To My Fellow Christians on Racism

Here’s why we need to have this conversation

Photo by Mike Von on Unsplash

I am a follower of Jesus.

I love the Church, but there are many instances when I don’t like the Church.

We need to have this conversation because while there continues to be growth and vitality in some parts of the body, there is a cancerous decay in other areas. This disease has been exposed with the recent events of racism in the United States.

I’m saddened by the silence of my Christian friends. I’m also disturbed by their criticism of the growing anti-racist movement. Those outside the Church don’t know our doctrines, but they see and point out the glaring hypocrisy in our words and actions. True healing and revitalization will only happen when those from within the Church can speak up. And so I write this letter.

The response of Christians during these events have torn down our painted facades and revealed our crumbling foundations. These are the criticisms I have against the Church, against our Church, against myself:

• We have trivialized the suffering of the oppressed through our denial of the existence of oppression.
• We have lost our identity and mission by corrupting our soul with the idolatry of politics.
• We have stripped…