LISTENING WITH BOTH HEART AND MIND
In all the posts and Blogs, we have been focusing on what can happen in a single, Caucasian church who wants to move beyond a fractured church and society. What has been left out up until now, is involvement with Black congregations.
As is illustrated in the novel, Shock and Awe, there is a reason for White people to have their discussion first. However, as is seen in the novel, there comes a time when our different churches must also explore the promise of God’s diverse population. I have a two-fold plan for accomplishing that.
INTERRACIAL CONVERSATION
First, as you begin to put this plan into action, consider whether there is a Black congregation that would be willing to step through the same process, with both congregations aware of the fact that occasionally the images of each congregation will be shared in graph form with the other congregation. There might even be a growing interest in having either some joint worship or social events together.
Second, as is explored in the novel, Shock and Awe, there might come a time when they could explore the Truth and Reconciliation process from South Africa and adapt it for their situation. If some congregations could successfully engage in that, they would have some powerful Good News to share with the society around them.
POETIC JUSTICE
The main characters in the novel Shock and Awe explore how they might adapt the Truth and Reconciliation process to their churches. The wife of pastor Southgate comments, “Wouldn’t that be poetic justice if South Africa taught the United States how to resolve the racist illness in the U.S?
God does move in mysterious ways. Perhaps it is time for all of us to:
- Acknowledge the problem is real.
- Recognize how our faith has been used in the past to justify our racism.
- Trust that God is not defeated by such sins as this.
- Join together in searching for how God can call us into a new truth of a world reconciled to God and each other.
Steve, this is a very real problem that may pull our country down in the future. My take is that ALL of us are racist to some degree. On one end of the spectrum you have Hitler and the other end you have Mother Tereasa (or who even you want to insert here). We are each on this spectrum. Our challenge is to each day move away from Hitler to a less racist place. We each have to come to grips with what this means for each of us every day.