Q. In view of the recent events in Ferguson and New York City, what is the best way for the Church to achieve racial reconciliation?
A. Before I answer this question, let me say that people with different backgrounds and experiences view this issue from diverse perspectives. This explains the sometimes-dramatic difference in responses to the question of reconciliation.
For example, notice the answers provided by two state representatives who grew up amidst the turmoil of racial tensions in Mississippi:
. . . I think what we’re seeing now is the closing of a tragic chapter in Mississippi’s history, one that shaped everyone in the state. Now there is unity where there was once division.
That unity and the relationships built in situations like the Philadelphia Coalition were key in finding solutions to build communities and improve the lives of people in Mississippi. For a long time, Mississippi’s experience defined the state in a negative way; hopefully now, with the work the state has done and continues to do, we can be defined in a positive way.
I think that we would love to be known as the state that leads the nation in efforts toward racial reconciliation, and I think that we have made more progress than in other parts of the country. The good news is that Mississippi has led at every level — and in particular at the local level, the state has turned a corner in racial reconciliation, in racial justice, in civil rights.
. . . I would like to think that in Mississippi, we have gone through our time of turbulence, and now we’re on the other side . . . .
. . . Today, we are moving beyond the fight for rights, and into the spiritual phase of reconciliation. This is the difficult work of finding a common purpose. But I think that this common purpose is found through spiritual understanding. This common purpose is above our differences, above conservative or liberal philosophies. It is a spiritual understanding based around a heritage of believing that all people are created equal and that all people are equal not only before the Creator, but also before the law. These spiritual principles ought to bring people together and provide the leadership to move beyond the past history and create a new history for Mississippi.
– Rep. Chip Pickering
I grew up and still live in Bolton, Mississippi. My school was named Bolton Colored School. The white school was Bolton School. I had to walk past Bolton School to get to Bolton Colored School every day. Bolton School had a cafeteria, a library, a gymnasium, a lighted baseball field, air conditioning, and it was made out of brick. Bolton Colored School had no indoor toilet, no cafeteria, no library, no science lab, no gymnasium, and it was made out of wood.
There were two United Methodist Churches in my hometown — one black and one white. The only time I ever went into the white church was after the richest person in the community died, and they marched all the kids from the colored school up to the white church to see his body.
But guess what? In 2006, there are still two United Methodist Churches in Bolton, Mississippi — one white and one black.
. . . You don’t have night riders anymore. You don’t have all those overt violent and negative actions taking place. In some parts of the state, blacks and whites go to the same school, sometimes the same church. So time has alleviated a lot, and I think this new generation could conceivably do a lot toward making things better.
However, it is fashionable now to talk about reconciliation. I think we have to demonstrate reconciliation. That demonstration is not just having an annual program, but actually finding ways to improve the state on a more permanent basis.
. . . All of us in Mississippi want our state to be better. The question is what approach do you take to make that happen. I tend to think that you can use a number of approaches to make that happen, but some of those approaches are going to make some people very uncomfortable because nobody likes to talk about race. You talk religion, you talk grandchildren, you talk sports; but most people won’t talk race, and I think the fundamental problem in our state is race.
Tolerance levels between blacks and whites are better today, but sometimes that tolerance masks many of the real challenges that we have to confront between the races. And we have some real challenges.
What I would really like to see is for my six-year-old granddaughter to decide whether or not she stays in her hometown, predicated on choice and not on economics or on race. That is where I would like Mississippi to be, and we are not there yet.
– Rep. Bennie Thompson
Different Perspectives, Helpful Insights
Both of these men are politicians from the same state. And yes, you probably have guessed it: Representative Thompson is African-American; Representative Pickering is Caucasian.
Neither Mr. Pickering’s nor Mr. Thompson’s response was mean-spirited. But notice the difference in their perspective. When we attempt to have a discussion about racial reconciliation, before effective conversation can take place we must start on a level plane which acknowledges there will be different perspectives because of the difference in our experiences.
Once we are able to dialogue and acknowledge our differences, we are free to move forward in our efforts to create an atmosphere of reconciliation. That said, a quick resolution to the unfortunate situations arising from the use of strong police force toward unarmed African-American men in Ferguson and New York City will not be easy.
As Thompson somberly stated, “we are not there yet.” How do we get there, wherever that may be?
A Biblical Perspective
God has given those of us who are in the Body of Christ another perspective. We want to examine this perspective in an effort to understand how we can respond toward one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Racial tension in the United States is more than a social, political, or economic problem. The problem runs deeper than genetics. It even runs deeper than our nation’s checkered past. The problem finds its root in our hearts. Behind every heart problem is a sin problem, and the only remedy for sin is the gospel. No other message has the power to heal relational wounds; transform enemies into friends; and restore social, racial, economic, and cultural imbalances so that individuals stand on equal footing.
By Cameron Edwards
Conscience & Courage: Racial Reconciliation in a Season of Suffering, Volume 2, Summer 2006, pp. 6-9.
Related Article:
Racial Reconciliation: Bringing the Truth Home – Cameron Edwards
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