You saw it. The defense attorney’s opening statement in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer who planted his knee on George Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds.
Not once did the attorney acknowledge that a tragedy had taken place, that a man’s life had been snuffed out.
You heard the excuses. That Chauvin was a little guy, and Floyd was very big. Illegal drugs were found in Floyd’s system. The onlookers made the officers feel stressed and anxious.
Now it’s time for a heart check. Do you lean toward the excuses, or do you lean toward the tragedy? Be honest with yourself.
Racism is a heart issue. Please don’t be scared off by that word. We have all sinned. The good news is that we have a Savior in Jesus Christ whom we can approach for forgiveness and cleansing “from all unrighteousness.”
I don’t understand the terror that fills white people’s souls at the prospect that they might be exposed as racist in some way, though I used to feel that terror myself. Folks will sooner acknowledge being adulterers, pornography addicts, and thieves rather than admit they have ever entertained a racist thought, much less engaged in racist actions.
Come on, people! That’s silly. Virtually every white person my age (57) grew up around people who expressed racist thoughts and applauded racist actions. Let’s not think any of us escaped this stain. Now that we’ve agreed on this, we can take action to bring about the justice our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents denied to people of color.
I’ve lost a debate or two about racism in the last few weeks with people I love and respect. Let me say that I am not a fantastic debater. I’m the kind of person who comes up with the perfect comeback…24 hours later. I have to remind myself that winning the debate doesn’t mean you’re right.
Racism, after all, is a heart issue.
It’s whether you focus on the rationalizations or the tragedy.
It’s whether you emphasize your innocence or someone else’s pain.
It’s whether you esteem your comfort over your brother’s suffering.
It’s whether you cling to your politics or Jesus Christ.
What is in your heart?
I promised weeks ago that I would write about practical steps to foster racial unity in the Church. (Here are links to Part 1 and Part 2.) But it all starts with our heart. Why do we spend so much time and energy arguing that we aren’t racist? We’re essentially digging in our heels before the Lord, when this is the time for the Church to pivot and embrace his season of justice for African-Americans—and all of those that the majority culture has oppressed, explicitly or complicitly.
I will speak as a prophet, and say that those who do not pivot are steering their churches toward obsolescence and irrelevance—and throwing Millennials and Gen Zers under the bus. Because we are losing these generations in the Church, and they have taken note of our lukewarmness and selfishness concerning racial justice.
As you might recall from my earlier posts, I wrote about how an incident at a diverse Pentecostal megachurch in Kansas City was emblematic of how the Church has fumbled the race issue. African-Americans and people of color in this church were deeply grieved when one of their pastors posted selfies from Washington, D.C., on the day of the Capitol riot. Some of them left the church, realizing it wasn’t the family they thought it was. Family, after all, protect family.
Afterward, one of the pastors issued a lame sort-of apology on Facebook, and then the church went silent. Which, sad to say, is what churches and Christian organizations usually do. This silence does a lot more damage than you think, and I’ve never understood it. We need dialogue about racism in the Church, not denial.
What follows are a few practical suggestions for what church leaders can do to respond to racial tensions such as those in the Kansas City church.
Pray and ask for specific wisdom from God. It sounds obvious, but how often do we charge into a messy situation with human strength and understanding? We have a tremendous promise in James 1:5: God gives wisdom to all who ask, without finding fault. Isn’t that amazing? The only qualification is that when he gives it, we are not to waver. We must obey simply and promptly.
I know from experience that the wisdom God gives is often counterintuitive—and can appear risky. Yet he is providing guidance that will take us to the heart of the problem, with exquisite timing. If your heart is set on denial, delay, and damage control, however, you not only won’t get this wisdom, but you’ll go through a lot of needless suffering.
Pursue the hurting folks with love and a humble heart. Listen to them patiently. Accept what they say at face value. Don’t do it to control the message or retain them as members—do it because it’s right. My hunch is that many of those people of color in Kansas City were longing to see what we so seldom see among white people when racial tensions emerge—humility. Which brings me to…
Make a decision about whether racial unity is a priority in your church and stand on it. What is the right thing to do? If you have firm conviction about what’s right, you will endure the blowback from white members, keeping your eyes on Christ.
Recognize that diversity is not a worthy goal; only racial unity is worth fighting for. “Look! We have a Black staff member. And isn’t it cool—we have a Hispanic youth pastor!” It’s time out for the “rainbow” approach to race. White-led churches paraded this kind of diversity for years, and it accomplished little. Racial tensions are the highest that I can recall in my adult life, because what we are doing is not working.
I used to think that if we in the Church formed intimate relationships with Christians who looked different from us, we would gradually solve the problem of racism. I still affirm that these intimate friendships are of the utmost importance in knitting together a church family and forming us into the image of Christ, but I also have to acknowledge that this isn’t enough. The message of racial justice and racial unity must be preached from the pulpit; taught in classes; modeled from senior leadership on down; and be reflected in hiring, decision-making, and who is granted voice in the church.
Senior leadership should ensure that staff are educating themselves about racism. I’ve encountered far too many spiritual leaders who seem to have no knowledge about the dynamics of racism. That is grossly negligent in the year 2021.
Focus on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit unites. That’s what he does! We need the gifts of the Spirit. We need healing. We need deliverance. We need prophecy. The Pentecostal-charismatic churches are uniquely equipped to fight racism in the Church—but instead we spent months focusing our energies and affections on propping up Donald Trump! It’s past time to repudiate this idolatry.
Bring in someone from the outside to coach church staff privately on anti-racism. What makes us as white leaders think we can resolve this situation on our own? Isn’t that the epitome of arrogance, when the problem of racism has persisted in the American Church for centuries?
Outside ministers and Christian consultants—led by African-Americans—can point out blind spots in a safe, private space, allowing for soul-searching, correction, and heart change. And yes, you will need to pay them well. It’s a shame that the corporate world is investing more to confront racism than the Church.
Spend time getting to know the people of color in your church. Ask for their ongoing guidance, input, and accountability. Acknowledge that you can’t walk this path by yourself. Promote spiritually mature people of color to leadership positions from within. Give them a prominent voice. You need them more than they need you.
Keep politics out of the sacred space. People are coming to church to connect with God. They need the power of the Holy Spirit, not politics.
Make sure your church doesn’t operate on favoritism and appearance. Favoritism is offensive to God and blinds us to the callings of the people God wants to use to bring change. These change agents rarely come in the package we desire, and how we receive them is a test of our heart.
Surrender to God. If you make a decision to pursue racial justice and unity, you will lose members. Just remember that it was God who gave you stewardship of those members. You will give an account for their souls, not their attendance. If you lose some, God will provide more.
For heaven’s sake, we’re the Church—the body of Christ himself! We shouldn’t be dragged kicking and screaming at the tail end of historic change. We should be leading the way.
