Today, you may decide you don’t like me. That’s okay. I’ve got some stuff on my mind, and since this is my little home on the Internet, I’m going to say it…because it matters.
First things first: If you haven’t been around long enough to know this–I’m a white Christian woman. I’m 34. I grew up in Flint, MI, but my neighborhood was predominantly white. I also went to a Christian school from K-8th, predominantly white. Did I have black friends? Absolutely. Did my parents teach me to love and respect all people, no matter the color of their skin. Absolutely.
Alright. So. You know where I’m coming from.
Listen up, my fellow white Christians…we’ve got some work to do.
Here’s what I’ve been noticing and/or reflecting on this past week.
1.Jesus is LOVE.
Sounds obvious, but that’s not how some of you have been acting on social media. You guys…Christians are called to make disciples, but how is that gonna work if some of us are so busy hating and judging everyone else? How can we teach non-believers that God loves them if we won’t love the world around us? So put aside your politics, stop posting things to your Facebook page that spread hate and judgment. Stop making Jesus look bad. If you truly love God, you should love those He loves. Which is everyone.
2. Stop with the “All Lives Matter” thing.
Black Lives Matter is NOT saying that “ONLY Black Lives Matter.” If that’s what it meant, that’s what it’d say. I don’t think our black friends are trying to say that their lives are more important than anyone else’s. I think Black Lives Matter is simply pointing out that in a world where often it seems that black lives don’t matter, they DO. So can we please just…understand, empathize and not get our little feelings hurt when someone says they support the Black Lives Matter movement?
3. Our kids need us to guide them.
White Christian homes often don’t talk about racism. I know ours didn’t. I honestly (stupidly) thought that because my kids have friends of many races and colors, that was good enough. I knew my kids didn’t care whether they were playing with a white kid or a black kid, so WELL DONE MAMA. Except..this past week has shown me that is not enough. I need to be actively teaching my children, talking to them, and guiding these conversations. And I need to do it through the lens of the Bible, because God is very clearly anti-racist.
4. I’m going to get it wrong.
But I will try anyway. I will continue to learn, grow, and use my voice.
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I’m so hopeful that my fellow Christians will have their eyes opened. It is time to stop talking and start listening and accepting that change is needed. And then change the world. It’s what Jesus would do.
