Thoughts on Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and the Church's Response

Last night Tara and I had the privilege of watching our third child, Lucy, walk across the stage and receive her high school diploma. It was a wonderful celebration, filled with thankfulness to God for her accomplishments and anticipation about all she will do in the future. Her big smile and those of her classmates tell the story that we most want for our children—a story of a safe, fair and caring community that nurtures young people to become responsible and contributing citizens.

The recent, tragic deaths of Ahmaud Arbery (2/23) in Georgia and George Floyd (5/25) in Minneapolis, however, have put a fine point on the fact that this is not the experience of everyone in our nation. What is more, as Redeemer’s conference on Racial Reconciliation earlier this year hopefully made clear, their stories are the stories of so many other men and women of color who have suffered at the hands of those who wielded authority unjustly and dangerously.

As a white man who grew up in a small rural community in the South, I cannot say that I fully understand the experience of those whose skin color became an issue of constant concern. This was not my experience, but I know it was and is the experience of many in my hometown and so many others with whom I have become friends over my life. If recent events have shown us anything, they have shown us that systemic racism and the associated evils of injustice and violence are still with us, friends. We do not do ourselves any favors, improve our country or better the lives of our neighbor through either denial or by reducing these issues to party politics. Lives are at stake.

As a Christian pastor I cannot emphasize this point enough. Lives are still at stake, be they those who have just been born, graduating seniors launching into adulthood, single mothers, homeless veterans, today’s captains of industry and everyone else in between.  The issues surrounding the story of slavery and racism in America have never truly been about politics. It’s always been about recognizing or the failure to recognize the common dignity and worth of each person, regardless of skin color, as being made in the image of God. This is about making every effort to ensure that each person enjoys the same safety, fairness and future opportunity to which we all aspire.

Brian Fikkert, professor at the PCA’s Covenant College and founder and president of the Chalmers Center, recently posted on Facebook an excerpt from a 19^th century catechism that was used for slaves. It reads:

Q: What did God make you for? A: To make a crop.

Q: What is the meaning of “Thou shalt not commit adultery?" A: To serve our Heavenly Father, and our earthly master, obey our overseer, and not steal anything.

Hopefully, this egregious example of inhumanity being committed in the name of those who profess Jesus Christ is disturbing to you and its error needs no explanation. What is more, by those who know the history, examples like this can be multiplied over and over. Therefore, if you have not taken the opportunity to listen to the lectures from Redeemer's recent One People Conference, may these recent events stir your heart to take that step. You can access them here.

Before I conclude my post, I also want to comment on the related, unfortunate decision of our President in response to the criminal rioting occurring across our nation (including San Antonio). Typically, I do not comment on his actions or the actions of other political leaders, but instead pray as the Scriptures require us to (1 Tim. 2:1-2). However, on Monday President Trump very publicly interrupted a peaceful protest across from the White House with military personnel to conduct what can only be called a photo op of him holding a Bible in front of St. John’s Church. As far as I can tell, the clergy of that congregation were uninvolved, taken off guard by these actions, and, in fact, no clergy person participated.

The important question that must be asked is to what purpose did our President take this step. As others more eloquent than me have noted, President Trump’s actions are not new, but represent a long-standing tradition of our political leaders trying to enlist the Good Book and the Christian faith in the service of political goals, while at the same time not truly embracing either. This is what author Stephen Carter calls “God-talk,” and is among our most dangerous political traditions. Of course, the right to invoke the Christian faith (or any faith) in political discourse is precious and even appropriate at times. However, not like this.

Indeed, it is critical that we recognize our nation is not identified with a certain faith, a certain church, and our political leaders do not speak on their behalf. As Christians, our hope does not lie with an earthly accumulation of political power. We already have a king, who is seated in the heavenly realms and who is executing his perfect will. His name is Jesus Christ, and we await his coming Kingdom by faith. As disciples of Jesus Christ, our calling, then, is to intentionally be the salt and light of that future, coming Kingdom in the world around us (Matt. 5:13-16).

If President Trump were seriously engaging the Christian tradition to guide his behavior, I am also confident his actions would follow a different path, one characterized by humility, dialogue and peace. Perhaps they will in the future; we can pray. Would that all our leaders consider the words of James,

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. —James 3:13-18

Friends, these are traumatic times; there’s no denying it. The COVID-19 pandemic had already heightened the collective anxiety in all of our communities. The deaths of Arbery and Floyd reactivated long-standing racial tensions. The violent riots have only added fuel to the fire. In such times, our God is calling us to mourn and lament over such things (Ps. 13:2; Matt. 5:4). But because lives are at stake, we must also remember we are called to be those who make for peace (Matt. 5:9). Therefore, in whatever sphere of life to which the Lord has called you, we all have obligation to speak up for fairness and equality, to actively love our neighbor, no matter their skin color, and to hold forth the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Resources from Redeemer

Audio recordings from the 2020 Christianity & Contemporary Culture Conference, "One People: Race, the Gospel & the Church."

Audio from our 2019 Summer Dialogues in Theology series on John M. Perkins' book "One Blood: Parting Words to the Church on Race."

Recommended reading from the One People Conference, available on the Redeemer book table:

• People of the Dream: Multiracial Congregations in the United States, by Michael O. Emerson
• One Blood: Parting Words to the Church on Race by John M. Perkins
• Heal Us, Emmanuel: A Call for Racial Reconciliation, Representation and Unity in the Church, edited by Doug Serven
• Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
• Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America, by Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith