INVITATION TO EXPERIMENT
You are invited to participate in deep sharing and listening to the way the Spirit moves through the Body of Christ. That is made more possible by the advance of technology. A whole congregation, no matter how large, can communicate through email. Picture a church making use of the internet to have a congregation-wide exchange.
First, members are asked to identify the principal beliefs that shape them as a community of faith. They know at the time that several other churches, some maybe even in different communities or even countries and cultures are having the same exchange. Each church builds a graph from the response of their membership that enables them to paint a picture of the church’s faith. These graphs are then shared with the other churches. The shared expressions of faith may sharpen and expand everyone’s understanding.
SECOND ROUND
Then each church can begin a new round of conversation asking the members to comment on how their faith as Christians contribute to God’s will with respect to racism. Particularly, the membership is asked to express how they believe their central beliefs shape their message in addressing racial division in our society. If the churches that are sharing their faith are from different cultures or communities in the country, this alone can be enlightening.
A central interpreter of the Christian faith is Augustine. He was born in Africa. Does it reveal a certain Divine irony that a major possibility of healing hope can again come from Africa and their experience of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION
This commission brought together Blacks and Whites who had been deeply divided by Apartheid. In our churches, we can adapt that procedure by enabling Black and White faith communities to engage in deep conversation. Maybe first through videos and then in live exchanges, Blacks can be asked to share their stories of how the color of their skin affected them both in growing up and continuing to live in our culture. Whites are asked to do their own “moral inventory” and speak of their growing awareness of their privilege in society and how it is affecting others.
DEVELOPING TRUST
In having this conversation, spiritual leaders are inviting the membership to deepen the trust level among the communities. Coming together, small groups practice a disciplined form of Active Listening where each is asked to repeat back the message they have heard and any special feelings they have detected. The objective of this form of deep listening is to bridge the gap of privilege and pain inherent in our society.
FORGIVENESS
Desmond Tutu declared that all things can be forgiven, but it asks of us to risk vulnerability and build trust. Blacks who have been wounded by society must both risk telling their stories and experience others hearing what they said. Whites must step beyond protective privilege and commit to a different relationship.
This same process can take place among other configurations of churches. As they build trust among them, they can begin to explore ways in which they can rewrite the story of race in our churches and society.
TRUST IN GRACE
Churches don’t have to be afraid of racism or paralyzed by the guilt of our history. We can demonstrate how the Grace of God can liberate us to live in response to God’s Kingdom come God’s will being done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
