As a Black woman, a pastor, a mother, a wife, and a community leader, I have a hard truth to share with you: Racism is alive and well, including in the church communities you know and love. What do I mean by racism? Well, while any group can experience racial prejudice or discrimination, racism is the prejudice and discrimination that are unfairly baked into society’s power structures.
And there are other hard truths, too. One can be nice and act in racist ways at the same time. One can be nice and benefit from a system that gives white people greater access to power and resources than people of color in the same situation.
Many of us good churchgoers advocate for ending racial injustice. But we can’t hug away (or quilt away or bake away) racism. We can commit to learning more about racism and white supremacy. As Christians, facing the sins of oppression can be a painful, difficult process for us, yet doing so can remove “scales,” uncover truths, and lead to holy, amazing transformation.
This message is excerpted from the Bible study “Just L.I.F.E. (Liberation is for everyone!)” by Angela T. !Khabeb in the July/August 2021 Gather magazine. Today we commemorate Bartholomew, Apostle.
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