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Getting To Know You

If I knew you and you knew me,
and each of us could clearly see
by the inner light divine
the meaning of your heart and mine;
I’m sure that we would differ less
and clap our hands in friendliness.
If you knew me and I knew you.
Howard Thurman

 

Understanding the complexity of human beings takes time, effort, and imagination. One must ‘fool around’ the edges of another’s life getting closer and closer to the central place. There must be a will to understand which informs the integrity of one’s desire to understand. 2022 can be a year we step out and lead the critical conversations that will heal our nation.
The Bible teaches us in Ephesians and Colossians how to accomplish this, “Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.” And that, “Your speech must always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”
The Foundation for Critical Thinking offers, “much of our thinking left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uninformed or down-right prejudiced. Yet the quality of the life we produce, make, or build depends precisely on the quality of our thoughts. Shoddy thinking is costly to our spiritual witness. Excellence in thought, however, must be systematically cultivated.”
We naturally think from our own perspective, from a point of view which tends to privilege our position. Fairness implies the treating of all relevant viewpoints alike without reference to one’s own feelings or interest. Because we tend to be biased in favor of our own viewpoint, it is important to keep the standard of fairness at the forefront of our thinking. This is especially important when the situation may call on us to see things we don’t want to see or give something up that we want to hold onto.
Most people do not understand the degree to which they have uncritically internalized the dominant prejudice of their society or culture. Sociologist and anthropologists identify this as the state of being “cultural bound.” This phenomenon is caused by sociocentric thinking, which includes:

  • The uncritical tendency to place one’s culture, nation, religion above all others,

 

  • The uncritical tendency to select self-serving positive descriptions of ourselves and negative descriptions of those who think differently from us,

 

  • The uncritical tendency to internalize group norms and beliefs, take on group identities, and act as we are expected to act—without the least sense that what we are doing might reasonably be questioned,

 

  • The tendency to blindly conform to group restrictions (many which are arbitrary or coercive),

 

  • The failure to think beyond the traditional prejudices of one’s culture,

 

  • The failure to study and internalize the insights of other cultures (improving thereby the breath and depth of one’s thinking),

 

  • The failure to realize that mass media in every culture shapes the news from the point of view of that culture,

Sociocentric thinking is a hallmark of an uncritical society. It can be diminished only when replaced by cross-cultural, fair-minded thinking.
Let’s move into 2022 with a new mind, the mind of Christ. It means we share Jesus’ perspective of humility and obedience (Philippians 2:5-8), compassion (Matthew 9:36), and prayerful dependence on God (Luke 5:16). The believer bears a responsibility to yield to the Spirit’s leading (Ephesians 4:30) and to allow the Spirit to transform and renew our mind (Romans 12:1-2).
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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Is God “Woke”?

In Exodus 3, it says God is deeply concerned about the cries of our sisters and brothers. As Christians, we are to interrupt injustice, not lead the fight for it. Maybe God was too “woke” and didn’t understand our need to satisfy self-interest through injustice, poverty, persecution, and legislated discrimination. Maybe, His Word didn’t take into consideration that someday we would have to live out the Imago Dei – “all are created in the image of God.“ Could God really expect us to treat everyone with dignity, honor, and respect?

 

Let’s face it, focusing on others before ourselves, treating all people as equal, and trusting that the Word will transform hearts requires us to give up our controlling spirit. We all have an idea of what following Jesus should look like and who should be included. But if we’re honest with ourselves, our views are often influenced by our cultural values, politics, background, and what’s currently going on in the world around us. Maybe God was too woke to understand where we are today. How could He ask us to love our enemies!

 

Woke is a term that refers to awareness of issues that concern social justice. Originating in the 1940’s as “being aware of the truth behind things ‘the man’ doesn’t want you to know”. Today, in culture and politics, the most prominent uses of “woke” are as a pejorative. However, despite todays vagueness, you now see evangelicals, conservative activists and Republican politicians constantly using the term. That’s because that vagueness is a feature, not a bug. Casting a really wide range of ideas and policies as too woke and anyone who is critical of them as being canceled by out-of-control liberals is becoming an important strategy and tool.

 

Some Christian leaders are using a blanket rejection to dismiss the realities of racism, implementing attempts to dictate the belief systems, definitions, authoritative binding, academic and ecclesiastical decisions regarding how race is to be communicated in the local church, school, and community.

 

Ed Stetzer, a Southern Baptist and the executive director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center, says that churches have become increasingly politicized. “What’s happened is that people are now sorting themselves into churches that align more with their political ideology than their theology,” he said. “They want the sermons they hear on Sundays to align with what they hear on cable news all week.”

 

The controversy within the Southern Baptist Conference shines a light on the generational and ideological divides churches across the country are facing today. According to Ian Lovett of the WSJ, “one faction argues the SBC should step back from its role in electoral politics to broaden its reach and reverse a 15-year decline in membership. Another faction says the denomination has been drifting to the left, and the way to retain and attract members is to recommit to its conservative roots and stay politically engaged. Each side accuses the other of straying from the SBC’s core mission.”

