Racial Justice and the Gospel

City Life, News | by Pastor David Parker

Downtown Cornerstone,

This Sunday we spent some time talking and praying about the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, the slaying of five officers in retaliation, and the violence that has opened up the hearts and wounds of many. I have been deeply moved by the events that have taken place, and believe that we would be remiss if we did not take time to consider how we can and should respond.

The issues of race, cultural bias, and racial injustice are complex and difficult. These issues are also real and affect every one of us as a church family (whether we realize it or not). For some of us, especially if we are white, the issues of racial injustice may feel confusing, or, easy to dismiss or rationalize. But if we are to be a people who are a gospel people, we cannot ignore this issue.

If we seek to love our city and desire to bring the Gospel to bear in the lives of those around us, we need to care about justice and the issues in front of us. Ultimately all issues of racial injustice are gospel issues. In Matthew 25, Jesus reminds us that when we minister to the marginalized, we are ultimately ministering to Jesus. And inversely if we ignore issues of injustice and those marginalized, we ignore the very heart of God.

Our righteousness is not evaluated by our deeds, but God calls us to faithfully respond when injustice is placed in front of us. With that in mind, I have three encouragements for how we can respond:

WE NEED TO WEEP WITH THOSE WHO WEEP

If we are to care, we need to weep with those who weep, and mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15). We can weep together because the Gospel reminds us that we are all people who are in need of redemption and who long for restoration.

If you are a black brother or sister, we mourn with you for the injustices that have happened and continue to happen in our country. Even more, our Savior mourns with you because through His life and the cross, He perfectly understands what it’s like to face injustice, suffering, racial tension, being wrongfully treated, abused, and ultimately wrongfully killed. We weep with you now and remember that one day He will wipe away every tear, every injustice, every longing of our hearts and souls, and He will make all things new.

WE NEED TO LISTEN AND LEARN

If we are to care, we need to listen and learn. We need to seek to understand what it’s like to view life through the eyes of our black brothers and sisters in this city. We need to proactively ask questions and have a posture of heart that is open to having our presuppositions challenged. Most of all, we need to learn about how God feels about these issues and let our hearts be broken by what breaks His heart.

WE NEED TO PRAY AND SPEAK OUT

We need to pray and speak out. If we see life that is not in step with the gospel, we need to be a people who are moved by the gospel to action. Proverbs 31:9 says, “Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” We need to be bold and unafraid of sharing how Jesus has created each of us with equal dignity, value, and worth. We need to be wiling to have hard or awkward conversations that confront racism. And most importantly, we need to remember that Jesus went to the cross to ultimately bear the weight of racism, injustice, and sin.

We live in a world full of brokenness that can feel overwhelming, but I believe that God is calling us to consider how we can adorn the beauty of the Gospel in all of life. We need to seek justice where we can, in our given area of influence, and more than anything, we need to proclaim the name of Jesus as the only one who can ultimately heal this brokenness.

Friends, as we pray into this issue, especially in our city, let’s ask God to give us humble hearts that are willing to learn, to make us a people who are able to empathize, and to make us a church that is able to speak out in appropriate ways, so that Jesus would be made to look as good as He is.

For the Glory of our King,
Pastor David