Study #1: L ove / Rac ial Injustic e E a ste rn ND E L CA Syno - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Study #1: L ove / Rac ial Injustic e E a ste rn ND E L CA Syno d Asse mb ly June 4, 2016

Don’t look away Whe n Go d mo ve s us o ut o f o ur c o mfo rt zo ne – into pla c e s tha t a re wa y b ig g e r tha n us, pla c e s tha t a re diffic ult, ha rd, pa inful – tha t e ve n hurt – this is a g ift. We a re b e ing g ive n a g ift. T he se ha rd pla c e s g ive us the g ift o f intima te ly kno wing Go d – in wa ys tha t wo uld ne ve r b e po ssib le in o ur c o mfo rt zo ne s. Rac e . Justic e . L ove .

…it do e sn’ t we a r a ho o d

…it do e sn’ t po st sig ns

…it lo o ks mo re like this

…it is a le ns

T he E le pha nt in the Ro o m PL AY VI DE O http:/ / www.pb s.o rg / ra c e / 005_Me MyRa c e AndI / 005_01-slide sho w.htm

Why do n’ t we wa nt to ta lk a b o ut ra c e ? PRIVIL E GE • Ac kno wle dg ing white privile g e is a c kno wle dg ing une a rne d a dva nta g e • I t fo rc e s us to b ust the myth o f me rito c ra c y – wha t we ha ve is wha t we e a rne d/ wa nte d • No o ne wa nts to b e lie ve tha t he o r she is a t the to p o f a ny kind o f so c ia l struc ture b a se d o n a n unfa ir situa tio n

Why do n’ t we wa nt to ta lk a b o ut ra c e ? NICE NE SS • We do n’ t me a n a ny ha rm so wha t is the re to ta lk a b o ut • Be lie f tha t o ppre ssio n c a n’ t b e uninte ntio na l • I do n’ t c a re a b o ut ra c e so wha t is the re to ta lk a b o ut

Why do n’ t we wa nt to ta lk a b o ut ra c e ? GUIL T • No t sure ho w to fe e l a b o ut thing s tha t ha ppe ne d lo ng b e fo re us • Do n’ t wa nt to b e b la me d fo r sins o f the pa st – just wa nt to mo ve o n • No ide a ho w to “ma ke it rig ht”

Je sus ke e ps it simple Yo u sha ll lo ve the L o rd yo ur Go d with a ll yo ur he a rt, with a ll yo ur so ul a nd with yo ur e ntire mind. T his is the g re a te st a nd the first c o mma ndme nt. T he se c o nd is like it; yo u sha ll lo ve yo ur ne ig hb o r a s yo urse lf. T he who le la w a nd the pro phe ts de pe nd o n the se two g re a t c o mma ndme nts. -L uke 10:27

Ho w to do this in to da y’ s wo rld? T he “wro ng ” kind o f Do not judge by judg me nt is… appearances, • Supe rfic ia l • Hypo c ritic a l but judge with right • Unfo rg iving judgment. • Se lf-rig hte o us -John 7:24 • Untrue So … wha t’ s the “rig ht” kind?

Whe n thinking a b o ut ra c e … Pa ssing judg me nt o n so me o ne b a se d Do not judge by so le ly o n appearances, a ppe a ra nc e s is but judge with right sinful. judgment. -John 7:24 F o o lish to jump to c o nc lusio ns b e fo re inve stig a ting the fa c ts.

Disc ussio n Ho w o fte n do yo u think • a b o ut yo ur ra c e ? Wha t pe rso na l • c ha ra c te ristic s do yo u think tha t pe o ple judg e yo u o n o the r tha n ra c e (g e nde r, we ig ht, he ig ht, a g e , inc o me ) Ho w do yo u judg e with • “rig ht judg me nt” a nd no t b y a ppe a ra nc e s? Wha t do e s white privile g e • lo o k like ? (se e list o n yo ur ta b le )

Be c oming a Re fug e e Displaced people from the minority Yazidi sect, fleeing the Islamic State in Sinjar, walk towards the Syrian border www.ibtimes.co.uk

Be c oming a Re fug e e Blog.ted.com

Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan: Home to 144,00 Refugees (US Dept of State)

Be ing a Chr istian is living at the Not having enough fulc r um of your fe ar Feed the hungry and …that’ s whe re Je sus care for the sick do e s his b e st wo rk! People who People who don’t are different believe the same from me way I do Stand with the Welcome poor and the the stranger powerless

I t is no rma l (a nd so me time s wise !) to b e a fra id. But a re we a fra id o f the rig ht thing s? Wha t a re Christia ns c a lle d to do?

