Breaking Down the Walls of Racism in the Church

Devotional

Day 1: Unity in Diversity

Jesus' vision for the church is one of unity amidst diversity, where every nation, tribe, and tongue come together. This unity is not about erasing differences but celebrating them as part of God's design. Embracing diversity is essential to fulfilling Jesus' plan for His church. The church should be a reflection of the heavenly vision where all people, regardless of their background, are welcomed and valued. This unity is a testament to the power of the Gospel, which transcends cultural and racial barriers, creating a community that mirrors the kingdom of God. [31:24]

"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ." (1 Corinthians 12:12, ESV)

Reflection: Consider someone from a different cultural or racial background in your church. How can you intentionally build a relationship with them this week to celebrate the diversity within the body of Christ?

Day 2: Understanding Racism

Racism is both systemic and personal, rooted in the belief of racial superiority. It manifests in policies, institutions, and individual actions. Recognizing this dual nature is crucial for addressing the dividing wall of racism effectively. The church must acknowledge its own history and complicity in these systems to move forward. By understanding the depth and breadth of racism, believers can begin to dismantle these barriers and work towards a more just and equitable society. This understanding is the first step in the journey towards reconciliation and healing. [38:52]

"Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment." (John 7:24, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you may have judged someone based on their race or appearance. How can you seek to understand their story and perspective better today?

Day 3: Awareness, Relationships, Commitment

These three components are vital in dismantling racism. Awareness involves learning about history and personal stories, relationships require authentic connections, and commitment calls for action against oppressive systems. This journey is ongoing and requires continuous growth. By fostering awareness, believers can educate themselves and others about the realities of racism. Building relationships with those who are different from us helps to break down stereotypes and prejudices. Commitment involves taking tangible steps to advocate for justice and equality in our communities. [45:51]

"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:4, ESV)

Reflection: Identify one action you can take this week to advocate for racial justice in your community. How can you involve others in this effort?

Day 4: The Role of the Church

The church is called to be a place where dividing walls are destroyed, not built. This involves acknowledging and addressing the racial policies and practices that have characterized the church for too long. The church must lead in reconciliation and justice, setting an example for the world. By actively working to dismantle these walls, the church can become a beacon of hope and healing. This requires courage, humility, and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths. The church's role is to embody the love and unity that Jesus prayed for in His followers. [42:57]

"And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near." (Ephesians 2:17, ESV)

Reflection: How can your church become more intentional in addressing racial issues and promoting reconciliation? What role can you play in this process?

Day 5: A Lifelong Journey

Moving from passive to actively anti-racist is a lifelong journey. It involves continuous growth in awareness, relationships, and commitment. Each step dismantles the dividing wall of hostility, reflecting the unity and diversity that Jesus envisioned for His church. This journey requires perseverance and a willingness to learn and grow. It is not a checklist to be completed but a path to be walked daily. As believers commit to this journey, they become agents of change, reflecting the heart of God in a broken world. [01:04:44]

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you can commit to growing in anti-racism? How can you ensure that this commitment is sustained over the long term?

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we delved into a challenging yet crucial topic: the dividing wall of racism within the church and society. This conversation is not just a political issue but a deeply spiritual one, rooted in the teachings of Jesus. We explored how Jesus' vision for His church is one of unity and diversity, where every nation, tribe, and tongue comes together under the redeeming power of the cross. This unity is not about erasing differences but celebrating them as part of God's design.

The key passage from Ephesians 2:14 reminds us that Jesus Himself is our peace, breaking down the barriers of hostility. While Paul originally addressed the division between Jews and Gentiles, today, we face different walls, including racism. Racism, as defined, is the belief in the inherent superiority of one race over another, leading to systemic and personal inequalities. This issue is not just a societal problem but one that has infiltrated the church, preventing it from being the strong, resilient body that Jesus intended.

We discussed the importance of awareness, relationships, and commitment in dismantling this wall. Awareness involves understanding the history and personal stories that shape our perceptions. Relationships require us to build authentic connections with those who are different from us. Commitment calls us to take action, standing with those who are marginalized and working to change oppressive systems.

This journey is not a checklist but a lifelong commitment to growth and understanding. As we strive to move from being passive to actively anti-racist, we are called to reflect the glory of God's design in a redeemed, diverse family. The church is meant to be a place where the dividing wall is destroyed, not built up. This is a call to action for each of us to engage in the hard work of reconciliation and justice, reflecting the unity and diversity that Jesus envisioned for His church.

