From the very beginning of this blogsite on racial issues, I made it clear that my purpose was to deal with those issues from a biblical perspective. The world in general is broken badly and I can do little to fix that brokenness. On the other hand, I believe that in writing as a Christian and long-time Bible teacher, I can help move things along among those who are serious about following Jesus. I am not naïve about how limited my impact in writing and teaching orally may be. I’m a tiny, tiny fish in a really big pond. That being said, all any of us can do in trying to help others is simply to take advantage of opportunities that come our way, or that we seek out, and do our best with them. That sums up what I am attempting to do.
Loaded Terms
Let’s talk about this term, “white fragility,” for starters. According to my research, the term was coined in 2011 by sociologist, Robin DiAngelo, in an academic paper. Dictionary.com defines it as “the tendency among members of the dominant white cultural group to have a defensive, wounded, angry, or dismissive response to evidence of racism.” DiAngelo has written a best-selling book entitled, “White Fragility,” with this subtitle: “Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism.” The book is not a long one, and although it is academic in nature, it is not a difficult book to read. If you want to get the gist of what she has in the book, a PDF article by her with the same simple title can be found on the web by typing that term into a Google search engine. That article is only 17 pages long, and may be an excerpt from the academic paper, since the pages are numbered and start with page 53. At any rate, many articles are available on this topic and others closely related to it, such as “white privilege.”
All such terms are loaded terms, most of them loaded politically. When I began this blogsite, I initially gave it the title of “Black Tax and White Privilege.” That set off some highly reactionary responses, replete with highly inaccurate accusations of various sorts. One young woman accused me of earning huge sums of money for speaking on these issues and her comments were based on one source noting what some speakers on the topic evidently make. I’ve actually only spoken a few times in the past several years on the subject and only in church groups.
What she described and what I have done are in different galaxies, to put it mildly. I paid to have my blogsite developed, along with phone apps for both Apple and Android. I also pay a monthly fee to keep it up and running. My efforts in this area are a money-losing proposition rather than a money-making one. But radicals want someone to yell at, and I don’t mind being a target. I try to keep a soft heart and thick skin instead of a hard heart and thin skin. People who yell have the latter combination, obviously.
When I read Michael Burns manuscript as he was writing his tremendous book, “Crossing the Line: Culture, Race and Kingdom,” I noted that he recommended that we avoid using politically loaded terminology. White privilege was among those listed. I called him and asked for his advice about a more appropriate term, and then followed his advice. Thus, I changed my title to “Black Tax and White Benefits.” However, one of my blog posts is directly about white privilege, since that privilege is as real as sunshine in the summer. If you haven’t read that post, you would find it helpful. My privilege as a white person is real, in both the opportunities I gain (many of which are subtle and unnoticed by many white folks) and in what I am spared from. I could make a long list of the latter.
Sticking to the Basics
In this article, as I approach the topic from a Bible viewpoint, what I have to say is different from most articles addressing white fragility. Like white privilege, white fragility is prevalent, whether recognized or not by us white people. My ideas as to the cause of such fragility are based not on academic research, but on observations generally and conversations specifically with both whites and blacks. My ideas for the cure are a mixture of common sense and Bible. When using the latter, I will make some observations that will be taken by some as surprising, shocking and radical. These reactions will demonstrate the sad fact that most who claim to be Christ followers are fairly ignorant of his teaching. I am not attempting to cover the subject in an exhaustive way, but rather to hit the basics of what I hope can help us. So hang on to your hat and let’s wade in together.
Cause #1 – Ignorance
I believe ignorance among white people about all issues racial is one of the root causes of discomfort when discussing such issues. How much do we know about the topic of slavery? Since I mention slavery a few times in this article, it is very important to note that the systematic policies of racism continued for over a hundred years after slavery was abolished and those policies and practices affect our society to this very moment. The sentiment commonly expressed by some, that slavery was 150 years ago so when are we going to get over it and move on, just proves how widespread our ignorance actually is.