 

 

Churches across America have come to provide further evidence of this political divide. Like the SBC, factions are not focused on what Jesus is focused on – love of neighbor, mercy, kindness, and grace. Instead, focusing on demands of political loyalty, disputes about racism, assigning the most negative labeling possible to those considered the enemy, and determining who is and isn’t “conservative enough.”

 

“It’s like someone is bleeding out on the floor,
and these guys are fighting over
how many pints of blood a person can lose.”

 

SBC seminary presidents organized a letter last year denouncing one of their major points of division, critical race theory—an academic set of assertions about structural racism across society that has been a flashpoint in the denomination. They and other conservatives acknowledge historic patterns of racism but don’t want it taught to their kids, talked about, or resolved. But they also say racism can have “structural forms.” Efforts to address the central issue being lifted up are met with gaslighting, denial, minimization, and ostracization.

 

Ve Lu of Nonprofit AF summarizes it this way, “So many of us are in denial. Not always denial like refusing to acknowledge what exists. More so, the subtle denial that we ourselves, who are Good People fighting for a just and equitable world, could further supremacy. After all, we weren’t involved in the acts of genocide at Kamloops or Tulsa, we tell ourselves. This is what makes white supremacy so potent. It is often subtle. It happens in ways we often don’t think about.”

 

The cognitive dissonance some guard elicits very negative responses to any attempt to discuss this subject. Breaking through the initial discomfort and rejection of this new information causes people’s defenses to go up, and they disengage. It’s not easy to swallow the realization that you are the transgressors of micro-aggressions on a micro-scale and that you have been unwitting participants in oppression on an aggregate/macro scale.

 

Church, we look disingenuous to the watching world. Our witness is being weakened as we are acting like the world. We are to be “in this world, but not of this world.” In John 17, Jesus asked the Father to

 

“sanctify them in the truth; your Word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
so I have sent them into the world.
And for their sake, I consecrate myself,
that they also may be sanctified in truth.” 

 

Jesus’s assumption in John 17 is that those who have embraced him and identified with him are sent into the world on a mission for gospel advance through disciple-making. His Word will go forth, and if you choose to represent Him your way instead of His, possibly it won’t happen through you.

 

Let’s determine to live as God desires—“to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God.”

 

Maybe God was and is “woke”, and sent His son to live out “wokeness.”
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We Can’t Heal, If We Can’t Hear

Uncertainty abounds all over the global village, from the Israel-Palestinian conflict to the Russian autocratic policies across Europe, to the economic wrestling with China, to the hijacking in Belorussia, to the struggling survival of the Sudan. We are confronted every day with tremendous uncertainty.

 

But it is not just distant uncertainty; it is the uncertainty that has captured our land. Geographic uncertainty as rural areas are feeling neglected, disrespected, and misunderstood. The death, isolation, and job challenges caused by the pandemic. A spike in mass shootings across the country. Unruly behavior from biting on airplanes, to spitting, throwing water bottles and popcorn at NBA Playoff games to storming PGA golf fairways. Challenges to our democracy and electoral processes. Calls from a former Presidential Advisor for a military coup. Increased institutional warfare leading to an “all in on outrage” as a strategy in Congress.

 

Uncertainty that has transformed how we view people. Increased racial tension with a spike in antisemitic incidents across the country and growing Asian hate crimes. Increased police scrutiny relative to violence against people of color. An uprising of political actions to hide the violent history against Native Americans and Blacks. Dehumanization makes it easier to see people as a “temptation”; someone to eliminate or consider as not worthy of equal rights or privileges.

 

We are subject to painful reflections about the hateful, subconscious beliefs with which some continue to drape our existence. To make it worse, as Jeremiah said in Chapter 12, “we have planted and haven’t seen a harvest.” We’ve been planting since 1619. Through the various military exploits of this nation, we’ve been planting. Through the transforming revolts of each era, we’ve been planting. Through the modification of constitutional legislation and amendments, we’ve been planting. Through marches and protests, we’ve been planting. Yet, we are still not saved.

 

And in our individual lives, we all have our own stories of struggle. How are you going to meet your financial challenges? How are you going to respond to the doctor’s diagnosis about you or a family member? Feelings of uncertainty about your job or job opportunities. Will you be able to avoid the foreclosure pending on your house? Or even the foreclosure already in process; will you be able to redirect it. And when the foreclosure evicts you, where will you live. How will you make your way? We are in some difficult times.

 

What will become of this nation as two sharply contrasting visions clash on the political horizon. The topography of their outcomes will set the direction for this nation. I asked myself, what should the Churches response be? It became apparent to me our response does not need to be complicated. Some people are looking for some theological mystery to be unraveled. As the songwriter says, “Gotta keep it real simple, get right back to ground zero. When it all comes down to this: Love God and love people.” Another songwriter adds, “What if we came down from our towers and walked a mile in someone else’s shoes. If the church wants to see a change in the world out there, it’s got to start right here.”

