I have nothing particularly significant or insightful to say about racial reconciliation. I have largely leaned on other folks for their input and guidance.
That said, I have seen and read and listened to so many accounts of black friends, former students, and former teammates, and I feel compelled to write my own thoughts, as ill-informed or incomplete as they may be. Because the more I listen, the more my heart is broken. These are people I’ve known for a long time, and I’ve never known their stories. Each of their stories is similar but with so many gross and horrifying differences.
Over the last few weeks I have felt a growing sense of shame for not asking more questions about these experiences. And as a Christian and a friend, I have to take more seriously the words in James 1:19, which says, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.”
Aside from listening, though, the love of Christ should move me toward brotherly love, which Paul addresses in so many of his letters to the church.
In Colossians 3:12, Paul writes,
“As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
And in 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10, he says,
“Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.”
Admittedly, Paul’s audience in Colossae and Thessalonica is vastly different from our current day climate, and Paul was not writing about racial reconciliation. I understand the importance of context when it comes to interpreting scripture. Yet I also see the need for common sense when applying biblical texts to our lives.
What Christian can read Paul’s words and not be moved toward loving his black friends “more and more”? After all, the black community has been continuously pleading for help. So we must listen. Listening is hard, and white people have not listened well.
And it gets harder: James also reminds us to be “slow to speak.” Note: If you are white and you have already fought my words in this short article, you struggle with being slow to speak. And that’s OK. I do, too. I like to interrupt and engage and have back-and-forth. But as my wife says to me when she’s really annoyed with me: “Maybe not now.”
And then comes maybe the hardest part: action.
What I’ve struggled the most with is a lack of action. What can I do, and what can I do now?, I’ve asked over the last month.
My urge is to act, to fix. And if you are a believer, and if you are motivated to love God and love others, you likely want to act as well. That’s good!
But how does one fix something he doesn’t understand?
Black families have waited and prayed and waited and prayed. And if you are not a person of color, like me, perhaps it’s time for us to resist the urge to talk, to lead, or to fix the situation.
Maybe, for once, we simply show up and shut up on behalf of our black friends.
There will be time to act.
For now, we seek to understand. We listen. And above all, we pray. How should we pray? 2 Corinthians 13:11 says,
“Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”
Restoration, encouragement, love, peace. These are not words of social justice. These are words of the Bible.
Let us take heed of them.