3 Unhelpful Things in the Race Conversation That Need to Stop NOW
Race and injustice are difficult topics to discuss. And while the church must talk about it, Iāve seen a lot of harmful missteps along the way. Here are three unhelpful things that people are doing in the race conversation that needs to stop. Now.
Warning: This might be too spicy for some people. Read with caution.
1) Speaking to or for an entire group of people
Indeed, each group of people across all shape, color, and size have unique experiences and perspectives. There may be certain types of injustices that face specific people. But attempting to speak to or for an entire group of people is unhelpful. Iāve seen so many White Jesuses on social media trying to bear every sin white people have ever committed. Stop it. Get over yourself. Quit pandering. Read Matthew 6:1-4.
If you are personally guilty of discrimination or racial injustice, then seek forgiveness for your sins. The Bible does teach us to confess our sins to one another for accountability and the health of our Christian community (James 5:16). No one but Christ, however, can grant forgiveness to entire groups of people, who died for the sins of every person across all time.
2) Responding to āBlack lives matterā with āAll lives matter.ā
Anytime someone says, āBlack lives matter,ā itās inevitable that someone will snap back āALL lives matter.ā I understand where this is coming from, but itās actually unhelpful. The whole purpose of the phrase āBlack lives matterā is that some black people feel their lives donāt matter, that they are valued less than people with light skin. When you clap back, āALL lives matter,ā youāre confirming what they may already believe, that you donāt care about the specific injustices facing their community.
If you must respond when someone says, āBlack lives matter,ā you can simply say, āYes.ā Or, āI agree with you.ā āIām so sorry you feel like black lives donāt matter.ā And how about, āWhat can I do to help?ā
Just remember that the reason why any lives matter at all is because we are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27, Gal. 3:28, Col. 3:11). Red and yellow, black and white, we are precious in His sight. Every human has the same intrinsic worth, which does not vary by the amount of melanin in oneās skin. And if God doesnāt exist, then no lives matter.
Iām not arguing never to say, āAll lives matter.ā Itās a true statement. Iām simply saying that responding with that phrase to someone who says āBlack lives matterā misses the whole point of the slogan.
This leads intoā¦
3) Minimizing true victimhood
Whenever people discuss victimhood, someone inevitably mentions how Jesus was the ultimate victim, as if that fixes everything and will make everyone feel better. Yes, Jesus was the only perfectly innocent person ever, and his death was the greatest injustice that ever occurred. And, yes, Jesus can relate to our pain and suffering (Heb. 4:15). But PLEASE donāt use this to minimize someoneās unique suffering. Might someone be whining over nothing? Of course. But that certainly is not true of every situation. We need to help correct injustice, not just paint over it.
Let people speak. Listen with the intent to understand, not just to respond with pious platitudes. Only then can we properly address someoneās unique circumstances and encourage true racial healing.
Recommended resources related to the topic:
Fearless Generation ā Complete DVD Series, Complete mp4 Series (download) by Mike Adams, Frank Turek, and J. Warner Wallace
Timothy Fox has a passion for equipping the church to engage the culture. He is a part-time math teacher, full-time husband, and father. He has an M.A. in Christian Apologetics from Biola University as well as an M.A. in Adolescent Education of Mathematics and a B.S. in Computer Science, both from Stony Brook University. He lives on Long Island, NY, with his wife and two young children.
Original Blog Source: https://bit.ly/3dVMV5C
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