Most of us don’t know much, nor do we know much about many of the topics, subtopics and terminology being used in current discussions. We may get nervous simply because we feel ignorant and don’t want that ignorance to be exposed. In a word, pride keeps us from trying to learn what we need to learn about a subject that is quite pervasive in our society as a whole. From a biblical perspective, what does God say about pride? Nothing good, right? Humility is everywhere enjoined by him, and he states bluntly that he resists the proud. Allowing pride in any form to block us from discussing these issues cannot be pleasing to God.
Will we make mistakes as we engage in educational endeavors in this field? Of course. No one gets it all right every time, and certainly not in the early stages of exploring a topic about which we are ignorant. Ignorance is not a sin, unless we are willfully ignorant. We will address the latter in a moment.
When I started preaching entire sermons on racial issues, I added disclaimers, as in admitting the obvious, that I am not nearly as informed as I intended to become. One of my early presentations was in a church in St. Louis about two miles from where the riots had taken place in the city of Ferguson. So, it was Ferguson in Ferguson! In speaking about racial prejudices going both ways, a valid point, I stated that racism went both ways. I now think that wording is erroneous, given the specific definition of the term racism. That presentation was recorded in video format and watched by many people in many countries.
Is that embarrassing to me? No. It was a part of my learning process. I’ve been corrected in making other honest mistakes. How else do we learn anything? Who gets 100% on every exam ever taken in school? I didn’t and I’ve yet to meet anyone who did. The very definition of the word disciple includes being a learner. If we claim to be a disciple of Jesus, we must be hungry to learn, especially in areas that affect fellow Christians.
Cause #2 – Willful Ignorance
Willful ignorance is a worse kind of ignorance in this arena. General ignorance, as discussed above, makes us feel awkward and reluctant. Willful ignorance digs its heels in and just refuses to enter a non-comfort zone. Yet, I understand how feeling that we are being pushed out of our comfort zones can feel threatening. During the Cold War, I often looked at young children and envied their ignorance. They didn’t know that the Soviet Union had a plethora of missiles aimed at all of the key cities in my country.
If we live in our own little “white world” almost all of the time, it is our comfort zone. We love our comfort zones because they are, well, comfortable. And God knows that those in affluent societies are focused on making our lives as pain free as possible. Compared to previous generations, like mine, most are wimps and pleasure seekers and pain avoiders – pain of any type.
Back to the Bible on that thought. Passages like Romans 5:1-5, Hebrews 12:4-11 and James 1:2-4 show the connection between emotional pain and spiritual growth. Take time to read those passages. In my 77 years, I cannot recall one time when I experienced significant spiritual growth without challenges, some of them painful to the point of being overwhelming at the time. The no pain, no gain approach is not reserved for building physical muscles; it is integrally connected to building spiritual muscles also. Remaining in ignorance with little desire to become “woke” is unacceptable spiritually, whether our resistance is due to fear and pride or to the love of comfort.
Be Looking for Part 2…
NOTE: Please read Part 1 before reading this post. In both, I am discussing the causes and cures for what is commonly called “white fragility.” That term describes the often strong tendency of many white people to avoid honest discussions about racial issues. Christians cannot isolate themselves from other Christians who are different from them. We are God’s family and caring about one another and meeting the needs of one another is simply not optional. Part 2 digs in even more deeply to this part of the subject. Thank you for reading it.
Cause #3 – White Guilt
Dictionary.com defines this term as “the feelings of shame and remorse some white people experience when they recognize the legacy of racism and racial injustice and perceive the ways they have benefited from it.” For most of us light-skinned people, our guilt is far less defined. It is often something sensed, but with a question mark. What should we feel? That vague uneasiness we feel is connected to our ignorance about what we keep hearing about. We may feel accused without knowing the exact details of the accusations. Since we don’t know as much about the overall topic as some seem to know or expect us to know, we can feel guilty about our lack of knowledge and wonder what else we should feel guilty about. It’s confusing and it is scary for the uninformed. Until and unless we start trying get educated further, our feelings are going to remain muddled and our fragility is going to continue.
