preferences.

4. Why do you think there is a generational gap in opinions about racial reconciliation? How does this bear on discussions of how to keep Millennials and Gen X engaged in their faith?

5. Where are there barriers to cross-ethnic friendships? How do we overcome them? How can churches help?

6. Do you feel that a multiethnic vision for the local Church is the best solution moving forward? If so, what are healthy, redemptive methods of building integrated congregations? If not, how can monoethnic churches still participate in bridging racial divisions in the Church?

Churches can take tangible steps toward unity. If the community is diverse, ask, “Why isn’t our church diverse?” Preach the unity of all believers, help people understand how Jesus broke down cultural and ethnic barriers. It's often easier to plant new, intentionally multiethnic churches than change existing ones. Churches can intentionally begin multiethnic conversations or gospel-based training as part of their Christian education. Existing churches can diversify the music, preaching, and leadership.

In The Color of Compromise, Jemar Tisby outlines the ARC of racial justice: Awareness, Relationships, and Commitment. We need to be aware of America’s racial history and present realities, actively pursue relationships with people different from ourselves, listen to their stories, and actively work for justice by addressing systemic and institutional aspects of racism. (For example, why are men of color incarcerated at disproportional rates? How has redlining, lack of access to fair loans, and segregation contributed to the fact that the average white household has 16 times the wealth of a black one?)

7. What is the role of forgiveness in conversations around racial reconciliation? How can pastors use their voice to provide substantive Christian teaching on what mercy and compassion entail--in a way that doesn't shortcut processes of justice?

The gospel provides what we need. Only the gospel will give us the strength to engage cross-culturally, and to examine our own areas of sin and blindness. The gospel tells us that we’re more sinful and broken than we can dare admit; yet more loved, forgiven and made righteous in Christ than we ever dared hope. Only the gospel enables us to forgive those who wound us, and to ask others for forgiveness when we wound them. The power to practice unconditional love can’t be willed into existence. Racial reconciliation will bring suffering, so we need to be prepared for that. Our capacity to engage in racial reconciliation ministry depends on our capacity for suffering.

8. Beyond addressing racial justice or reconciliation from the pulpit, what are some practical ways that pastors and churches can confront racism or mitigate inequality?

9. For Christians, what is the relationship between mercy and justice? How might both be important in a theology or ministry of racial reconciliation?

10. When it comes to race relations, or to opportunities for black Americans and other minorities, do you see signs of hope or progress that are encouraging to you? Are there any that are specific to the Church?

Millennials recognize that the world is multiethnic, and wonder why their churches aren’t. They are hungry for authentic relationships, and a faith that actively engages with the world. Frederick Buechner wrote, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” What gifts has God given you to partner with Him in his redemptive work in the world? Our evangelism and discipleship cannot be compartmentalized into a purely cerebral faith; we need a head, hands, heart model. Our Lord saw people, and engaged with them at their point of need as part of his evangelism and discipleship.