 

In the words of the honorable Bishop Arthur M. Brazier, “We can’t just be satisfied functioning within the physical and philosophical walls of the church building.  We have to apply Christian principles to the solutions of the great social problems of our time. Our faith calls us to see civic and political responsibilities through the eyes of faith and to bring our moral convictions to public life.  As believers we are called to be a community of conscience within the larger society and to test public life by the values of scripture.”

 

The church should serve as a moral conscience to society and should seek to respond to our social, economic and political as well as spiritual needs. Faith and Justice need to become as one flesh in service of God and social transformation. Our individual activities in this regard, can be a calling only if it is viewed as a mission of service to something beyond merely our own interest.  I believe we are to articulate and live out these views in ways that are theologically faithful, exegetically careful and personally sustainable.

 

Pastor Rick Warren in The Purpose Driven Life opens with, “It’s not about you. The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment.” Too often decisions are based on self-interest and justified by that belief.

 

But, as with most subjects in the 21st-century U.S., opinion soon polarizes along partisan lines. This country is becoming devoid of places where differences are valued. Even in our churches, the ideological divide has become more locational than denominational as people are more likely to live and worship among people who share their worldviews and to spend free time with them. The ability to hear each other is muted by the echo chambers of political and racial speak.

 

 

When did hate become so ordinary in the church? Love, empathy, forgiveness, mercy, and compassion is disappearing. We begin to grasp divisive rhetoric and use labels as shortcuts to conversational hearing. Labeling closes minds to hearing or learning. It ignores the nuances and details of situations, then creates misinformation.

 

Some are raising objections to any attempt to “fill in the blanks” of American history. Any conversation that challenges an interpretation of America’s national identity neglects the trauma inflicted in creating that identity. National identity is divided along critical axis of class, faith, or race. Creating the foundation of the threefold objection – one, that this country belongs to a unique set of people. Two, the church supported slavery’s legacy. And three, slavery’s legacy still shapes American life today—an argument that is less radical than it may appear at first glance:

 

  • The QAnon theory is more popular today among evangelicals than people of other religions, according to a study by the conservative American Enterprise Institute.
  • States are implementing educational laws that teaching history in schools “may not define American history as something other than the creation of a new nation based largely on universal principles stated in the Declaration of Independence.”
  • The Texas Governor is threatening to withhold lawmakers pay if they don’t come back into session and vote for the Restrictive Voting Bill.
  • “We birthed a nation from nothing. There was nothing here in America before white colonizers arrived, and Native people haven’t contributed much to American culture.”
  • Backlash on the 1619 Project, which outlines the theft of labor and land, because it centers its voice on the history of Black people instead of telling a story of a glorious longstanding idea of the past – men who founded a country then built it into a Christian nation.
  • Thirty per cent of Republicans endorsed the idea that the country is so far “off track that American patriot’s may have to resort to violence” against their political opponents.
  • Senator Ron Johnson has sent letters to acting U.S. Capitol Police chief casting doubt that Officer Brian Sicknick’s death was related to the attack on the Capitol.
  • Pastor’s teaching Critical Race Theory as anti-biblical because it addresses the effect of racial bias and erosion of advances made by Blacks in the ’90s instead of only assigning individual responsibility to their outcomes.
  • The Black body is always guilty of something; therefore, whatever the police do to them is self-caused and justified.
  • Blue Lives Matter, except when conservatives attack them.
  • The Black Lives Matter Movement is a Marxist hate group and not a quest for equality, justice and humanity.
  • Biden’s presidency is illegitimate because the votes from people of color, who voted in record numbers, should not be counted.
  • Asians in America were responsible for COVID and the attacks on them are understood.
  • Native Americans were savages and their extermination by the cowboys was heroic.
  • The January 6 insurrection was a “tour of people” who are, understandably, not happy with the country’s direction.
  • Christianity and America is God’s gift to White people.

 

So many people live in a state of misinformation. What they are invested in banning is simply a complete and accurate accounting of American history! Claiming all discussions reflect “a displacement of historical understanding by ideology.” How do you heal the nation if facts are distorted and no one is listening to each other?

 

“The only problem that can’t be solved 
is the one we pretend doesn’t exist.”

 

We can’t depend on the political landscape to heal our nation.  And let’s avoid any false moral equivalency between the two parties. Historically, one side defining good for its purposes and assigning evil to the opposition has led to further social violence. Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) shouldn’t have engaged in antisemitic rhetoric. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) shouldn’t have urged anti-racism protesters to be “more confrontational.” As reported by the Washington Post, Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a star of the right, was observed accosting Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) as she was exiting the House chamber. Taylor later made negative comments connecting mask, Jews, and the Holocaust.

