Christianity looks quite different depending on where and how you worship on Sunday mornings, what stories you read, what voices you listen to, and who you call a friend. People and values that shape diverse communities can conflict with each other. Determining what is actually of God and what is true only to your community requires remaining faithful to God’s nature and character.
In Part 1, we provided the definition of Critical Race Theory (CRT) used to refute people of color’s experiences within many Churches. I have studied several pastors who are preaching and teaching on CRT. They gravitate to 7 major assumptions to ground their teaching.
Before I unpack the seven, let’s go back to the balcony to remind ourselves of the prize – “setting our mind on God’s purposes, not man’s.”
We don’t have a lot of practice having “real talk” about race. Most times people are talking at each other. So it’s not easy for people to engage in thoughtful conversation. If human equality is a vital first principle of faith (Imago Dei), we must not scuttle it when confronting complex issues but instead place faith in God’s moral coherence and seek deeper wisdom.
Theology sets in the mind of people a particular psychological view of life. In other words, how you see God determines how you see people. Language is additive and can obscure and distract from a critique that should be taken seriously if we are to avoid the division currently splitting American society.
While social justice has taken center stage in the secular world, God is still at the center of the conversation for Christians of color. People of Color have used religious teachings to turn the other cheek, to show mercy, grace, and forgiveness. When we all come to a place of human respect, the Church can reach atonement. Until then, He is and will be the instrument to heal those who can’t find a “balm of Gilead.”
We know this topic of CRT in the church comes from the events of the organization BLM, which is not a faith based organization. But we must be careful not to paint everyone with a broad brush. Everyone must take time to understand the difference between the organization and the phrase that represents the sentiment of a movement. Conflating the sentiment with the organization of the same name can limit that which warrants broader discussion.
During the Civil Rights movement many prominent Black ministers who gathered to organize the marches and boycotts faced the same rebuke from White pastors as is occurring today. Some even thought that segregation was a biblical mandate but mainly that Christians should not concern themselves with material issues rather than simply focusing on conversion. How they treated people was of little consequence or concern.
God created and gave humankind the gift of free will — the gift of choice.
Our beliefs determine how we label people and situations. (Labels are the opposite of understanding). These labels serve to cement beliefs and dictate how we (and our community) choose to engage or disengage with people.
The congregation is a locus for change and transformation in society, so it will be interesting to unpack how CRT is used to analyze the tenents of fellowship within the faith community:
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- Loving one another (John 13:34)
- Building up one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
- Giving preference to one another (Romans 12:10)
- Stimulating one another to good deeds (Hebrews 10:24)
- Bearing with one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
- Being hospitable to one another (1 Peter 4:9)
- Praying for one another (James 5:16)
In the next issue, Part 3, will discuss each of the seven assumptions, comparing them to the seven tenents of fellowship above, to better understand the messages these pastor’s are communicating to their congregations.
Let me close this issue by saying, nothing good ever happens when people care more about our differences than what we have in common. That’s why the forces that seek to divide us will never succeed over the forces of love that keep us together. It might not happen when we want, but we trust in our hope, our hope that is Christ Jesus.
Until then, mankind needs a fresh start to remove the stones in our hearts. The only way it can be achieved is by surrendering to the Holy Spirit. Now is the time for a fresh start in Christ.
You’re really doing a fantastic job with your ministry. What a pleasant surprise to receive your first book “Getting Your Truth Back”. I have only scanned a few of the pages and it seems to offer a great opportunity for spiritual reflections and behavior change. Keep up the good works. Thanks.
Thank you for your thoughtful insights