Gracism

After the recent events in Missouri, Maryland, Texas, and South Carolina, my son commented, “Dad, it doesn’t seem safe to be black in the USA.”

YouTube videos and news headlines have shattered our idea that throughout America there is full acceptance that we are all created in the image of God with certain unalienable rights… including the most basic right to life.

Growing up in a suburb of Boston, I had very few cross-cultural or multiracial friendships. As a community, we were about as homogeneous as they come. But thankfully, through my work, travels, and family, my world is much more diverse and I know it’s had an impact on the way I think and feel about issues of race and privilege.

As one African proverb shares:

  • When I saw him from afar, I thought he was a monster.
  • When he got closer, I thought he was just an animal.
  • When he got closer, I recognized that he was a human.
  • When we were face to face, I realized that he was my brother.

Nationally, as we enter into conversations of race, my hope is that we would decrease distances and truly see others as our brothers and sisters.

Perhaps an important step in decreasing distances is simply to listen to voices of people who come from different backgrounds and different perspectives. If you’re looking for a place to start, I’ve appreciated the voices and perspectives of Trillia Newbell (author of United) and David Anderson (pastor of Bridgeway Community Church in Maryland and author of Gracism).

In David’s book, he writes how the intentional inclusion of grace can be woven throughout conversations on race. It’s a concept which attacks the very root of racism and offers a hopeful path forward for followers of Jesus.

Gracism

Instead of adding additional commentary, I thought I’d just share a few of my favorite quotes from his book:

– A “gracist” recognizes the beauty of diversity. A gracist will go to any length and work as diligently as possible to ensure that such beauty is seen and celebrated. A gracist truly believes that everyone matters and should be included. Gracist refuse to settle for unicultural segregation without doing all they can to include diversity at all levels of the church.

– Gracists take on the job of caring for the marginalized regardless of their color, class or culture. They intentionally reach out to those who are on the fringe, and if for some reason the marginalized person or group falters, gracism demands covering that person in such a way that his dignity is protected and his faults are not exploited.

– When I become aware of others who are not being treated fairly while I’m being given special treatment, that should give pause inside of me to refuse my special status and make right what is wrong in a systemic way through advocacy for causes that defy injustice.

– The “them vs. us” mentality plagues race relations, denominational distinctions and cultural differences to such a degree that it is hard for compassion to cross over to the other side of the street. If I don’t see the man lying on the side of the road as one who is a part of my family, ethnicity, religious group of class, then it is easier to dismiss him.

– When others are hurting in the body, gracism demands that we sympathize with the pain of our brothers and sisters. When someone is unfairly or unjustly treated, we should stand with that person since we are all a part of one body.

– After quoting the African proverb above, David concludes, “As long as we keep people at a distance, we can categorize them as monsters or animals. But when we get closer and begin to communicate with each other, we recognize that people are just like us in many ways. Comprehension begins with conversation.”

Lastly, I appreciated his thought on how “the longest prayer of Jesus recorded in Scripture is for the oneness of his offspring. God hates it when his children fight even more than I hate it for my children.” My sincere hope is that as we walk into essential conversations of race, we will do so bound by the unity of Christ, and holding hands with brothers and sisters in our beautifully diverse family.

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