There is so much debate about the actions and motives of the protests going on here and abroad concerning racial equality. As a pastor I believe it is important to communicate my support of this movement. This video is one representation of that support.
Some of you reading this may have given up hope that there are any churches willing to speak up about divisive social justice issues, yet I hope that the work we are doing together at Christ City Church can at least spark a hope in you that things can be different. In the video I address this by saying the following:
“If you’ve been hurt by the church and its unwillingness to speak up and deal with these issues that are so important (current and relevant issues of justice and particularly racial injustice), I’m with you.”
Many of us have experienced church environments that were so concerned with keeping the status quo and not troubling the waters that she (the church) lost her revolutionary spirit. The tales of three Hebrew boys standing against an oppressive empire, the delivery of an enslaved people from the might of a ruthless monarchy and the earth-shaking calls for justice of the prophets became as flat as the pages of the book from whence they came.
Click here to learn more about our partnerships in mercy and justice.
In this video I also open up about my personal experience within the church:
“I’ve often been a voice outside of the church communicating these ideas and trying to get that voice inside of it.”
I mention this because I think it's important to know that, while the church is an institution, there are prophets and activists within it. I also believe that for any vibrant, healthy, and truth-telling church it is essential to make lots of room for these roles.
Click here to learn about our eight practices that includes showing mercy and pursuing justice.
Later in the video, I discuss different types of protestors. I support use of protest to advocate for human equality. Still, the broad categories I discuss do not include every action happening out on the streets. For example, another leader in our church recently brought up that there are looters who are opportunistic; selfishly taking what they otherwise have the means to easily earn legally and that they are destroying peoples livelihoods. I believe those behaviors are wrong and in most cases unhelpful. The indiscriminate and selfish actions of looters have led to damage and ruin for innocent small business owners.
Yet I cannot speak about looting without mentioning the inconceivably wealthy and powerful, whose wanton action on Wall Street via banking, home loans, politics, and oil (to name a few) have irreparably damaged the livelihoods of millions of poor, hard working people. So let us not get confused as to who is committing the vast majority of egregious and inexcusable violence toward the hardworking poor and struggling of the world. The injustices committed on Wall Street are an underlying reason for the protests, in all their forms, which takes place when people have had enough. Police brutality is an imminent threat to black folks and it is the tip of the spear of the societal problems that need reform.
This is not a simple conversation. The problems and solutions are complex. Ultimately it will take groups of people willing to surrender to a divine imagination to see progress, people with faith to move beyond reactionary action.
We are committed to the long conversation. We are committed to diversity of roles needed to move toward a reality of peace, equity, belonging, and the knowing of God, knowing God like our Lord taught us — May your kingdom come, will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Until every black life matters
Until every one of us is free
We stand in solidarity with the oppressed
Jamin Carter
Pastor
ChristCityChurch
If you are compelled by this perspective and want to explore more, here are some sermons and blogs to get you started-
Be on the look at for another video continuing the conversation next week titled- A Deeper Look at Protest, Race and Christianity for Our Congregation