GOD WAS IN CHRIST RECONCILING THE WORLD TO GOD’S SELF
You wouldn’t have read this far if you didn’t feel that this was not only a legitimate subject to be addressed by the faith and that you would like to involve your church in a healthy way to give witness to God’s call to you and your church in this process.
OFFERING SPITITUAL GUIDANCE
If you decide to offer spiritual guidance to your congregation concerning racism, you can trust that this issue affects all of their lives, even if their experiences are different. Even if it is at an unconscious level, they also know that racism and its effects are a contradiction to Christian love. It is natural for many of your people to engage in denial or be so overwhelmed by guilt at the racism of society that they don’t know where to begin. That is where you as a spiritual leader can offer them some understanding.
While racism is a distortion of the love of God as seen in Christ, you need also to help them understand that God is not defeated by the sin of racism. Through sermons, teaching, and conversation you need to help them understand three basic truths.
BASIC TRUTHS OF THE FAITH
- God is not defeated by racism. We see that when the world chose to display the worst sin possible—the crucifixion, God was not only not defeated but chose to transform that sinfulness into a symbol of hope.
- The Bible makes it abundantly clear that God often chooses imperfect people and imperfect communities to reveal saving and healing love. Two primary biblical examples are David in the Hebrew scripture and Saul in the New Testament. We don’t need to be afraid to face and learn from our sinful past.
- As God made clear to Paul, “My grace I sufficient for you, for (my) power is made perfect in weakness.” Our journey is not to avoid the wilderness of racism, but to learn to trust God as we engage in the journey.
