Proclaiming the Anti-Racism Gospel

Jim Wallis, a great American evangelical preacher, teacher and founder of Sojourners in Washington D.C., published a new book today entitled, America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America. I look forward to reading this book as it holds a mirror up to American society and (hopefully) invites us into a better way of having meaningful and helpful conversations about the divisive nature of the man-made concept of race.  Unfortunately this man-made concept has become a definitive sin, as it separates us from one another and God.

It is an excellent time for this book to be published as we celebrated the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday.  While we have a national holiday to honor the work and legacy of Dr. King, too often our reflection stops at sentimental observations of what he and many others did in the 1960s.  It is painfully obvious that “race relations” in the 2010s are tenuous at best, not advancing much in the past 48 years since King’s assassination.  There is anger and distrust on all sides, as well as the desire to protect whatever power one side has, even to the detriment of their own interests.

We can see that the current system is broken, and while attempts have been made to repair it, I hope Wallis offers a vision of how to throw out that system and start sometime new – something Christ-centered.  We need to be honest about how the system works, who has the benefits and how it can be redeemed into a new way of living that celebrates and values culture and ethnicity without the concept of “race.”

It is also fortuitous that Trinity Institute’s “Listen for a Change” symposium is this Thursday through Saturday.  My hope is that this program will offer the opportunity to explore on a deep theological level the sin of racism and how, as people of faith, we can be part of a movement to change the system and begin (as our Anti-Racism training is called) building the Beloved Community.  As Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians, “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” [Gal 3:28}

It is a daunting task because it means we actually need to change our way our thinking and behavior.  We need to be able to have honest conversations with each other that move beyond our own egos and seek Christ in each other, even if the other person is not a Christian.  We must recognize our own prejudices and learn how they impact how we interact with each other. We (in particular those in the culture of power) have to be willing to give up power and privilege in order to dismantle unjust structures that perpetuate systematic racism.

It all starts by “being in the room” and being part of the conversation.  We have that opportunity at the Trinity Institute Program.  We are blessed with our “in house” resource with the Ministry of Racial Diversity (MRD) that meets monthly to discuss how the members of St. Barnabas can proclaim the anti-racism Gospel, loving our neighbors as ourselves. The MRD is having an event from 7:30 – 9 PM on Friday, February 5th to view and discuss the video. “The House We Live In.”  We also have another opportunity at 2 PM on Sunday, February 28th at the South Brunswick Library, with a program entitled “Dispelling Misconceptions about Islam."  I hope you will be able to participate in some way, including offering prayers for those who are able to attend. 

I see no clearer example of the work of the devil then racism as its purpose is to separate us from each other and God.  As with all sin, we must repeat of it and turn back to God, asking for forgiveness and seeking redemption.  We continue to combat the sin by being honest yet loving, knowing that by proclaiming the anti-racism Gospel, we are all set all free to be one in Christ Jesus.

In Christ,


Rev. Valerie+

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