Dear White Christians

This is a season of great shaking.

The church is being shaken out, proved, and purified in ways that have not been experienced or known in past generations. We are called to account and repent for everywhere we have remained passive and complicit partners with racism, discrimination, and bias in the church.

We are the bride, united in Oneness with Christ Jesus. Will we be ready for the bridegroom in our current state? Will we be ready to see His face with stained and dirty garments? Have you ever seen a bride come to a wedding this way?

Do you not know that one of the greatest moves of God the United States has ever seen was birthed by a black man who was refused access to the house of God based on his skin color?

Do you not know that a refusal to acknowledge, repent of, and ask forgiveness for the racial sins of the church has twofold implications? First, reconciliation cannot come, and second, healing for both parties cannot be obtained.

Do you not know that justice cannot come through governmentally elected officials until justice comes through the house of God?

For hundreds of years the church has cowered behind discomfort and social expectations. Cowardice has made us complicit. While we have been hyper-focused on the false dos and don’ts list of things we think we must attain to please God, we have utterly failed in the recognition of ourselves, and those next to us, as Sons of God.

We are failing to take God at His word when He expressed that part of the finished work on the cross was erasing racial hatred. We are failing to take up the authority that we already have, to declare, decree, and enact justice on earth.

As you hear the news of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Christian Cooper, what is your response?

Are we praying for God to come and fix this evil we see? Do we not even have the understanding of children to know that this is our authority? That this is our job? We are the body of Christ.

In Jesus, we have been made as one whole unit. In your own body, if your right arm is injured deeply, do you shrug your shoulders and say “Well, it’s not my problem- I still have my left arm!”? Or do you immediately take action to remedy and heal your arm?

So, in the same way when part of the body of Christ suffers racial injustice, what is the rest of the body’s response?

What is your response? Will we turn away and ignore part of our body bleeding out, or will we take action and recognize that this is our problem that must be remedied by all members doing their part?

Christ has already done His part, He has given us the authority to eradicate racial hatred in the earth when He rose again and seized the keys to death and hell and was given all power and authority, and then commissioned us to go and do greater works than He did on the earth.

Dear reader, what can you do to enact racial justice on the earth?

If you truly don’t know, here are some good starting points:

• Follow and learn from those committed to racial justice. OneRace is a faith-based place to start (http://oneracemovement.com).
• Do not be silent. Passivity to sin is sin (James 4:17). Your black brothers and sisters need to hear from your mouth that you are not okay with racial violence.  Change will not come from a muzzled mouth. Now is the time to speak.
• Ignore your own discomfort. It is not the time to focus on you. You will be called into many uncomfortable conversations if you pursue racial justice, but consider how will you answer God when He asks you why you were silent to the tears and suffering of your brothers and sisters? Will it be enough to Him that you ignored their pain because of your own discomfort?
• Check in with your friends who are black. Listen to them, cry with them, pray with them, and support them. Try to feel their pain and think about how it would feel for you if you were in their shoes.
• If you don’t have a diverse range of friends, then ask God to bring you to the people you need to learn from and commune with. We were never meant to be racially divided in the body of Christ. Segregated churches are from the pit of hell.
• Educate yourself on the issues our communities are dealing with. Humble yourself and realize that you will say and do the wrong thing at some point, but with humility comes education. Making mistakes is part of the learning process. Be open to own up to your mistakes, be sorry, and learn from it.
• Listen to others about what it’s like to be black and do the same things you do:
  • Do you homeschool? Listen to the struggles of those who are black and homeschooling.
  • Are you a church leader? Listen to the issues of those who are black church leaders.
  • Are you into adoption/fostering? Listen to the voices of those who are black and adopting/fostering.
  • Are you a political leader? Listen to the hearts of those who are black community leaders.
  • Are you a parent? Listen to black parents right now and enter into their struggles.
  • Are you a runner? Listen to how it feels to be black exercising in America right now.
  • Are you a business owner? Listen to black business owners’ experiences.

If we refuse to listen, we will never learn. If we never learn, we will never take required action. Realize that this list of suggestions is the most basic of beginnings. There are many voices called to condemn racial injustice now. Your voice may be one of them and there may be a ministry inside of you that the Holy Ghost wants to bring forth. But you must say “Yes” and trust Him to do it. I prophesy that many leaders are being called forth in this hour to bring about racial justice. But you must say “Yes” to God and let Him do the work through you. If that’s you reader, I bless you in the work God has called you to do.

• Do not neglect prayer. God clearly communicates that our weapons are not of this world, they are spiritual to fight spiritual battles (2 Corinthians 10:4). If you have not experienced the power of intercession, ask God to show you, then look and listen as He brings you to the videos, books, teachings, and resources that you need to learn how to experience His power through prayer (I will include a recommended reading list below for those interested in my personal favorites).
• Educate yourself on what it means to be black in America. Listen to black experiences. Start with books like “A Different Mirror” by Ronald Takaki, or “The Color of Law” by Richard Rothstein. “Heroes in Black History” by Dave and Neta Jackson, or research William Seymour, the African American preacher who led the historic move of God in California. Look into Tony Evans’ book “Oneness Embraced” about reconciliation in the church. We have more access to African American voices than ever before due to social media and the internet. In other words, there is no excuse to remain ignorant of our brothers’ and sisters’ experiences.
• Educate yourself on God’s heart for His people. Start with immersing yourself in Ephesians chapters 1-3 until you begin to understand with your spirit who you are, and where you fit in God’s plan for His people. Then, begin to carry the conviction that to hate each other is to hate God.

We are here at this point in time for a purpose. The hand of God is extended to us, we have the opportunity for His kingdom to come to earth through us. But action is required. What is your choice in this hour?

Let me leave you with this prayer by Andrea Gale Travis (found in Section 3 of the book “Prayers to Propel You Forward: For Such a Time as This” by Esthers of Intercession)

“Father God, we thank You that You are no respecter of persons. We decree, therefore, in everything we would like men to do to us, we do also to them, for this is the Law of the Prophets. We declare to be devoted to one another in love and to honor one another above ourselves. I decree not to do anything out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility I will value others above myself. I declare in everything to set an example by doing what is good, in teaching to show integrity and seriousness. Father, thank You for the new command You have given, that we are to love one another as You have loved us. And by this everyone will know that we are your disciples, if we love one another, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”NOTE: Although this article is a result of the current headlines regarding the murders and discrimination involving the black community in America, these concepts of racial justice, equality and action are for everyone; regardless of your people group or location on the globe.

My recommended reading list on Intercessory prayer includes: “The Believers Authority” by Kenneth Hagin, “The Rules of Engagement” by Cindy Trimm, “Prayers to Propel You Forward: For Such a Time as This” by Esthers of Intercession, “Prayers That Avail Much” by Germaine Copeland, “Prayers that Activate Blessing” by John Eckhardt, “Giant Slayers” by Leif Hetland and “Blessing Your Spirit” by Sylvia Gunter and Arthur Burk.

Permission has been obtained by the author to publish the prayer found in the book “Prayers to Propel You Forward: For Such a Time as This” by Esthers of Intercession.

 

Briana Lassiter I’m married to my dearest friend of nine years and mom to an energetic seven-year-old. My greatest joys come from traveling with my little family, cooking for appreciative recipients, learning herbalism and natural medicine, and every experience I get to have in prayer ministry. I’m an avid tea and book lover and can’t get enough of either. I love Jesus and the daily adventure that comes from walking in friendship with him as he arranges and rearranges my story.