Exposing the Truth

During this worldwide pandemic, it seems to many like the world has stopped. We have experienced a level of uncertainty no one could have fully prepared for. It seems as though all of the things people could so easily sweep under the rug are now exposed. 

When I saw the attack of Ahmaud Arbery of Brunswick, Georgia on the news, my stomach dropped. As an African American woman myself, hearing about so many racially charged deaths my whole life has been hard enough to process. This time felt personal, and the blow stung much longer than ever before. My family lives in Brunswick, Georgia. I could not help but imagine the faces of my loved ones on the body of this young African American male with his whole life ahead of him. 

As my world stood still without the distraction of my job and other activities that once filled my weekly schedule, I felt even more wounded and vulnerable. I lamented with this young man’s family. I began to pray prayers of protection for my own. The evil of racism in America has always existed, but the systemic racism that is costing the lives of more and more Black women and men every day is now being captured on camera. It is reaching eyes across the globe. We, as Christians, cannot afford to just turn a blind eye. 

The Prerequisite to Action

The injustices that plague our nation are now at the center of the conversation. Those who have had the privilege of escaping these issues are now eager to understand. Many people have contacted me wanting to know how to make a difference. What many people forget is the heart issue and ultimately the sin issue behind it all. A good question to answer next is, “Are you willing to go through a process?”

The prerequisite to action, and ultimately speaking out, is seeking healing from within by processing the truth. This requires education to unveil a dark history that continues to live on in the present. It requires shedding light on the root of it all, on the creation of race as a social and political device to divide and oppress. 

The next step is repentance. Once we admit that we all have a very specific role to play, and identify areas in which we have neglected to act, a change of heart and perspective follow by the work of the Holy Spirit. This transformation means it should be almost impossible to turn a blind eye to these brutal and violent expressions of hate and do nothing. After our eyes are open, this realization should compel us to act. At this point, we can speak out. 

Processing the Truth

I hear the statement “I want to learn because I did not know” so often lately. Race is something that impacts Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) every single day. I remember hoping I would be seen as more than just new material for a racist joke, someone to watch closely like a criminal in a convenient store, or a threat to someone’s immediate safety while living in rural South Georgia.

An entire community lives day to day with these same hopes. Meanwhile, our White sisters and brothers have the privilege of not being forced to consider any of these preconceived notions before leaving the safety of their homes. The truth is that God calls his people to obedience to the Gospel. He tells us not to conform to our former ways when we were ignorant of the truth (1 Peter 1:14). With knowledge of the existence of sin like systemic racism comes the responsibility to respond.

Scars and Forgiveness

There have been many instances in my life when people have gone out of their way to make racial slurs that left internal scars. A former high school classmate of mine contacted me a few weeks ago. He reminded me that he made a comment to me that he now recognizes was racist, ignorant, and insensitive. Although he remembers apologizing, he said he did not fully understand at the time how hurtful his words were.

This classmate said the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd have made him angry and upset due to the disregard for Black lives that continues to plague this country.

He said, “As I’ve contemplated what I can do to try and make a difference and effect change, I’ve realized that it starts with me, and all white people, to acknowledge when we have said things that are racist and insensitive. We have to continue searching our own souls to root out any prejudice that exists. Nothing can or should excuse what I said to you. But I do ask for your forgiveness for my insensitivity and ignorance at the time. In many ways, I am a different person now than I was then. Moving forward I hope to continue growing and checking my own privilege as I strive to continually become a better version of myself.”

This was an amazing picture of a personal commitment to pursue racial reconciliation in response to God’s command to love others in John 13:34. This is true obedience.