Racism and Christian Faith

It’s a privilege to be asked to preach God’s word today. Thanks so much for having me. We always love coming to St Joseph’s when we’re in town visiting family. And hope to be able to visit again in person soon. Ken asked me to speak about race, racism and the Christian faith.

Now this is a SENSITIVE subject. And we might find thinking and talking about race painful or uncomfortable in different ways. Because we all have different experiences and are looking from different angles.

So, my friend Carl (I’ve changed his name) is a black Christian man. Racism been one of the biggest struggles of his whole life. Run ins with the police, same as all his mates, he’s been so angry and frustrated for so long. And now exhausted. If he’s honest he’s cynical as to whether things will ever change (not just in the culture, but also in the church)

Or Claire - as a white person growing up in the UK she’s never really thought much about race or racism much her whole life. She was deeply shocked to see what happened to George Floyd and all the protests after. But she feels confused and unsure what to do. As a white person. Hearing terms like ‘white privilege’ or ‘white fragility’ she feels nervous. And how should she help her young daughter engage with this in a multi-cultural city?

Terry is an older man who reckons this is all a fuss about nothing and young people are far too sensitive and always outraged these days. Everyone wants to be a victim and blame ‘the system’ for their problems. We need to be hard- working, respectful citizens and try to get along. And if we see someone mistreating someone else, we should confront them.

Now Carl, Claire and Terry all love Jesus - all British born and raised - but their experiences of race and racism couldn’t be more different. And God has thrown them all together in the same church!

> How can we even have a conversation about such things?

On Social Media it seems people just shout, name call, virtue-signal, cancel, block, the one thing that seems impossible is an honest, considerate, constructive conversation. Where people with different experiences & different perspectives, maybe even grievances, can come together and be united and move forward. Yet that’s what happens, amazingly in our passage Acts 6.

And as we look at God’s word - I hope we’ll see: Whether you’re angry / tired / anxious / or feel out of your depth. If you care about equality, justice and racial reconciliation…

> The good news of Jesus Christ really is the greatest hope for our world

CONTEXT
Now you may know Acts is vol. 2 by Dr Luke. Vol.1 = Luke’s Gospel (about what Jesus began to do in his earthly ministry). Acts is all about what Jesus CONTINUED to do - after his resurrection, and ascension into heaven. Through the Holy Spirit who empowered the Apostles.

And his plan was for his witnesses to spread the Good News from Jerusalem, to Judea, to the ends of the earth (1:8) Which by the way shows us that geographic and ethnic diversity is hard-wired into the game plan and mission of King Jesus now in heaven, for his church here on earth.

1. The PROBLEM: Discrimination

They were probably all ethnically Palestinian Jewish-background believers but there were 2 cultural groups. Those whose first language was Greek (Hellenists) and those who spoke Hebrew/Aramaic. And the complaint was the Greek speaking widows were getting missed off the list for the daily food support. We might say it’s a form of systemic bias or discrimination.

I must say I’m a bit nervous because it seems popular to ‘assume’ everything is somehow systemic racism. I’m nervous because it can become very vague and imprecise and impossible to pin down: who’s really doing what to whom? - what exactly is the injustice? Is there evidence to show it’s really about race? (And those who ask such questions are automatically labelled racist/ white supremacist - which can feel like a silencing tactic instead of honest discussion)

But here we CAN see a specific injustice, and see discrimination (not ethnic but cultural), which is systemic. No one person is accused of deliberately hating the Greek-speaking widows. But the system that’s been set up - somehow ended up with them (as a group) getting left out. So, the problem is ‘discrimination’ (of a certain kind)

SIDEBAR (‘Big Picture’)
Now back up for a sec. Why is discrimination even a problem? Why should we care? Forgive me - you might find the question itself offensive. If so that’s because our moral taste buds have been shaped (whether we realise it or not) by a Christian way of understanding the world.

CREATION: Right at the beginning God made humanity in his image. Every human person without exception. Whatever your age, background, employment status, language or skin colour. In fact, fundamentally there’s only ONE race - the human race. As one writer puts it “Sons of Adam and daughters of Eve”. All in the image of God. Which is the basis for >> REAL EQUALITY.

SIN: But the story continued: our first parents turned away from God, and we’ve all been doing the same ever since. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. Which, believe it or not, is the basis for >> REAL HONESTY. Even in painful & sensitive conversations like this.

There’s no need to pretend or cover up. Of course, we mess things up. Sin is a root problem that infects every heart, and like a virus, it spreads. In our offices, families, countries and even churches. Way more deadly than COVID. Sin will have a personal dimension, but will spread socially and culturally, reinforced in various ways. So, we can & must be honest about the historic and present effects of sin (including racism and injustice - in specific, real and not just vague ways)

REDEMPTION: And gloriously Jesus Christ through the Gospel calls all kinds of people together. Black, White, Iranian, Geordie. Welcomed. Made new. In Christ.

At the Cross he paid the penalty, tore down the dividing wall of hostility, and made peace for us with God. And with one another (whatever our background). To be in Christ is to be one body, one family, one church. Which is the basis for >> REAL UNITY

NEW CREATION: And as you’ve been hearing. A new creation is coming where people from every nation, all tribes and peoples and languages will stand before the throne of God and the Lamb (Jesus) - cleansed from the stain of sin, worshipping him perfectly together. Forever. Which gives us >> REAL HOPE. No matter how dark things feel now, the light will triumph, the sun will rise and the Lamb will reign.