It is important to understand the difference between feeling guilty and feeling badly. I feel badly for the plights of people in all kinds of hurtful situations, but if I am personally in no way responsible for what they are suffering, I don’t feel guilty about it. So, I can feel badly for others but not guilty if I wasn’t responsible. I don’t know if any of my ancestors owned slaves, but if they did, I would feel badly but not guilty. What hits closer to home for me is having the awareness that some of my relatives were bigoted racists. That knowledge brings sharp pain into my heart but not personal guilt. It also makes me increasingly thankful that my parents were not among that number. Praise God for that!
The responsibility I do feel in the realm of racism involves my desire to help, which is what prompted my starting this blogsite. I just wanted to try helping in the ways I have already described. If we can do something to help, we are responsible for doing it. Opportunity carries with it responsibility, and we all have the opportunity to help in this area in some way. Galatians 6:10 puts it this way: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” James 4:17 words it more strongly in these words: “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” Proverbs 18:19 gives us a very sobering concept: “One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys.” In other words, it is just as wrong to fail to build as it is to tear down something already built.
Bottom line, should you and I as white people feel guilty for anything connected to racism? Yes, but we have to be clear on the why. If I have overt prejudices, I need to feel guilty and repent. If I have systemic racist attitudes of which I am unconscious, I have the responsibility to gain more understanding of what those might be and then repent. If I have the opportunities to help others of my race become more aware of their own prejudicial attitudes, hidden or not, I am responsible to help them get woke. If I have opportunities to help those who are receiving the brunt of overt or systemic racism, then I also have the responsibility to help them bear those burdens. The beginning point of helping the latter is listening, learning, empathizing and serving. Opportunity plus knowledge plus ability equals responsibility.
Hopefully these brief explanation has made it clearer regarding what we should and should not feel guilt for. I grieve over American history of slavery, but I am not responsible and thus don’t have or feel guilt for what my ancestors may have done. I grieve for what other ancestors definitely did in holding racist attitudes and often putting those attitudes into practice by treating others badly. But I am not responsible for their attitudes and actions. Here are the things for which I am responsible.
To reiterate, I am responsible for repenting of known racial prejudices in my heart. I am responsible for educating myself and discovering similar prejudices of which I am presently unaware. I am responsible for helping my white friends to do the same – to become more knowledgeable in those same two areas. I am responsible for helping my friends of color to work through their challenges and heartaches due to living in a world where injustices reign. In a nutshell, failing to do what I can do to help myself and others should produce guilt in us, motivating us to handle that guilt in God’s way – by repenting and changing and doing what we can do going forward.
Cause #4 – Refusal to Embrace True Christianity
When I inform people about my blogsite, I explain my reasons for having it something like this: “I want to help my white brothers and sisters in Christ to better understand our fellow Christians who live in a different world than we do. I also want to help my brothers and sisters of color to handle an unjust world in the way that Christ did.” If we are to help bear the burdens of others, as Galatians 6:2 directs us, we have to know what those burdens are. If we are to “bear up under the pain of unjust suffering because we are conscious of God (1 Peter 2:19), we have to purposely imitate Christ. On either side of that coin, we must receive help from one another, which means that we of different “worlds” must cross the aisle in order to accomplish it.
Do we have a choice in this matter? Not if we are going to live as Christians. Look at the following passage, the likes of which could be multiplied:
Philippians 2:3-8
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross!
So what’s the primary thrust of this passage? Do not give in to selfishness and pride as you value others and their interests (to say nothing of needs) above your own. Do give in to the challenge of imitating Jesus, whose sacrifices to save and serve us go beyond our comprehension – by light years. Why is white fragility so pervasive in our American society? Because we aren’t intently set on following Jesus and his teaching, plain and simple. Regarding those who don’t claim to be Christians, I feel sad for them but not mad at them. They are lost in many ways. Regarding those who do claim to be Christians and are not even trying to get out of their comfort zones to help those who are hurting and being hurt, that’s another matter entirely.
