WHERE TO BEGIN?

As I sit here to begin writing this, I can’t help but question how much my words will actually contribute to the conversation about the racial tensions we currently face. So much is said from countless angles, avenues, and voices that it seems daunting to try adding something of value. I mean, just think about all that has happened over the past eight months or even take the time to think about what we have to look forward to for the rest of the year. Covid-19. Ahmaud Arberry. Breonna Taylor. George Floyd. The ambush of two LA officers. Protests. Riots. Looting. The debates and election. Are you exhausted thinking about these things? I am.

Unless you have been hiding in a bunker for all of 2020 every one of those names and words should elicit many thoughts and emotional reactions. And even though our thoughts and reactions may differ, two things are undeniable: The church has work to do, and it’s going to take time.

If you are at all like me, part of you wants to shy away from talking about it anymore and just avoid the topic altogether. It’s easier. It involves less tension. Less annoyance. Less awkwardness and vulnerability. And much less debate. However, that has been humanity’s problem for far too long: avoidance. Perhaps with a quick acknowledgement in order to just move on.

Unfortunately, this avoidance has infected the church as well and as a result we are behind when it comes to speaking about issues of race in America in a way that is effective and long lasting. That’s a problem. Let’s unpack this for what it is. Let’s be committed to unveiling the truth and learning to talk about it in a way that honors Christ.

Friends, I love the church. In particular, I love Life Pointe Church and the people I get to serve with. These past seven years have been the best years of my life. So here I am, doing something I swore I’d never do: writing a blog. This church has changed me. First coffee…now this. I hope you are up for joining me in a conversation about race.

Here we go…

Silence

Seeing the murder of George Floyd back in May was one of the hardest things for me to watch in a very long time. I think we can all agree there was something a little different about this particular event. Hearing his cries….seeing him slowly stop struggling…watching people forced to stand by as it took place. I think we can all agree, this one was different. Disturbing. Maddening. Evil.

However, in that moment, I was struck with what I can only describe as an eerie, deafening silence. I had no words to speak. No ability to articulate my feelings. Nothing. Just silence….

For me, this was incredibly unnerving. God has typically graced me with the ability to know how to think and react in moments where a quick response is required. Like when a mirror broke into tiny pieces on my daughter’s face, I knew exactly what to do and quickly reacted with calm and confidence. Life is full of many uncomfortable, often tragic surprises. Some of them we are strangely ready for. But this time…nothing. No quick response. No instinctual thoughts or reactions. Just silence. Moments like these make silence, which is often sweet in a house of three vocally well-equipped daughters, feel like a restless enemy.

As I look back though, I realize how that silence was actually a grace from God. I am incredibly grateful to the Lord for what He was able to do in me during those first few weeks. My amazing wife was able to help me sort through the silence and begin articulating my own thoughts and emotions. Slowly (and much more slowly than I would have liked) the Lord was able to graciously walk me through the process of anger, mourning, reflection, countless conversations, and now…this blog.

Providence

If you know me, you know I either speak strongly about things I care about or make sarcastic jokes about things I am indifferent towards (which happens often). In this instance, as my wife can attest, I resisted the urge to speak for some time. At first I had so many questions about what the main reason was. Fear of being emotionally driven in my thoughts? Check. Fear of being mistaken to be emotionally driven in my thoughts? Check. Fear of being viewed as another “angry black man” no matter the content of my words? Check. Fear of looking like I simply want pity for how recent events have affected me? Check. Fear of those I know will instantly dislike and refuse to hear what I have to say? Check. The bottom line is there is one common denominator in all of those sentences: fear. It’s something I have needed to repent from, and by God’s grace it will remain behind me.

I have long known that God has placed me at Life Pointe for many reasons. It is my responsibility to lead worship through song. It is my responsibility to serve with Cody, the elders and staff in and through all seasons including this one. It is my responsibility to throw away any shirt that matches those of you who think it’s hilarious to buy the same clothes as me (I’ll address that in another blog). And it is my responsibility to be a different type of voice for our community, with a different perspective than the majority of our people.

Over the past seven years, I have had conversations with people of Life Pointe who have surprisingly told me that I am their first black friend. I have seen people visibly hesitant to receive me as a leader or their pastor, probably for a number of reasons, now openly express their love for me and support of my role. I have a deep love for Life Pointe Church and want nothing more than to see us reflect the love, grace, and truth of the Gospel in how we respond to things like racial tension.

This is why I have been thinking deeply about this issue with each of you in mind.

Initial Thoughts

After talking with some of you from Life Pointe, and thinking about what has come from those conversations, I have realized a few things…

Some of you have wanted to ask me questions about my feelings and thoughts regarding racial tensions, but few have for various reasons: Thinking I am being flooded with texts and emails already. Having a hard time pushing through the awkwardness of talking to me about this particular issue. Not knowing how to respond to what I might say. Or simply assuming to know exactly what thoughts or ideals I subscribe to politically on these social issues.

Some of you have never talked about race and most are shocked to hear my story and perspective. I just want to invite you to ask. Please hear me say this: Asking is much better than staying in the dark. I promise, I can handle it and would love to talk if you are willing.

