Americans heard a different message that enabled them to stay strong during the horror of the era of slavery and the systemic racism since that time.
For Christians to respond to the reality of racism in our lives and in our congregations, we must first move beyond denial. In classic Christian terminology, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” But such confession is done in hope. “If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is often a hard truth for congregations to hear.
A congregation that desires to overcome the sin of racism that bogs down and distorts their experience of the faith must begin with confession. It is a significant step towards the healing of a major division among humanity.
As Desmond Tutu says, “In forgiving, people are not being asked to forget. On the contrary, it is important to remember so that we should not let such atrocities happen again. Forgiveness does not mean condoning what has been done. It means taking what happened seriously and not minimizing it;”
One of the powerful discoveries in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa was the power of truth-telling. There was healing in the victims finally having someone listen to their story of suffering and honoring their pain. Desmond Tutu notes, “It may be. . . that race relations in the United States will not improve significantly until Native Americans and African Americans get the opportunity to tell their stories and reveal the pain that sits in the pit of their stomachs as a baneful legacy of dispossession and slavery.Americans heard a different message that enabled them to stay strong during the horror of the era of slavery and the systemic racism since that time.
For Christians to respond to the reality of racism in our lives and in our congregations, we must first move beyond denial. In classic Christian terminology, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” But such confession is done in hope. “If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is often a hard truth for congregations to hear.
A congregation that desires to overcome the sin of racism that bogs down and distorts their experience of the faith must begin with confession. It is a significant step towards the healing of a major division among humanity.
As Desmond Tutu says, “In forgiving, people are not being asked to forget. On the contrary, it is important to remember so that we should not let such atrocities happen again. Forgiveness does not mean condoning what has been done. It means taking what happened seriously and not minimizing it;”
One of the powerful discoveries in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa was the power of truth-telling. There was healing in the victims finally having someone listen to their story of suffering and honoring their pain. Desmond Tutu notes, “It may be. . . that race relations in the United States will not improve significantly until Native Americans and African Americans get the opportunity to tell their stories and reveal the pain that sits in the pit of their stomachs as a baneful legacy of dispossession and slavery.