Commands, Not Suggestions
Those verses quoted above are not mere suggestions; they are commands. Thus, they are not optional. Continual ignorance and willful ignorance are not acceptable for Christians – period. No buts and no ifs. Unacceptable. Read what Jesus said:
Matthew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 7:16-20
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Luke 6:46
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
The Bottom Line
Do you not see the bottom line here? Claiming to be a Christian doesn’t make you one. What do I think about Christianity in America? I think most of those who claim to be Christians aren’t. But it doesn’t matter what I think, right? I’m not the Judge; only God is. Let’s not stop there though. It doesn’t matter what you think either. You aren’t the Judge.
It only matters what God thinks, and I know what he thinks because he had it written in this book we call the Bible. This picking and choosing what we prefer in the Bible and skipping the rest is a soul-damning exercise. My fellow white church members, if you are not willing to try to follow Jesus into the world of the hurting, those hurting for any reason, including racism, you are not of Him. My fellow church members of color, if you are rationalizing and excusing your own forms of prejudice and anger toward others, you are not of Him.
Thankfully, I have many white friends in Christ who have repented and are trying to learn and serve. I have some blog posts from some of them. A couple of days ago, I received a note in response to an article directed toward common attitudes among those who have been unjustly treated. The title of that article is “Vengeance is Not Yours, Says the Lord!” (blog post 50). Here is what this disciple named Nona wrote and my response to her. It will serve as a fitting close to an article intended to help us all repent where needed, regardless of our color or the challenges we face. Christians must be Christian, which is to say, followers and imitators of Christ.
Gordon, I’m black & I knew I had to deal with bitterness & resentment toward whites in general & in particular because of the way I was treated all my life. It was openly confessed as I studied the Bible before baptism. It has to be. With Jesus as our example NO ONE can excuse racial animosity in any degree. In these times you have to pray for days to handle what goes on in the world. For a lifetime! Imitating Jesus is a 24/7 calling. No exceptions or excuses. Keep teaching & guiding us Gordon as one race, the wretched sinning race.
That is a wonderful testimony, Nona, an excellent example to call us all higher! Our identity is first of all disciple of Christ. To me you are a disciple who happens to be black, not a black disciple. I’m a disciple who happens to be white, not a white disciple. From a scientific perspective, there is only one race, and unfortunately, you described it all too well in your words. We are all on level ground at the foot of the cross. No one is superior and no one is inferior. We all need the grace of God and one another. The world will always be a mess without Christ. As the song puts it, this world is not my home. My citizenship is in heaven. Thanks so much for your testimony and may God bless you!
Introduction
I have not added any articles to this blog for quite a while now, due to focusing on other writing. I have written three short books during that interim, all of which are in some part of my publisher’s pipeline. This article was written by the daughter of two of my dear friends of many decades. Hannah wrote it in the wake of the media attention following the death of Ahmaud Arbery. Her comments on Facebook accompanied an article she posted by Mike Patz from his blog entitled, “White Americans Need to Condemn White Racism in America.” The comments by Hannah comprise this blog post.
Hannah DeSouza
“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. Rather he chose to be ill-treated along with the people of God…” (Hebrews 11:24-25)
I’ve read these verses numerous times in my Christian life but today (Friday, May 8, 2020) they spoke to me differently and I felt compelled to share it. Today, I read these verses and saw a man who was born into privilege (taken in as a baby by the daughter of the most powerful man in the Ancient World), choosing not to sit back in his palace and enjoy his fortunate position, but rather to use it; use it to benefit those who had not received that same privilege. Sure, he didn’t do it perfectly. (His initial attempt at seeking justice led to him murdering an Egyptian that he saw abusing a Hebrew outside the palace walls!) But what I saw in Moses today, and deeply respect, was a man that went outside of the palace walls in the first place to see the abuse taking place. He didn’t withdraw or hide inside his palace, hide in his privilege and pretend he couldn’t see the horrors going on outside. No wonder he was being commended as a man of great faith thousands of years later!
Fast forward to May 2020. What are our palaces and how might we step out of them? Baby steps. The first step might just be acknowledging that you’re in one! This was the case for me. Being of mixed race, I have never classified myself as white and yet I know, to the casual onlooker, I am typically perceived as such, which in itself makes me a person of privilege. I remember the first time this truly dawned on me was when I was pulled over in the middle of the night by a police officer 2 years ago – as a Brit trying to drive in America! Instead of being met with fear and mistrust, such was dismissed the moment he saw me and heard my explanation. Instead, he responded with a cheery “Welcome to America!” That is privilege!