 

And yet Greene isn’t really that much of an outlier in the House Republican caucus alongside the likes of Reps. Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Louie Gohmert (Tex.), Lauren Boebert (Colo.), and other Freedom Caucus members who want a White’s only party.

 

“As believers we are called to be a community of conscience within the larger society and to test public life by the values of scripture.”

 

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Almost There, But Not Quite Yet – Part 2

In a culture filled with chaos and confusion, faithful and committed Christian communication is needed more than ever. Disruption is the new normal and the Church is called to lead on demonstrating to a watching world “unity in Christ.”

 

Unfortunately, politics, racism, and religion have replaced the Word of God in guiding some people’s beliefs, habits, attitudes, and actions. Thoughts, feelings and emotions that are believed to be at odds with ones integrity can cause people to lash out at others. Even if that integrity has been built on a false narrative. But even though “the flowers fade, and the grass will wither, the Word of God lasts forever.”

 

Most of us remain trapped in the narrow framework of the dominant liberal and conservative views of race in America, which with its worn-out vocabulary leaves us intellectually debilitated, morally disempowered, and personally depressed.

 

The Barna Group validated what we presented in Part 1. Their research uncovered, what every person of color already knew – “Church’s efforts toward unity in recent decades seem to be insufficient in helping to understand or rectify the challenges experienced by worshippers of color, especially Black individuals, for whom issues of race in the U.S. are front and center.”

 

“Our truncated public discussions of race fail to confront the complexity of the issue candidly and critically. The predictable pitting of liberals against conservatives, Great Society Democrats against self-help Republicans, reinforces intellectual parochialism and political paralysis.

 

We confine discussion about race in America to the ‘problems’ Black people pose Whites rather than consider what this way of viewing Black people reveals about us as a nation.

 

This paralyzing framework encourages liberals to relieve their guilty consciences by supporting public funds directed at ‘the problems’; but at the same time, reluctant to exercise principled criticism of Black people, liberals deny them the freedom to err. Similarly, conservatives blame the ‘problems’ on Black people themselves and thereby render Black society misery invisible or unworthy of public attention.

 

Hence, for liberals, Black people are to be ‘included’ and ‘integrated’ into ‘our’ society and culture, while for conservatives, they are to be ‘well behaved’ and ‘worthy of acceptance’ by ‘our’ way of life. Both fail to see that the presence and predicaments of Black people are neither additions to nor defections from American life, but rather constitutive elements of that life.” This description provided by Princeton Professor Cornell West highlights the need for a new conversation. A non-political and biblical conversation that emphasizes that we must always prefer people over any pleasures that might bring us joy.
These conversations must be grounded in equity. Not equity from the Republican perspective of identity politics or the Democratic perspective of diversity, but from the Kingdom party perspective of the Imago Dei. The Bible teaches about the value of work and the value of equal opportunity. The most productive and progressive society is one in which every member has full and unencumbered access.

 

Equity is not a program or initiative; it is a belief, a habit of mind. As I have stated many times: What you believe about someone determines how you label them. Those labels dictate how you (and others) choose to engage or disengage with them. Achieving true equity must be a moral imperative, and it serves as a central and essential component of any attempt to achieve the unity Jesus speaks of in the Bible.

 

Equity is not a guarantee that everyone will succeed. Instead, it assures that everyone will have the opportunity and support necessary to succeed. In an equitable system, the barriers that inhibit progress are removed.

 

From the balcony, solutions exist, and we are almost there, but not yet.
As believers, we are actively taking part in the kingdom of God, although the kingdom will not reach its full expression until sometime in the future. Jesus’ parables of the kingdom picture it as yeast in dough. In other words, the kingdom is slowly working toward ultimate fulfillment. It is not sporadically “breaking through” to bring us comfort in this world. Therefore, our efforts will need to be continuous and not a point-in-time solution.

 

It starts with forming or enhancing relationships with outgroup members; not pushing away from them.

 

“Forming relationships with outgroup members can have
myriad individual benefits, helping individuals widen their social circles, feel less stress and anxiety in intergroup contexts, and reduce their prejudices. But to benefit from the consequences of outgroup relationships, individuals must first build them.”

 

The believer is in a lifelong struggle with the flesh (Romans 8:13). Likewise, the church is a fellowship of persons who are both new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and still imperfect sinners. As we await our glorification and the destruction of our sinful natures, we must continue our process of sanctification, the daily process of growing into the very image of Christ. We accomplish this by “exercise yourself to godliness” (1Tim 4:7) – demonstrating love one to another, activating the fruits of the spirit, engaging in conversations and actions to unify, and being God’s witness here on earth for the world to see a better way. In effect, you’re saying to Him, Father, don’t let me waste this difficult time the country faces. Use it for my long-term benefit and to enhance Your glory through my life.

 

In the meantime, stay prayerful, God is up to something. We’re almost there, but not quite yet . . .
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Almost There, But Not Quite Yet – Part 1

What it seems like from the outside isn’t always what it’s like on the inside. Most conversational breakdown comes from a person’s own struggle. People from all walks of life struggle. Most don’t want to admit it. But when you are struggling internally, it’s hard to even attempt to understand the other sides perspective.

