Relationship Wars

I recently had the pleasure of speaking to three virtually all-caucasian congregations on the subject of Race and Faith under their multi-week series on "Relationship Wars". I titled the messages, "One New Humanity" It was very challenging and exhilarating even though it garnered mixed results, as expected. First, let me say how deeply appreciative I am of the Pastor's willingness to press the envelope and teach the truth about God's heart for the ethnos exhibiting unity in the body of Christ. Then bringing me - an African American male - into his flock to share my personal experiences with racism and overcoming my own prejudices that followed my painful childhood. I opened my heart to the traumatic day-to-day existence as a African American male in our society and gave them a glimpse of the dangers I face just being me. We then looked into the deep well of implicit (unconscious) biases that we all have and must acknowledge in order to understand, remove and replace with truth.

Next, we ventured into the lost art of empathy. A term often mistaken for sympathy and compassion. Empathy is considerably different in its essence as it is about being with another person whatever their disposition without any of our own biases, perspectives, preconceived notions. Or our need to solve something for them. Just being with another human being, giving them voice and allowing them to know you are with them is immeasurable. Only then can we begin to repair the breech brought on by ignorance, fear and confusion. We know God is not the author of confusion. Now that I opened them to Gods heart for being with another human being we went back through American history to share the truth about our vile and heinous past. It was quiet as a church mouse. Their were crossed arms and legs with some squirming in seats. However, the truth must be told of 1625 and the beginning of slavery to 1965 and the Civil Rights Movement to overcome the inhumane systemic domestic terrorism of African descendants. I am a firm believer in the fact that a people who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it. You will never see another Jewish Holocaust because come hell or high water they are going to make sure the world knows the real story of the nature of their genocide and the healing of remembrance and the celebration of overcoming. We refuse to approach North American slavery and the annihilation of the Native Indigenous people in the same light. Therefore, we miss out on healing the trauma and we medicate with consumerism, commercialism and economic supremacy while living in despair and decay of racism and injustice. Truly missing out on a better quality of life for all by hiding behind fear and entitlement.

I am thankful to the foundation this Pastor is laying and pursuing via righteousness over tradition, exclusion and trepidation. In order to do so the first objective to override was "we've always done it this way". What a problematic and debilitating statement. Then we must teach the truth even though it acknowledges how far we - well to do, often educated and typically engaged believers are from God's heart for "heaven on earth". And we know there are no silo's in heaven. No homogenous settings where division reigns as if this is right and normal just because we've allowed it to be so for over a century. We can and must do better in order for their to be a credible witness of the tremendous love Jesus possesses for all humanity. Jesus clearly states in the book of John, Chapter 17 that the world will know that Jesus existed on earth by the love we believers (in Jesus message of unconditional love) have one for another. We are not exhibiting this love in the earth and we are responsible. If change is going to happen we have to take the lead. It won't happen organically or on its own. It will require intentionality. Crossing the chasm into an unknown world of another ethnic group, class or even gender's perspective is paramount to bring about trust and healing. We all want safe socially healthy and prosperous communities to live, love and work in. It will only happen when we live in the truth of Gods heart for man kind. That is living as One New Humanity where men are judged for the content of their character, not the color of their skin. Where, in the words of Martin Luther King Jr., until Gods authority for governance reigns over mans, our exhibiting of authority and governance will always falter in the end. Since failure is not an option we must press on until change happens.