Stepping out of your palace might simply be liking or sharing someone else’s post on this issue (in doing so you are acknowledging that there is an issue). It might mean going on a run before the day ends in honour of Ahmaud and – as you run – praying for all the injustices in the world and asking God to show you what your unique role might be in alleviating them. Stepping out of your palace might be starting to change the narrative in your own mind; to say “there’s my brother” the next time you see a black man run past you. To say a prayer for him under your breath because, like you, he’s someone’s child. Humanize him. Let’s value his right to life over our right to fear, feel threatened, or be suspicious.
I feel compelled to say that this is nothing to do with a “white savior complex” (we already have a Savior – who, for the record, wasn’t white 😬). This is about recognizing privilege and choosing to not sit back in silence and enjoy it (it is completely unmerited so no pride should be taken in it). This is about saying to our brothers and sisters that are carrying heavier burdens in this life than our own that we see them, that we want to fight a flawed system alongside them, that their voices will no longer be the loudest ones demanding justice, that we’re running with them. #IRunWithMaud #stepoutofyourpalace #stepoutofyourprivilege
A few days ago, I posted articles twice on Facebook about the death of Ahmaud Arbery. Many others have posted similarly, generating many responses. Most responses indicate that more and more of us are starting to understand the depth of the problem and are looking for ways to help needed changes occur. A few respond in ways that are shocking and saddening to me, showing that they don’t understand the systemic nature of racism in our society. Whatever else may be said, any rationalization of two ordinary citizens taking the law into their own hands, complete with firearms, is absolutely indefensible – period!
This podcast by Michael Burns is one that I would love for every American to hear, especially all who identify as Christians. Michael does the best job of identifying all elements of biases, prejudices and racism of anyone I have ever read or heard from, and that as a white man. His insights are simply amazing, shown clearly through his books, “Crossing the Line: Culture, Race and Kingdom” and “All Things to All People.” I think these books are simply spectacular, must-read books for all Christians.
As you will discover in the podcast, Michael speaks as a true follower of Christ. Unlike many whose heightened emotions cause them to make valid points in an invalid, worldly manner, Michael shows genuine love for those who disagree with him and would consider themselves as his enemies. He is perhaps the finest example I know of one who speaks the truth in love – love that can be perceived in his manner. He is one of the rare ones who both understands and practices what 2 Timothy 2:23-26 commands.
2 Timothy 2:23-26
23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
I understand all too well the challenge of addressing topics that are personal and emotional. I am emotionally based person and often have to repent of, and apologize for, allowing my temper to escalate and be expressed in ways that violate this Scripture. It has been a lifetime struggle for me, and although I have made significant improvements, it can at times still be a battle. The problem with not controlling our tempers in speaking or writing is that we both sin against other people and reduce the impact for good that we might otherwise have enjoyed.
I see this loss of impact often when people communicate about the topic of racism, especially if they are people of color themselves. Their insights and observations are spot on and very needed, but their manner turns off the audience they most want to affect (white people). To add to the problem, they may attempt to justify their manner by noting either their own personal experiences and the pain it has brought them or in showing the heinous nature of the issue itself. The content is valid in both cases, but the manner derails what might have been helpful.
On the other side of the coin are those who are defensive about the issue, trying to rationalize what cannot be rationalized. Biases, prejudices and racist attitudes – even if unconsciously held, are real, wrong and damaging. They hurt the ones holding them and they hurt the ones who are the object of them. On either side of this coin, when we don’t control our emotions in communicating, we drive each other further away from where we think they should be, for we are perceived as shedding more heat than light on the situation.
Let’s all please work on this in order to help ourselves and one another. Gentle instruction of those who oppose us is, after all, the will of God.
May you now listen to Michael and may God bless him to have greater and greater influence in an area that is so crucial to our nation and world.
What can Christians do against prejudice and hate? A perspective from Michael Burns, teacher in the Two Cities Church.