 

Over the past two months, our conversation on racism has intensified. As a country, we have been dealing with this issue for over 50 years. By now, we should know better. Compassion should cause us to do better, and faith should compel us to be better. “People often define racism as disliking or mistreating others based on race. That definition is wrong,” said Stephen Roberts, Professor at Stanford. “Racism is a system of advantage based on race. It is a hierarchy.”

 

It’s 2021; we’ve made some progress, but we’re not there yet. Reasonable people can see things differently, yet we seem to be devoid of the Holy Spirit’s animating movement in and through us in this hour. America is forced to face a reality and conversation some would prefer to ignore – that racism is not only alive and well, but that it is widespread. Bishop Reverdy Ransom wrote that, “despite being faithful Christians and loyal Americans, Blacks have never gotten much justice out of White Christian America. Not even Jesus has been able to break the color line.”

 

Pastors are in a prime position from which to shape how their congregation view race because there isn’t a Black heaven and a White heaven. A proper church will one day eschew the label of Black or White Church and be a Universal Church. The dark, divisive nature of politics perpetuates the socialization process by which some pastors transmit their beliefs about race to their congregation, through implicit,explicit, intentional, or accidental means. They can minimize the humanization of people by focusing on protest, policing, property, prosperity, polls, and the most insidious passivism.

 

Passivism is overlooking or denying the existence of racism to obscure reality, encouraging others to do the same and allowing racism to fester and persist; exploiting and widening the fissures that might separate us. As Phyllis Katz states, “They tend to adopt a colorblind ideology (i.e., believing that race does not matter and that conversations about race should be avoided), which leaves the observations and myths learned from the broader society unchallenged and reinforces the legitimacy of racial hierarchy.”

 

 

A large part of White America views racism as “your problem, not mine. I don’t have to deal with it if I don’t want to. Stop trying to make it my problem.”
We hear,

 

  • “At this point, the whole race thing is over. We’ve transcended it. We had a Black president, so clearly, we are not a racist country.
  • “All that stuff is ancient history; things have changed.”
  • “It’s time to get past this race thing and move on. We need to talk about more important things like the Gospel.”
For Black Americans, faith and racial justice have long intersected and as long as there is racism, there will be a need for the Black Church.
We hear,
  • “Polarization of national politics in recent years has led Black people who previously worshipped at multiracial churches to decide they belong in predominantly Black churches.”
  • “As long as the country continues to, on the one hand, say: ‘There’s no such thing as race and we’re all one,’ but on the other hand effectively live as if that is not the case, as if it doesn’t matter, then we will always seek out a separate faith-based place to express who we are.”
  • “Some are leaving those churches because they’re disillusioned with the fact that those leaders either avoid altogether or don’t speak adequately to the issues with their congregations.”

 

According to Glenn Singleton, these conversations are difficult because people have very different communication styles and desired outcomes. For many people of color, a productive conversation about race is, in and of itself, healing, whereas for many White people, the conversation is often viewed as threatening, especially when it appears to have no concrete resolution, focused action, or determined result. And especially if it requires personal accountability to a solution.

 

The country has become split into camps that don’t just disagree on politics, policing, polls, policy, and treatment of people; they see each other as immoral and threatening. They dangerously will kill or attack members of another group, focusing less on triumphs of ideas than dominating the opposing party’s abhorrent supporters.

 

Social tribalism playing out in our political affiliations, religion, place of residence, and social status. As humans, we have an evolutionary drive to form cohesive social groups, self-identify, then stick to those groups. Most times, staying in your own group or area, hardens perceptions, preferences, and beliefs through the denial of intergroup contact.

 

This sense of tribalism affects our social health and adds to growing divisiveness among Christians. Eliminating any effort to talk to people outside your bubble; people who don’t look like you or worship like you or watch the same news channel as you as a way to bridge the divide.

 

“Groups have become bonded by faith that their side is morally superior to the other — echoing the ties that sometimes bind the religiously faithful,” according to Federal government communications strategist Clark Merrefield. Something has happened in this country that has fostered a zero-tolerance for meaningful distinctions turning minor disagreements into a cause for demonization.

 

The enemy understands our weak spots and patterns of behavior. He gets that human things will sway humans. Division based on racial differences are easy targets. Even though race is a social construct not a biological difference.

 

So, how do you engage in a conversation that is viewed as a “problem”? A conversation in which engagement is optional at best, some are reluctant to developing an understanding, and in the words of Oprah Winfred, “racism is the day-the-day wearing down of the spirit.”

 

In the next issue, we will go to the balcony to see how we can make progress through better understanding the contextual influences, psychological processes, and developmental mechanisms that can facilitate courageous cultural conversations.

