The Way Forward, pt. 4 March 9, 2015
In priorweeks, I’ve suggested that the way forward in race relations will be found 1)when our country lives up to its own ideals and 2) through the presence andministry of Christ’s church. We in the church have answers and resources thataren’t available anywhere else—the gospel, the Spirit, and the love of Christ.This is our time!
But whatshould we actually do to make a difference, besides our typical work ofdisplaying the glory of God through our gatherings, our life together, ourlove, and our proclamation of the gospel?
First, wehave to pray. Anything powerful, anything creative, anything biblical, insofaras we participate in it, happens through prayer. So I’d encourage you to addrace relations to your prayer list, and pray for our nation, our cities, ourchurches, and even our own selves.
Second, wehave to educate ourselves. Twitter and Facebook are bloated with oversimplifiedreactions to Ferguson.Unfortunately, so are many news sources and even Christian media outlets. Wemust demand more thoughtful answers, at least of ourselves. The system IS theproblem. But sinful personal choices are ALSO the problem.
Arrestratios in this country are grossly out of proportion to population ratios. Inher 2012 book by the same title, Ohio State law professor Michelle Alexander calls the massincarceration of black men in America“The New Jim Crow.” Her appellation seems to fit: in the US in 2011, there were moreAfrican-Americans in prison than were enslaved in 1850. Aware that I’m writingto an almost entirely white congregation, I want to encourage you to try alittle experiment. If you have a black friend—especially if it’s a maleblack friend—ask him if he’s ever been stopped by police for no apparentreason. They all have stories. Somehow, somewhere, for some reason, thesystem is a problem.
But theseproblems are not only systemic. People make choices. If you break thelaw, there are going to be consequences. Yes, mass incarceration is a problemto the black community. But so is fatherlessness—a problem most men could sparetheir children, if they would simply choose to live more responsibly. Anincredible 72% of black children are born to unwed mothers. Fully 54% of blackchildren grow up in a single-parent, matriarchal household. Only 29% ofAfrican-American children live with their married parents, against a nationalaverage of 61%. What makes this epidemic of fatherlessness most tragic is this:social scientists all agree that fatherlessness is a leading cause of violence,criminality, drug abuse, and immorality. When dad chooses to be home, the kidsbenefit to the extreme.