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Decide today who you will be tomorrow-Purposeful living brings reconciliation.
Circa 2002, I made the first of several visits to the King Center and Center for Non-Violent Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia. At the time I was a college student and I was highly impacted by Dr. Martin Luther King and his unwavering commitment to justice and peace. I made up my mind then that I wanted to be like Dr. King. I wanted to be courageous and peaceful in the face of evil and committed to loving people with the sacrificial love of Jesus. I have since developed a mantra that has followed me into Christian leadership, “decide now.” When I am speaking with a young lady about sexual…
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Baby Steps toward Racial Reconciliation
Racial injustice. Color blindness. White privilege. Reparations. Christian unity. Woke up. Systemic racism. A few years ago these were terms that I as a white woman knew little about and rarely even considered, much less understood. I grew up in the Jim Crow South surrounded by people who looked just like me. Although Brown vs. The Board of Education had demanded an end to school segregation years before, the reality was that my schools were as segregated as ever until high school. My parents were strong Christians who had been taught that white people were superior. But I noticed the inconsistency of their faith and actions and wondered. After the…
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Charlottesville One Year Later: A Call for the Church to Unify
*Just over a year ago, the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, VA resulted in death and division, showcasing the deep tensions surrounding race relations in our country. Today, most Americans feel the divide has only increased. The reminders below are a call for the global church to highlight the unity and dignity of all human beings. Like many of you, I watched in disbelief as white supremacists spouted bigotry, violence, and KKK rhetoric last weekend at a “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, VA. For a brief summary of the weekend’s events and aftermath, see:https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/13/us/charlottesville-virginia-overview.html I’ve noted two common responses to the persistent racial and political divide in our…
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The Church’s Blind Side: Why Black Lives, Blue Lives, and All Lives Matter
There is an unspeakable ache in my heart today, can you feel it too? Among the angst, frustration and bitterness, what I feel most is really disappointment. I am disappointed that that after years of striving to be a beacon of democracy, people can be left to bleed out in the streets, with no trial, no due process, and no convictions. I am disappointed that a band of heartless cowards decided to target police officers in my own city of Dallas, Texas, leaving 5 dead and several others wounded. I am disappointed that the actions of these few will now be extrapolated and applied to the entire Black Lives Matter movement,…