 

In the meantime, stay prayerful, God is up to something. We’re almost there, but not quite yet . . .
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A Surrendered Soul – Part 2

Christianity looks quite different depending on where and how you worship on Sunday mornings, what stories you read, what voices you listen to, and who you call a friend. People and values that shape diverse communities can conflict with each other. Determining what is actually of God and what is true only to your community requires remaining faithful to God’s nature and character.

 

In Part 1, we provided the definition of Critical Race Theory (CRT) used to refute people of color’s experiences within many Churches. I have studied several pastors who are preaching and teaching on CRT. They gravitate to 7 major assumptions to ground their teaching.

 

Before I unpack the seven, let’s go back to the balcony to remind ourselves of the prize – “setting our mind on God’s purposes, not man’s.”

 

We don’t have a lot of practice having “real talk” about race. Most times people are talking at each other. So it’s not easy for people to engage in thoughtful conversation. If human equality is a vital first principle of faith (Imago Dei), we must not scuttle it when confronting complex issues but instead place faith in God’s moral coherence and seek deeper wisdom.

 

Theology sets in the mind of people a particular psychological view of life. In other words, how you see God determines how you see people. Language is additive and can obscure and distract from a critique that should be taken seriously if we are to avoid the division currently splitting American society.

 

While social justice has taken center stage in the secular world, God is still at the center of the conversation for Christians of color. People of Color have used religious teachings to turn the other cheek, to show mercy, grace, and forgiveness. When we all come to a place of human respect, the Church can reach atonement. Until then, He is and will be the instrument to heal those who can’t find a “balm of Gilead.”

 

We know this topic of CRT in the church comes from the events of the organization BLM, which is not a faith based organization. But we must be careful not to paint everyone with a broad brush. Everyone must take time to understand the difference between the organization and the phrase that represents the sentiment of a movement. Conflating the sentiment with the organization of the same name can limit that which warrants broader discussion.

 

During the Civil Rights movement many prominent Black ministers who gathered to organize the marches and boycotts faced the same rebuke from White pastors as is occurring today. Some even thought that segregation was a biblical mandate but mainly that Christians should not concern themselves with material issues rather than simply focusing on conversion. How they treated people was of little consequence or concern.

 

God created and gave humankind the gift of free will — the gift of choice.
Our beliefs determine how we label people and situations. (Labels are the opposite of understanding). These labels serve to cement beliefs and dictate how we (and our community) choose to engage or disengage with people.
The congregation is a locus for change and transformation in society, so it will be interesting to unpack how CRT is used to analyze the tenents of fellowship within the faith community:

 

    • Loving one another (John 13:34)
    • Building up one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
    • Giving preference to one another (Romans 12:10)
    • Stimulating one another to good deeds (Hebrews 10:24)
    • Bearing with one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
    • Being hospitable to one another (1 Peter 4:9)
    • Praying for one another (James 5:16)

 

In the next issue, Part 3, will discuss each of the seven assumptions, comparing them to the seven tenents of fellowship above, to better understand the messages these pastor’s are communicating to their congregations.

 

Let me close this issue by saying, nothing good ever happens when people care more about our differences than what we have in common. That’s why the forces that seek to divide us will never succeed over the forces of love that keep us together. It might not happen when we want, but we trust in our hope, our hope that is Christ Jesus.

 

Until then, mankind needs a fresh start to remove the stones in our hearts. The only way it can be achieved is by surrendering to the Holy Spirit. Now is the time for a fresh start in Christ.

 

 

 

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A Surrendered Soul – Part 1

 

We find ourselves again at a critically important moment of needing to bring unity to very divisive patterns of behavior. It’s understandable; we are sinful people trying to live in community with other sinful people, and that can get messy.

 

In one sense, this is nothing new. Jesus knew unity among Christians would be important, so much so that He devoted time in prayer to the topic the night before His crucifixion. In John 17, Jesus asks His Father to bring unity to all those who will come to believe in His message.

 

Believing that racism is outside of God’s realm has long been part of mainstream Christian practice in the US. Sometimes we want to contrast gospel work with social work. Not all social work is indeed gospel work, but all gospel work puts us right in the middle of the public square.

 

An academic concept called Critical Race Theory (CRT) is being touted as a method of understanding this divide. Some churches teach CRT is opposed to the Christian Faith and communicate that CRT is “At the center of understanding the theological implications and tenets of addressing race.”

 

Those for or against this concept ground their narratives in Scripture. The messages could not be more different, yet both are based on an interpretation of the same Christian faith:

 

“There is neither Jew or Greek, there is neither slave nor free
. . . for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Gal 3:28

 

Let’s break CRT into digestible bites.
First, A “critical theory” teaches truth is achieved by taking a critical approach to ideas, beliefs, and practices.

 

Second, adding “race” is intended to offer a critical perspective on the causes, consequences, and manifestations of race, racism, inequity, and power and privilege dynamics.

