Deeply Divided
As protestors ask for justice, Christians are lobbing accusations at their fellow believers, deepening the divide between how we as Church view our role.
How do we begin to engage in dialogue about our role in addressing systematic racism? Is there a way that the body of Christ, can truly find where we fit into the conversation?
Led to Confess
I kneel to confess. Not because I have to, or because of some religious tradition forced on me as a child. I kneel because I need the pew to hide my face as I wrestle with God.
Every week, it is the same battle. On my knees, I try to defend, justify, and argue myself out of confessing. Every week, I am afraid to confess. As I go before God, I realize that my desire to be defensive and lash out at truth-tellers is because I'm deathly afraid to admit my sin.
Hurting With
My husband and I are helpers. You know the helpers - the social workers who forego larger salaries to meet neighbors’ pressing needs day in and day out, the foster parents, the college kids taking sandwiches to people under the bridge, the folks who give rides to neighbors who haven’t showered in some days, the folks who care for kids so DFACS doesn’t have to get involved, the folks who help friends who’ve been evicted move on short notice, the folks who sit and chat a while with panhandlers downtown, the organizers who spur the community to action when oppressive laws are hurting the most vulnerable. Like the other helpers, we’ve found that our life and our faith make more sense when we are in the service of people on the margins.
Moving Forward By Looking Back
On a beautiful summer day this year, while I watched my daughter play at the playground, I started talking with a few other mothers around, as we often do. One of the moms, another white woman said, “I love that our children play together and that they don’t notice color. Why do we have to keep talking about race? We’ve moved past this.” The only black mom in the group shifted uncomfortably and became even more clear that we were strangers, connected only by the fact that our children happened to play together.
I asked, “If race is not an issue, why is that on this perfect summer day, it is almost exclusively white children playing at this free park? Our city is diverse. If race wasn't a factor, wouldn’t that be reflected here?”
The Danger of Compromise
Recently, Robert Jeffries, the First Baptist Pastor of Dallas, said on Twitter, “The effort to impeach President (Donald Trump) is really an effort to impeach our own deeply held faith values.”
My immediate response was to roll my eyes and keep scrolling. Pridefully, I distance myself from “those evangelicals.” “Those evangelicals” include those who seem to hate all people or are more concerned with their 401 (K), political power, and other people’s sex life than the teachings of Jesus. Even my definition of “those evangelicals” drips with superiority – that is evidence of my sinful apathy.
Invited to Listen
While reading “On White Women, their Refusal to Say Excuse Me” & Other Shared Reminders of Black Womanhood” my skin bristled. I started to think through every interaction I have had with black women in public. Every word made me want to say, wait, not me!
That same day, I saw Andre Henry’s tweet about Relevant. Over the week, as I read the tweets and blog posts online about how Relevant treated people of color, I wanted to tweet, yes, but not here! I’m not one of those Evangelicals.
Costume Not Culture
With Halloween right around the corner, Greeks across the country are asking this question, “What will I wear for Halloween this year?” If you are thinking about throwing on a headdress, a kimono or donning on a sombrero, it might be wise to take a second look. Here are some answers to common questions to help you navigate your Halloween costume today!