I give a rundown of each chapter and the main thrust of the book, then respond to (1) why I think everyone should read the book, and (2) where I differ (slightly) from Tisby in a way forward.
Has your church talked about the racial conflicts of our day together as a body? Pastor Dave Slabach and his wife Gert share how churches can enter into these difficult conversations in a healthy way.
I trust our conversation is not only informative and helpful for understanding COVID-19, but that it’s also hopeful in giving us a place to keep our focus as we navigate these crazy times.
As Carlos Whittaker says, “Don’t stand on issues; walk with people.” Don’t stand on the issue of racism, critical theory, wokeness, or whatever. Walk with people. Hear their stories. Learn to see the world through their eyes, and we can better understand the various issues of our day.
Do the means through which we seek to proclaim the Kingdom of God on earth matter? Is voting a proper means through which to do that?
Ever since I used the hashtag #blacklivesmatter a couple of months ago on Facebook, people have believed I support the controversial Black Lives Matter movement. I do not “support” the movement. I critically engage it because I affirm the sentiment that black lives indeed matter.
People frequently ask, “What is racism” or “how do you define racism?” In this article, I’m going to respond to this question and other related questions readers have asked over the last few months as it concerns the racial conflicts of our day.
Another incident has happened that communicates to the black community their lives don’t matter, and the rest of us are nowhere closer to understanding why a man being shot in the back seven times by police communicates to black people that they don’t, in fact, matter.
Until we’re broken over racial injustice to the point where we spend time on our knees weeping over it, until we can sit and listen to and allow our worldview to be shaped by our brothers and sisters of color, and until we can acknowledge that those feeling oppressed play a key role in explaining what justice looks like we are still missing the point of “I can’t breathe.”
I hope we don’t make the mistake of thinking that because the oppressed responded by rioting we as the church don’t need to be active in speaking up and fighting for racial justice.
Can we pause a moment and simply hear the cries of the people? Can we lay aside excuses for deflecting ownership of the sin of racism and simply sit with our black brothers and sisters in their pain, hearing the horrors they tried telling us about while we refused to listen?
For those of us using social media during this time, we need to remember that if we make our allegiance with Jesus Messiah, the information and opinions we share are moral issues. Here’s what I mean:
Author Asher Witmer knows what it’s like to want freedom from sexual sin only to continually fail. We’re often told we need more personal discipline, that we need to think godly things instead of fleshly things.
What if I told you that discipline won’t solve your problem with lust?
Our male sexuality is given by God for advancing beauty and goodness. But somewhere along the line it becomes something that causes devastation and guilt. The good news is we don’t have to live with guilt. In Live Free, Asher Witmer shows us how we can find freedom from sexual sin, live with nothing to hide, and be able to fight for others.