Some of you only talk about the issues with those who think similarly and will agree with every statement you say. Believe it or not, neither of us, nor the groups we most closely ‘identify’ with, have the monopoly on how to rightly understand and speak to this. The one thing that grounds me and gives me hope is that Jesus does. The Bible does. I pray you believe that.

Some of you simply want to move on and stop talking about it. However, the problem with not talking about it is this: everyone else IS talking about it and they are leading the conversation. This is something we shouldn’t be behind the curve on because Jesus gives us an understanding of how the Church is to speak on issues of justice.

My Goal

I need you to know what my goals are in writing these blogs; however, I will start with what these blogs are not.

They are not my attempt at a comprehensive answer to the issue. If you are expecting to find all the answers here, expect to be disappointed.

They are not coming from a particular political stance or in line with any social movement. To view them as such would be to miss the point completely.

So what is it?

They are from a pastor, who desperately wants his church, and anyone else who will listen, to stop choosing a side and to start aligning with the heart of Jesus. A pastor who knows there are many who feel unequipped to speak, and simply wants to provide some tools for coming conversations.

But let’s be honest with ourselves, this is not an easy thing to speak to, is it? In reality, it will never be easy.

As a church, we are praying and striving towards real, felt, seen, and experienced unity. We are seeking to embody what Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17:21, “That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” I praise God for how He has unified us in Him through the blood of Jesus, and in many beautiful ways that unity is present at LPC. But we must recognize that if our discussion about race isn’t Gospel centered, if we avoid discussing race with people with different views, or even if we avoid the discussion altogether, we risk weakening our unity. It may even already be a façade.

You know how it is. Relationships are strengthened as we go through difficult things together. As we struggle together. Even as we disagree but aren’t ok leaving it there. When we have a love-driven disposition, we attain greater respect and deeper love for one another than we had initially.

Friends, unity is the goal. And unity comes through dealing with hard things with eyes fixed on Jesus.

Safeguards

I am thoroughly convinced that productive, truth-seeking conversation must begin with these three safeguards:

Humility

The foundation for healthy, loving, Biblically-driven conversations is humility. Ask yourself, “Am I confident in my own understanding, research, and limited scope of conversation, or do I recognize a desperate need for God to show me how to think and feel about racial issues?” Brother, sister, can I say in love that if you feel more confident than desperate, consider your foundation. Consider your biases and cultural realities and the way they’ve shaped the way you view the world and bring them through the purifying fire of the Word of God to see what remains. And then consider how helpful you will actually be when you speak.

Time

We all need time. Time to pray, talk, pray, process, pray, reflect, pray, and respond…then probably to pray again. For me, I realized I needed a lot more time than I would like to admit. I wanted to say something, anything, but I felt the Lord put me on pause, and that was humbling. For some, time is needed to process the pain, anger, and frustrations that have come from recent events. Others need time to realize this is actually a problem worth putting energy towards. Time has forced some to see that simply sitting on your hands because it’s too big of an issue to address is no longer an option, while others might need time to simply admit a need for silence. Maybe even time to repent for misplaced affiliations and idolatrous loyalties to be able to rightly align their motivations with God’s.

Ask yourself…am I willing to take the time needed to think and act in a way that honors Christ?

The Gospel

The Bible contains the most vivid picture of reconciling a broken relationship. It shows a God who was willing to do what was needed to restore what sin ruined. Love for His glory and our good caused the Father to take the initiative by sending His Son to serve us. Love made Him place the weight of our sin on Jesus who willingly endured the cross and the Father’s wrath for the reward of all the lost souls who would place their faith in Him. And because of this, His death AND His resurrection are ours. His humility AND His glorification are ours. This is the Gospel and it is so incredibly sweet to our ears.

Friends, without an unwavering commitment to the Gospel above all else, this conversation is futile. Please read that again…then ask yourself…do I believe that? I do. The Gospel is the great and only equalizer because it leads us to obey the call to love God with everything and others as ourselves. Without it at the center of the conversation, the conversation is lost before it ever began. One easy way to tell what is leading your thoughts in this area is by evaluating where you go for your primary source of thought patterns. Is it through the Gospel lens of the God who is really good at reconciliation? If your primary source is anything other than the Gospel, or doesn’t come from others who hold firmly to that Gospel as a guide to all things, please consider giving your other source(s) a long needed break.

One Last Thing

I pray that through these blogs, I might be able to help join our stories into one. My story is intertwined with yours. We are one people. A people made in the image of our Creator in the form of different, beautiful ethnicities and physical features. If you are joined with the body of Christ, then we are even more bound together as His one body than we often realize. This means my burden of being freed from past and present injustices is yours. This means your burden of seeking to understand or empathize is mine. This means the burden of figuring out what needs to be done from the place we currently find ourselves in is OUR burden.

What Now?

I have decided to structure my next blogs as a response both to the questions I have been asked most often and to other questions I hear circulating. I hope you are up for joining me in thinking about some of the deeper questions that surround the racial tensions we are currently facing.

Let’s keep talking…