I have found that one of the most important pastoral tasks that must be regularly repeated in pursuing racial justice is defining and redefining these 2 words:
• gospel
• racism
If we get these two words wrong, everything else is bound to fail.
• gospel
• racism
If we get these two words wrong, everything else is bound to fail.
My go to definition of the gospel:
The gospel is the good news that God’s kingdom has come near in Jesus Christ, and through his life, death, resurrection, and ascension, the powers of sin and death no longer have the last word.
The gospel is the good news that God’s kingdom has come near in Jesus Christ, and through his life, death, resurrection, and ascension, the powers of sin and death no longer have the last word.
Re racism, I have found Ibram Kendi’s definition helpful:
Racism is a marriage of racist policies and ideas that produces and normalizes racial inequalities.
Racism is a marriage of racist policies and ideas that produces and normalizes racial inequalities.
My point is this: If you define the gospel and racism in personalized ways (I go to heaven after I die...racism is individual prejudice) we will never see the comprehensive scope that demands a multifaceted response on our end.