We a re no t po we rle ss Re c ognize tha t so me o f yo ur suc c e ss ma y b e une a rne d (i.e ., • yo u g o t the b e ne fit o f the do ub t so me whe re do wn the line ) Re me mb e r to se e the humanity o f the pe o ple yo u wo rk with – • the pe o ple a ro und yo u ame – vie w pe o ple a s pa rt o f yo ur e xte nde d Change your fr • fa mily Use the a dva nta g e s yo u ha ve to r e e quity whe re ve r yo u e stor • se e b ia s – yo u a re no t po we rle ss Be willing to tole r ate the disc omfor t a sso c ia te d with a n ho ne st • a ppra isa l a nd disc ussio n o f o ur inte rna lize d supe rio rity a nd ra c ia l privile g e stand the ra c ia l re a litie s o f pe o ple o f c o lo r Atte mpt to unde r • thro ug h a uthe ntic inte ra c tio n ra the r tha n thro ug h the me dia E ve n if we didn’ t c re a te the me ss…we ’ re stuc k with it – will ta ke a ll o f us to ma ke it b e tte r

Yo u c a n b e the lig ht Don’t… Inste ad… Judg e Se e • • L o o k a wa y E mb ra c e disc o mfo rt • • Just a c c e pt yo ur re a c tio ns E xa mine the m • • Wa ste yo ur privile g e Use it to re sto re e q uity • • Assume ra c ia l injustic e is Re c o g nize privile g e a s • • histo ry injustic e to da y De ny L e a rn. Ac t. L o ve . • •

L o ve the L o rd yo ur Go d L o ve yo ur ne ig hb o r as yo urse lf Do no t judg e b y appe aranc e s

Bre a th Pra ye r (Br e athe In) (Br e athe In) L o rd Je sus Be still a nd Christ, So n kno w o f Go d, (Br e athe (Br e athe Out) Out) ha ve me rc y tha t I a m o n me a Go d sinne r

Bre a th Pra ye r fo r Ra c ia l Justic e (Br e athe In) (Br e athe In) F o r tho se hurt b y I n a wo rld b ro ke n b y ra c ia l injustic e , ra c ia l pre judic e , (Br e athe Out) (Br e athe Out) le t the m b e le t us se e o the rs a s re sto re d the ima g e o f Go d

We pray fo r pe ac e , justic e , and re c o nc iliatio n fo r the who le human family. He lp us to b e ho ne st ab o ut the re ality o f rac ism within us and aro und us. Ope n o ur e ye s to se e the many sub tle and o ve rt ways that we and o ur c o mmunitie s se e pe o ple o f c o lo r as b e ing o f le ss wo rth. Grant us insig ht, fo rg ive ne ss, and c o urag e - and ig nite o ur he arts to the ways we c an b e instrume nts o f yo ur pe ac e in the fac e o f vio le nc e , pre judic e , and injustic e . AME N

A fe w re sourc e s to spur furthe r thinking on ra c e a nd ra c ia l injustic e T he Ne w Jim Cro w: Ma ss I nc a rc e ra tio n in the Ag e o f Co lo rb lindne ss. • Mic he lle Ale xa nde r (2010). (Study Guide availab le as a c o mpanio n pie c e ) PBS se rie s o n Ra c e a t www.pb s.o rg / ra c e • T e dX o n Ra c e • Ho w stud ying privile g e syste ms c a n stre ng the n c o mpa ssio n – (https:/ / www.yo utub e .c o m/ wa tc h? v=e -BY9UE e wHw) Alle g o rie s o n ra c e a nd ra c ism – (https:/ / www.yo utub e .c o m/ wa tc h? v=GNhc Y6fT yBM) T he po we r o f privile g e (https:/ / www.yo utub e .c o m/ wa tc h? v=N0a c vkHIiZs) – A sa mpling o f a rtic le s a nd/ o r study re so urc e s: • http:/ / www.c nn.c o m/ 2014/ 11/ 26/ us/ fe rg uso n-ra c ism-o r-ra c ia l-b ia s/ – http:/ / www.luthe ra nsnw.o rg / Ra c e -F a ith-Justic e -Re so urc e s – http:/ / www.mo yo living .o rg / to pic s/ ra c e -ima g e -o f-the - – d ivine / c ritic a l_re fle c tio ns/ 48