 

The combined concepts lead to the definition:

 

“CRT is the Idea that the law is inherently racist and designed by Caucasians to maintain or further their standing in politics and economics over minorities. As with Marxism, the idea is to have improvements and reform; conflict is necessary to bring about a resolution.”

 

 
As members of the faith community, we must view this definition from the balcony to remind ourselves of what’s really at stake – setting your mind on God’s purposes, not man’s.

 

Does this definition provide a theological perspective of Christ-centered otherness, or is it an attempt to defend or refute strongholds? St. Anselm defined theology as “faith seeking understanding. For it is not the replacement of faith with knowledge; rather, it is faith that motivates understanding and leads us in the pursuit of knowledge.”

 

Biblically speaking, racism is the sin of ethnic partiality or prejudice (James 2:8–9; Leviticus 19:15). As Christians, we know racism is wrong in society, as we are all one race in Adam (Acts 17:26), especially within the church (Galatians 3:28). We should be concerned about racism and aim to think biblically about it.

 

Allow me to take you to the balcony to bring nuance to this charged conversation.

 

Everyone sees things from their perspective and creates a set of beliefs to support their argument. On Sundays, 9 in 10 Christian churches nationally are predominantly of one race group, according to LifeWay Research. Is it the preaching style, musical preferences, or something else?

 

How should the church respond to the racism that many believers have endured from within their faith community? And how does the watching world respond to the Great Commission when viewed through the lens of our actions?

 

Three of the words could be viewed as problematic in this CRT definition and cloud a thoughtful analysis:
  1. The capitalized word “Idea” is code for I don’t believe this principle, and neither should you.
  2. The reference to “Marxism” puts the definition (and issue) into a frame of materialism and capitalism.
  3. “Conflict” is a code for disagreement with the status quo.

 

Instead of adopting secular methods and applying secular thinking to fix spiritual problems, Christians should look to the whole of Scripture to address relational behavior within the body.

 

We must be thoughtful about our actions and conversation, so we can deal with the underlying issue: the sin of self-interest and Satan’s efforts to continue to breed prejudice, mistrust, and chaos.

 

We understand the original Biblical idea that life gets better through difficult times, and we keep going because there is hope. It’s when we are tested that we learn who we really are. There is no better time than this Lenten season to access how we view our fellow brothers and sisters.

 

Take some time to do your own research on the subject of CRT. Then you can effectively engage with Part 2, as we will explore the assumptions made and how their interpretations may cloud or clarify a Christ-centered resolution to race within the church.

 

Most importantly, you will discover if you are operating from a soul surrendered to the will of God or the will of self-interest. . .

 

 

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Inoculation Against Hopelessness 💉
“We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love rest upon us,
O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.”
Psalms 33:20-22 (NIV)

 

We made it to the new year! Between the pandemic, economic stimulus, racial tension, and political upheaval, 2020 brought on an endless onslaught of emotions. At the end of the long and grueling year (it was just a day or so ago), most of us could use a few words of inspiration and wisdom. So take a virtual seat beside the fire and let’s chat.
First and foremost, we can take solitude that God is still in control. Our dependence can remain in Him and in Him alone. He has promised to not put more on us than we can bear. Nothing happened or is going to happen of which He is not already aware. With that knowledge we can pray,

 

“So, in my trials, God, help me to fix my eyes not on what is seen, the temporary things that burden me, but on what is unseen, that which is eternal. I praise You that You comfort me in my troubles so that I can comfort others with that same comfort.”

 

Our trials are not to be eliminated but seasoned and buoyed up with love and hope because they sharpen us for our destiny.

 

Second, we don’t need to make resolutions this year. We can choose to focus on the outcomes you want and avoid getting caught up in the obstacles to achieving them. Getting mired in a daunting list of obstacles will prevent you from stimulating awareness of all the options you have for succeeding. Adapt your action plans as life unfolds differently than you originally planned, ensuring your actions align with your values and the Word of God. We tend to give too much power to things that are out of their control. You don’t have to be perfect and a big part of accepting this is learning how to embrace your failures, imperfections and fears. Confronting them so you can grow and become the person you are called to be.
Refrain from focusing on self-interest based on acquiring power, status, social recognition, tangible, or intangible rewards. Instead, focus on self-sacrifice based on personal growth and understanding of your patterns of behavior that affect family, friends, health, and relationships. Think about relating more deeply to others, building community, demonstrating love to the unlovable, being of service, or learning something new that enables you to serve others better.

 

You can walk in the grace of resilience, strength, and, yes, hope. Never lose hope – the world was a mess, but God, because He loves us, gave us His son. God has promised victory to all who remain faithful throughout the generations; regardless of social location, race or economic status. God includes and protects each of us, and we are guaranteed a place in his presence. We can be assured that God hasn’t given up on us, let’s not give up on each other.

 

Biblical hope is an application of your faith that supplies a confident expectation in God’s fulfillment of His promises. So demonstrate the power of love and hope one to another. As Wuthnow says, “If we see our own identity [as] part of a divine or transcendent plan, then those who are not us must have an identity within this understanding as well.”

