Reconciliation (Part 1)


For the last day and a half, I’ve been attending a continuing education retreat called “Gathering of Leaders.”  This year, the topic is “Racial reconciliation and discipleship in the missionary church.” I will freely admit that my brain is overloaded at the moment and I am writing this blog knowing that I need much more time to sit and reflect on all the presentations, conversations and discussions we have engaged in in 36 hours.  I am acknowledging that this short reflection will not do this topic justice and so I will revisit this next week when I’ve had a little time to digest.  In the meantime, I offer a few observations that I already know are vitally important to our work as Christians.

1.      The work of reconciliation starts with admitting I am sinful and am in need of redemption, which I mercifully receive through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 
2.      Part of my sin is choosing comfort over hardship.  My white privilege allows me to not engage in racial/ethnic challenges that those who are not white cannot avoid, even if they want to.  And my sense of guilt or shame does not propel the conversation.
3.      I have to be honest about my own prejudices and issues before I can engage in a helpful, healthy communal discussion about reconciliation.
4.      The work of racial/ethnic reconciliation will not be completed in my life time.  In fact, it may never be “done.” That doesn’t negate my need to try and to be in intentional relationship with those who are different from me.
5.      Only God can change hearts and minds.  When my focus is only on my needs and wants, nothing will change (especially me) because it is not God’s will.
6.      Nothing will change without sacrifice and transformation – death and resurrection.

I specifically wrote these observations in the first person because I claim them as truth.  I hope others find truth in them as well, but I cannot put words in another’s mouth or mind.  That being said, I do believe that the Gospel that Jesus Christ died to redeem us is truth, and through his death and resurrection, we are called into a new way of life.  If we choose to follow that new way of life, we must live and love like Jesus.  We must love our neighbors as ourselves.  Especially those whose life experiences are completely different from our own. 

This is uncomfortable, hard work.  And it is work we must not shy away from.  In that light, I am thrilled we are willing, as a community, to go to the African-American Heritage Museum at the Smithsonian and share that experience.  We will experience it differently and we need to talk about how it was for each of us.  We need to be gracious to each other and learn from each other; we need to be honest especially when it is painful.

For those of us going, in the month before the trip, please take some time to prepare through prayer and reflection.  Pray that God’s Spirit will be with each of us, to be open for the unexpected and allow truth to enlighten us.  Reflect on what work we personally need to do in order to be in right relationship with our neighbor.

Next week I will continue this reflection as our attention to racial/ethnic reconciliation deserves much more thought, consideration and prayer.

In Christ,
Rev. Valerie+

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