The Tower - November 7

“Show us the Way, O Lord”
By Elaine White

“The only wrong action is inaction.” Jemar Tisby, The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism.

Reading and discussing The Color of Compromise has been a difficult journey for me. The book has come to me at a time in my life when I understand that we are at a moment of truth in our nation. Racism is not decreasing, and we have to decide if we are going to stand against it or if we are going to choose to be complicit—a choice American Christianity has faced multiple times. We often speak of standing on the shoulders of those who have lived before us. It was an emotional blow for me to realize that I stand on the shoulders of white supremacists. I’ve never worn a white hood or stood behind a burning cross, but I have benefitted from the views those people hold and the policies and attitudes that exist because of white superiority. I am not discriminated against when it’s time for me to find a place to live, when I need to apply for a loan, when I commit some minor offense. I have never been racially profiled. I walk through town expecting to be seen, respected, and protected. And I don’t understand how it feels to not have these privileges. And here’s the worst part—I haven’t wanted to understand because it makes me uncomfortable and confused. It overwhelms me and frightens me to think of what needs to be done and what it might cost.

Through our study of The Color of Compromise, I have realized that my fears and avoidance have been repeated over the past centuries, not just in our homes and communities but also in our churches. Multiple times Christians have had the opportunity to stand against racism and to walk alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we have chosen to look away and ignore Christ’s command to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Here is our moment of truth—are we going to sit and do nothing (That’s being complicit!), or are we going to say, “Show us the way, O Lord”? Reading The Color of Compromise is just one point in a long process. In the months ahead, we will be considering the next step in an ongoing journey to learn how we can be the hands and feet of God in our racially divided world. We will read deeply, ask difficult questions, struggle together, and grow in the love of our Lord and the love of our brothers and sisters. I hope you will join us.