 

When you feel you are losing hope remember – “love your neighbor. . .” came from a man the people slandered. “Forgive them. . .” came from a man who the people crucified on the cross. “I know the plans I have for you. . . to give you a future and a hope. . .” came from the man who promised better things are yet to come!

 

Now go be great in 2021!

 

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The Toxic Source Of Inconsistency

Dr. I. David Byrd

 

An expected result of teaching God’s Word is demonstrating, distinguishing, and defending what we teach. In other words, live what we teach and teach what we live. 1 Corinthians 11:1 says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” The great commission’s high calling is for believers to serve as a Godly example by living out our walk with God.

 

As the world “waxes worse and worse”, we must ponder – is our witness is losing its impact. If people listen more to what we do than what we say, the central question becomes, what are we doing that is driving the world away from the Church? Research shows people are leaving the Church in record numbers. What are they saying to us. Could they be telling us that they are not interested in being a part of what they see from the Church? What attitudes, beliefs, assumptions, or patterns of behavior are we projecting that have become our strongholds and turns people away? Once separated, the enemy has the opportunity to plant all kinds of false truths in their minds.

 

Some believe coercive force is to be used to restrain other people’s activities. Jesus demonstrated that proximity and the Word’s power are more than enough to change humankind’s hearts. Three examples of this:

 

In John 4:4-26, Jesus brought the Samaritan woman at the well to repentance using the Word and demonstrating to those ready to stone her that they too were sinners in need of grace.

 

In Mark 7:24-30, when the Syrophoenician came to speak to Jesus, the disciples dismissed her, labeled her, and advised Jesus to send her away. Yet, Jesus took the time to talk with her. And because of her faith, her daughter was healed.

 

In Luke 24, Jesus responded on the road to Emmaus by using scripture – “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” The Bible says they responded, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

 

The Word is enough to transform hearts and minds on its own. It doesn’t need our coercion, legislation, force, dominance, or judgment to help it. The only help it needs from us is to tell people about it and let them see us living it. Besides, we can’t put anyone in heaven or hell anyway. Only God can provide saving grace. When we come to this knowledge and understanding, our personnel theology will be an example of Christ to this wayward world.

 

I still believe the Church can be the example of Christ.

 

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Is Your Commitment To Capitalism or Christ?

Dr. I. David Byrd

 

“What if this darkness is not the darkness of the tomb,
but the darkness of the womb?”   Valarie Kaur

 

 

If capitalism works, more people would have achieved economic security as the stock market continues to go up. Capitalism’s premise is that wealth will trickle down to make life better for everyone. The U.S. reports the lowest unemployment in 50 years, rising incomes across all races and job levels, a stock market that continues to reach historic highs (even with the recent volatility sparked by the spread of the coronavirus), the low-interest rates, and a GDP that has been expanding.

 

Juxtapose that against a possibility of a terrible second or third coronavirus wave. A delay in the discovery of a vaccine, a potential constitutional crisis in the election in November, runaway inflation, the prospect of higher taxes to pay for the stimulus, a more significant trade war with China, social unrest, or the dozens of other risks that seem to be bubbling just below. In July, CNBC reports that 32% of Americans couldn’t even pay their rent or mortgage. And according to Newsweek, U.S. billionaires got $583 billion richer since mid-March. Over 30 million Americans can’t find a job despite efforts to become gainfully employed.

 

Was that a political rant? No, that was showing you our need for the dependence on Jesus and not humans’ idols. No ideology is going to last; only the Word of God is eternal.

 

If our history tells us that economic scarcity can lead to violence, then let’s create a system in which more people can access economic success. I read an article from Anand Giridharadas about his interview with Senator Chris Murphy.  They concluded, “America does have a law-and-order problem, but it’s nothing new. And the nature of that law-and-order problem is being the most violent country in the rich world. And the genesis of that violence isn’t Black and brown communities rising up against friendly, overwhelmingly white suburbs of Minneapolis. It’s America, from the founding days of the republic, committing to an economic and political model that made violence a daily, systemic necessity. In short, those fighting to make America less racist are not our law-and-order problem. America’s real law-and-order problem is and always has been racism. The conversation continued with Senator Murphy stating, “This reckoning we’re having with our past is necessary, but it also comes with real consequences for one of the few threads of fabric that unites the country. As we all retreat to our corners, as we all get our information from different sources with different spins, our founding ideals and founding mythology are among the few things that we have left in common. Now, we’re not even sure what that mythology is.”

 

America has destroyed all nuances around American racism. It is now there, in the open, for everyone to see. The result has been to draw a lot of other people out into the open. Unfortunately, even dialogue by religious leaders is coarser and more hateful than ever before. This is antithetical to the Word of God and promotes the sin of self-interest and not the mission of the gospel.

 

Choose ye this day who you will serve. “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”