Key Takeaways

1. racist is a lifelong journey. It involves continuous growth in awareness, relationships, and commitment. Each step dismantles the dividing wall of hostility, reflecting the unity and diversity that Jesus envisioned for His church. [01:04:44]
** [64:44]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:30] - Introduction to the Topic
[01:45] - The Uncomfortable Conversation
[03:20] - Key Passage: Ephesians 2:14
[05:00] - Defining Race and Racism
[07:30] - The Jesus Conversation
[09:00] - Diversity in Jesus' Plan
[11:00] - The Standardization of Whiteness
[13:30] - Systemic and Personal Racism
[16:00] - The Church's Role in Reconciliation
[18:30] - Revelation 7:9 Vision
[20:00] - Model for Uniting Across Races
[22:30] - Awareness, Relationships, Commitment
[25:00] - Lifelong Journey Toward Anti-Racism
[27:00] - Panel Discussion Introduction

Sermon Clips

"Good morning. Good morning. Wow. What a great group. It's so good to see you this morning. Thank you for joining us. If you are a guest, including those of you watching online, I would love to connect with you. Just scan the QR code if you're in the room here and we'll follow up with you, help you in your journey of life and faith along the way. And I, um, some church conversations should come with a warning label, a warning label that says the following may contain comments and ideas that create discomfort." [00:27:49] (39 seconds)

"But unless we can learn how to deal with those uncomfortable moments, um, we're going to struggle to be a place that Jesus had in mind, a place where every nation, tribe, and tongue comes together under, under the redeeming power of the cross and the Holy Spirit and to grow into something as a living, breathing body of Jesus that really defies logic and yet also glorifies God who we're trying to follow anyway." [00:29:36] (37 seconds)

"When two dissimilar groups come together into one, they create something that is stronger, that is more resilient, that is more flourishing. We've discussed it throughout this series. Now, I know Jesus is talking, or Paul is talking here about the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles. That's not the wall that we struggle with. And we've talked about different walls here in this series. We've talked about generational walls. We've talked about gender walls. We've talked about ethnicity walls." [00:30:52] (38 seconds)

"And people listening to this here and later might assume this is about a political conversation. It is not. It has ramifications and threads going into politics, but this is about a Jesus conversation. Let me be clear about that. This is not me taking a political posture. I don't do that from this stage. This is a Jesus issue. And this is a wall that cannot be ignored because it's dividing the body of Christ. And dividing walls prevent diversity." [00:33:51] (42 seconds)

"The dividing wall of racism is both systemic and personal. What do I mean? So I grew up believing that racism was the beliefs and actions of individual people. And that was it. That was the sum total of it. Others have grown up hearing and believing that racism is only about systems and policies and procedures. I would suggest to you that racism is both of those." [00:40:24] (35 seconds)

"And that if you leave one out, you only have an incomplete picture of the dividing wall that we're trying to deal with. You see, the dividing wall of racism has a foundation that is built and grounded on systemic policies and institutions, which we do not have time to explore here today, but it is also made up of millions of little stones of individual, personal acts and beliefs and comments and behaviors. Together, they create a dividing wall that is dividing not just our nation, but the church." [00:40:50] (33 seconds)

"This reality is deeply troubling because Jesus' church is supposed to be the kind of place where the dividing wall is being destroyed, not built up. Here's a picture. Here's a picture of what Jesus has in mind and in store for his body. This is found in Revelation 7, verse 9. And John writes this. After this, I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count from every nation, tribe, people, and language." [00:42:37] (36 seconds)

"Awareness is the head part. Like, what do I know and believe to be true? Learn about history. About my own personal story. About what God says about the dignity of every human person. Like, this is important. If we don't have awareness, nothing's going to happen. But it doesn't end there. Then there's relationships. This is the heart part of the model, right? Well, it's not enough to say, oh, I have a black friend." [00:44:25] (31 seconds)

"But it goes beyond that. It's saying, I want to create authentic relationships where I'm caring about and being involved in the lives of other people. Including people who don't look like myself. And then comes commitment. The hands part, right? So, you've got the head, the heart, and the hands. The commitment is this is where we take action. Where we stand with those who are struggling. Where we work to undo the policies and systems that have long oppressed minorities." [00:45:08] (32 seconds)

"Now, Tisby points out, and he's exactly right. This is not a checkbox. I don't just, okay, now I'm aware. Now I have relationships. Now I'm done. I'm moving on. Like, the problem doesn't go away. This is a lifelong journey where we continue to grow in each one of these. And at different seasons in any of our lives, there may be, like, a higher focus on one than the other. But all of them are essential. All of them are things that we continue to grow and work in individually and together." [00:45:51] (29 seconds)

"Because we're all somewhere on this continuum between racist and anti -racist. And we want to continue to move away from one and toward the other. It's a journey. It's a lifelong journey. I mean, it's one small step at a time. But I believe that that's part of how we take down this dividing wall of hostility that exists in our country, in our culture, and even in our church." [00:46:46] (29 seconds)

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