> Do you see, true Christianity gives us a basis for real equality, real honesty, real unity and real hope?

But this means - back to Acts 6- discrimination & neglect of the Greek-speaking widows threatened to undermine all that.

So, the problem was discrimination.

2. The DANGER. Well there’s actually 2

Division (or disunity): This is in the background. Will the church split? Maybe we need a Greek-speaking church and a Hebrew-speaking church. Or the Greeks need to accept they’ll always be ‘2nd class’. But hang on - that’s a distortion of the gospel. Christ died to create ONE new humanity (not two) Eph 2 , from every tribe and language (Rev 7. Division is a real danger.

But the other danger is Distraction.

v2 The Apostles have been set apart for the ministry of prayer and the word. That’s the calling God has given them. So, they shouldn't get distracted by this important other ministry and become full time food distribution managers.

3. The SOLUTION: Delegation (overturning the discrimination)

v3-5 They picked 7 - really good guys - full the Spirit and wisdom (v3, 5). We’re told all their names. Partly, I think to show they’re Greek names. Seems smart if there’s a problem for Greek-speaking widows. And they’re commissioned for this ministry.

4. The RESULT: Dramatic growth

Think about this - there’s evidence of discrimination that could have led to division (split the church) or distraction (take the Apostles away from their gospel ministry). But after delegation, which actually addressed the specific issue of discrimination … what happened?

It could have split and destroyed and distracted the church. By god’s grace it grew the church. And God’s plan -the mission of King Jesus - to have witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea to the ends of the earth marched on. And is still marching on. In London, in Benwell...

> Now what does all this have to teach us about racism and church life today?

1. LOOK OUT for who gets left out.
Like those Greek-speaking widows, maybe no-one deliberately seeks to exclude or neglect them but somehow, they get missed out.

Welcome? Who do we talk to on a Sunday? Is it just people who look and sound like us? Sure, that’s easier - but who gets left out from our welcome?

Hospitality? Who do we really make the effort to invite into our homes and into our lives? Who gets left out?

Discipleship? The way we support one another to grow as Christians. Do we assume that ‘Christian maturity’ looks and feels - dare I say - like white middle- class, university-educated culture? Comes with a bit of a posh accent, culturally if not literally? Who gets left out?

Leadership development? Who are the kinds of people we identify to lead - small groups, children’s work, pray/read? Welcome? Do Drinks? Are there certain kinds of people who get missed out or pigeon holed - NOT because of character or gifts- but, well we don’t even know because we’ve never even considered them carefully. Their face doesn’t fit. Who gets left out?

2. Don’t just talk about it, DO SOMETHING!

It’s striking that after the specific issue of specific systemic discrimination was raised the apostles didn’t just issue a press statement, talk about diversity training and do nothing. They appointed specific people to address the specific issue. Talk alone, is cheap.

3. Strive for UNITY not uniformity

It’s about being 100% committed and valued - on the same team. Not having the same skin colour or accent or dress sense. But the same saviour and the same family. It would have been easier, I’m sure, to split into separate Greek and Hebrew speaking churches in Jerusalem. So much more straightforward. But the good news of the gospel is better than that. Not just uniformity (all look and sound the same) but UNITY in diversity and difference.

And one of the dangers I’ve seen in lots of the books/articles on race is it’s written in ways that seem to polarize and divide people into camps. White privilege/ white fragility / black power. Whatever we think of the ideas - as a church we must resist the rhetoric and pressure that tries to divide Christians or insist that only one people have the right to speak or be heard. And if you have a different perspective, by definition you’re racist.
These issues are way too complex to be reduced to simple slogans and name-calling. As a church we must do better than that.

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)

Love means listen. Love means learn. Love means say sorry. Love ultimately means the way of the cross. Laying down my life for the sake of another.

What the world needs to see from us is not the same kind angry, divisive, virtue-signaling we see on social media. The world needs to see us as 'ordinary, mixed and messing up but learning all the time’ bunch of people who love Jesus and so love everyone who Jesus has brought us into community with.

Wouldn’t that be wonderful if THAT’s the first thing people notice when they walk into St Joseph’s or tune in online.

4. Long for GOSPEL GROWTH

It’s easy to think and talk about race as if it’s the ultimate thing. Where there are real and specific injustices, we MUST be willing to address them. Like Acts 6. Don’t just talk, do something. But AS we do that, we realise the story of race and racism for the Christian is woven into a much bigger story. The story of the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ. That’s why the Apostle’s needed not to get distracted - even by this worthy social cause - of food distribution. But keep pressing on with the ministry of prayer and the world.

And as we wrestle with these issues, we need to know that HE is the only ultimate hope for a broken and divided world.

- We see hostility (in the world and in our hearts)? He is the Prince of Peace

- We see sin and guilt? He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world

- We see injustice and evil? He is the righteous Judge who will judge the living and the death. Justice is coming.

> we know how the story ends: The Lamb wins!

> we are his witnesses to the ends of the earth

> our goal is to see people come to Christ - reconciled to God and one another

> hope as we look back in future: v7 ’the word of God spread’