What Can I Do? | 5 Helpful Things That I Can Do
Over the course of the past several weeks, I’ve been inundated with phone calls, text messages, and direct messages from white brothers and sisters asking me how I’m doing and asking what they can do. While I have been absolutely overwhelmed by it all, it also excites me because of the potential for change. The reality that the black minority lives in in America is that we need the support of the white majority to really effect change. I know that many of my minority brothers and sisters will not like that I’ve said that, but it’s just true. Minorities need the help of the majority in order to see lasting change. That’s the point of the protest. We need to be seen, we need to be heard, and we need change.
With that being said, this blog is mainly a blog post to my white brothers and sisters who want to know how they can help. The below list is not comprehensive, but from my experience, these things are very helpful. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to post in the comments section at the bottom of this post.
1 Don’t pretend that it doesn’t exist.
“Before we can move on at all, we have to stop pretending that these issues don’t exist.”
This is number one for a reason. Many people are disillusioned by defensive attitudes and believe that race, racism, and racial tension doesn’t exist in America. But none of that is true. I understand why some people say that race is merely a social construct, but I also know that I do look very different from people with less melanin in their skin. The truth is that that physical difference sparks different responses from people when they interact with me in public. Those different responses, whether good or bad, are based on past experiences. The idea that we all need to be colorblind is fighting ignorance with more ignorance. That will never work.
I also understand the idea of “a few bad apples” when it comes to racism. Here’s the problem in our current cultural moment with the bad apples that are seen, they are killing people because of the color of their skin. Do I think that all white people are racist? Absolutely not. I am a Southern Baptist pastor, serving at a majority white church, and I love my people and they love me. But racism and racial tensions are just real. Racial tension exists even within people who are, on the whole, not racist.
And as a quick sidenote, I agree that all lives matter, the bible screams that from Genesis to Revelation. But the reason that the Black Lives Matter movement exists in America, is because for so long, they haven’t.
Before we can move on at all, we have to stop pretending that these issues don’t exist. We need to acknowledge that these issues are real and we need to get on our knees and cry out to God, not simply for racial reconciliation, but for gospel reconciliation in a world that desperately needs it.
2 Pray for Gospel Reconciliation.
Racial reconciliation is something we desperately want, but it will not happen until our world experiences ultimate gospel reconciliation. And on that day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Every tribe. Every nation. Every tongue.
But for now, we need to be on our knees crying out to God to intervene with the message of the gospel in our world. Prayer is so important because as we ask the question what can we do, God will speak through meditating on his word, in conversations with people, and through the many resources we have at our disposal on the issue of racial reconciliation.
We do need to pray specifically for racial reconciliation, but ultimately, gospel reconciliation is what the Lord is after and what our world needs. As we pray to the Lord for gospel reconciliation, we will very quickly learn that our witness, in word and deed, is how God plans to bring about that reconciliation in the hearts of people.
3 Make a phone call.
This one is simple and very personal. What has been more helpful to me than anything, is receiving phone calls and text messages from people simply asking me how I’m doing and how they can help. I’ve been so inundated with phone calls and text messages, that I haven’t been able to answer and respond to all of them.
“A simple phone call or text message asking, “how are you,” and saying, “I love you,” will mean more than you can ever possibly know.”
On the whole, though, I think I am an outlier. Many of my black brothers and sisters don’t have the same amount of support that I do. Or if they do, they don’t know it because people don’t know how to show it. A simple phone call or text message asking, “how are you,” and saying, “I love you,” will mean more than you can ever possibly know.
4 Use your voice clearly and rationally to show solidarity.
When you get to the point that you can speak clearly and rationally on avenues like social media, that is one of most helpful things that you can do because it shows solidarity. #Blackouttuesday is a very good example of that. On tuesday of this week, a lot of people took to instagram to show solidarity by simply posting a black square with the hashtag #blackouttuesday. Along with that some people posted bible verses, some people posted quotes, and some people spoke from their hearts. It was a beautiful show of solidarity.
“Don’t burn down your home”
Peaceful protests are also a way to use your voice to show solidarity. When protesting began over the recent killings of George Floyd and Ahmad Arberry, I cried when I saw pictures of black and white people marching together. Persistent peaceful protest can effect change. But I most definitely agree rapper Killer Mike and President Barack Obama when they say, don’t burn down your home. It only creates more problems.
As a side note, rioting and looting are not always mere acts of opportunism. People get to that point because of genuine anger and disgust. And where we find ourselves now, that anger and disgust comes from so many years of just not being heard. Not that I support rioting or looting because I don’t, but I don’t think it’s helpful to boil it all down to mere opportunism.
5 Parents, teach your kids.
“...your life matters because you were created by a creative God with unique giftings and abilities, and you’re his.”
After doing one on one discipleship with one of my students this past Monday, on my way out the families house that I was in, I was stopped by that students mom at the door and she asked me how I was doing. I knew exactly what she was asking me so I began to open up. In that conversation, she expressed a sincere desire for all of her kids to know that these issues exist and that treating people badly because of the color of their skin is wrong.
I was really encouraged by this and that’s why this last point made the list. I want to speak to parents as I wrap up this blog post. Parents, teach your kids about our country’s history with slavery and racism. Learn and teach your kids about systemic injustice. Teach your kids about how African Americans in this country have fought for equality. And teach them that yes, all lives matter. No matter your culture, your ethnic background, or your socioeconomic background, your life matters because you were created by a creative God with unique giftings and abilities, and you’re his.