Yesterday was my 80th birthday and I celebrated it by publishing my latest novel: Shock and Awe: A Church recognizes its racism and is awed by God’s invitation.
HOW TO MOVE BEYOND DENIAL AND PARALYZING GUILT
To redemptively confront the shameful history of racism in the church requires Christians to move beyond
- the twin forces of DENIAL
- and paralyzing GUILT.
Shock and Awe follow the story of the Reverend Fred Livinggood, a moderately liberal pastor in a Caucasian church, whois confronted by the violence of racism and chooses to take action. What does it look like when racism tears at a church, and Fred uses technology to have a church-wide conversation in which diverse people learn to listen to each other. How can God speak through conflict to offer hope and renewal? Watch as Fred and his Black clergy colleague, Tony, seek to adapt the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission to enable the church, Black and White, to honestly explore the power of
- CONFESSION and
- FORGIVENESS
to reconnect the racially divided community of faith and offer a healing hope to our fractured society.
It will be followed by Racism and God’s Grace: Truth and Reconciliation for American churches, a step-by-step guide for a church that want to address racism with creative hope.
Go to www.smccutchan.com and get a copy of a book that can guide the whole church to act in a way that trusts God to offer a way to overcome racism and celebrate the diverse world that God loves.
Happy Birthday and may God use SHOCK AND AWE as a vehicle for healing churches divided by an undercurrent of racism.