Whether you grew up in the United States or are a more recent transplant, you quickly come to realize there’s no escape from the impact of racism. Even today, there is no more segregated time than the Sunday church hour. This shameful fact of American life has led to allegations of hypocrisy from all corners.
And rightly so.
For Americans, it’s easy to simply refuse to acknowledge the terrible legacy of racism and our complicity in upholding that legacy. As Christians, not so much.
The fact that we have settled into this status quo, seemingly without qualm, makes us no less accountable to Christ for our action or inaction. Perhaps this is the re-framing we need.
Change We Can Believe In
A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of running a story from Melanie Malone, one of our PROJECT2031 writers, on Listening to the Spirit. In the post, Melanie tells the story of her mother, a woman who during the late sixties, was called to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ in a tangible way across the color line.
Yesterday I had the equal pleasure of running across this letter published by CNN, headlined a “Former Terrible Racist Gives Big Donation, Apology to Black Church”. In a simple but beautiful letter, an anonymous writer talks about the change that Jesus Christ made in his/her life:
I am white and used to be a terrible racist…due to Christ’s teachings, I am appalled at my former thoughts and words.
Included with the letter was a check for $2,000.
What caused the change?
Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
The Only Change That Matters
Here’s the deal.
It doesn’t matter who is in office. Or who sits on the Supreme Court. The pursuit of political and judicial power will not bring real change. In fact, as we should know from the legacy of the early church, the pursuit of political power often diminishes the work and impact of the Holy Spirit.
Change, the type that we, the church, should be pursuing, equals Jesus Christ. Nothing more, nothing less.
She Who Hath an Ear
As the body of Christ, we bear the awesome responsibility to demonstrate the love and mercy of Christ to a world that is dying and desperate for salvation. To make the power of the Holy Spirit evident in all we say and do, and in what we do not say or do.
This is a change the world can believe in.
So as we begin the month of June, ask yourself,
Where have I settled for American “good enough”? Where have I resigned myself to the status quo? Where am I making excuses?
We all have some area where we decided that ‘good enough’ is enough. But imagine what would happen if we, the body of Christ, stopped making excuses? Stopped being satisfied with the status quo? Stopped using political tools to bring about spiritual change?
We would change the world.