Posted by Michael Mbuso Burns on Saturday, May 9, 2020
Last semester I had the privilege to share work on a grad school class project with four men, all African American, three of them ministers. The entire class demographic was probably 2/3 men, and 2/3 Caucasian. When we were put into groups, I soon learned that I was the only female and the only white person in my group. I smiled to myself, knowing I was in for a treat. I was thrilled, because I sensed that working together with these men would be a wonderful learning experience. It was. Our assignment was part of a “fishbowl project.” I am still not sure why the professor labeled it a “fishbowl project,” except we were all swimming around together and the way we “swam together” was visible by what was produced.
We met together regularly (virtually) and worked on a common group goal—a project/video (thanks to one of our members who was a professional videographer) describing numerous ways Christians in the book of Acts responded to various crises.
I listened, learned, and contributed. In this group of men, I was shown tremendous respect and sought to show each of them the same. In the process of working together, I learned about their lives as they learned of mine. I came to appreciate them, the things they stood for, and ways they were striving to make a difference in lives around them as they ministered to primarily African American communities. One of the men (not a minister) was preparing for a kidney transplant, and we all tried to do extra for him so he would need to do only what his health allowed. I think they were all quite good at showing respect, mainly because respect and humility flowed from their hearts. What’s in our hearts flows out, as Jesus taught (Mark 7:20-23). I have seen this respectful response in many of my close African American brothers in the church. They, most often, do not speak from a place of power and privilege. Such atrocities that continue to come to the light most often happen when people with power lack love, respect, and humility. Then, the unthinkable happens. When humility is little, power corrupts. When love is absent, power is destructive.
The day after our project ended was the same day the events surrounding Ahmaud Arbery surfaced. I sent my “fellow fishbowlers” the following note, because I felt at a loss for an appropriate response. Should I organize something to show how I feel? Join a march? What can I DO? I long to imitate Jesus’ heart and actions that were so full of love and courage and sought justice for the oppressed. But my voice is so small. How can I be part of a solution? So, I wrote my fishbowl friends that question in the email below.
I have a question for which I would like your input. My heart is deeply grieved for yet another act of hateful violence in the latest account (of way too many accounts) of senseless shootings, this time of Ahmaud Arbery back in February. I cannot imagine how these things make you feel. I just want to say, with tears, how deeply sorry I am for what you likely all have to endure simply for being wonderful black men in America. I know that I am, through no choice of my own, part of the privileged. My question is this. How can I, as one with white privilege, best contribute to needed social justice? I don’t know, and I would like to know what you feel would be some way to contribute to change (other than living as a disciple and speaking up whenever I can). Thanks so much. With love and respect, Jeanie
I got a reply from one of my friends this morning, even though it had been a while since I had written the group. Likely, the wrongful death of George Floyd evoked his response. Though he says kind things to me in the email (because he is a kind person), his response tells me something I can do. I can ask, I can listen, I can pray, and I can sympathize. I noted his response of sympathize, because I cannot really empathize. I have not had to live like this. As a women, I have felt effects of power gone awry though an attempted rape, exhibitionism, groping (all by white men), and numerous inequities just because I am female, but I have never had to worry about dying because of the color of my skin. My adopted son has. In fact, shortly after 9/11, while he was in high school he was stopped, ordered to the ground, and had eight state trooper cars surround him with guns pointed, all because of a mistaken identity where his skin tone caused suspicion for a crime in another town. Frightening.
Here is what my fishbowl friend answered in his email response:
Sorry for such a slow response
Your compassion, sensitivity, and willingness to talk openly is a great start in response to your question. Our humility and awareness will incite change in areas of indifference and racism. Continue to stay educated about the reality we live with by listening to the right voices, preferably voices closest to you. Stay proactive in doing what you did in this email: ask questions, provide prayer, offer sympathy, and listen to our individual stories. You’ll go a long way in being a part of the change we so desperately need.
I pray to be part of a solution, which can only truly happen with the love of Jesus. I long for a day when unity and peace prevail as His will is done on earth, as it is in heaven. I hope by more intentional listening, I can indeed be part of “the change we so desperately need.”
