"Black Lives Matter" Doesn't Mean White Lives Don't
-"Black Lives Matter" doesn't mean white lives do not. That's never in question in America so it seldom needs to be said.
-Beyond the question of personal culpability and responsibility no one "caused" the shootings of the last few days. Racism did. It holds all of us, whether we personally hold racist views or not. It's an "us"-problem not a "them"-problem.
-It's one of those "principalities and powers" thingies Paul talks about that should have functioned to keep and make h...uman life human but rebelled against God and has distorted life in racist ways. But Christ has defeated these powers and in himself created a zone of freedom called the church which should display the new life we were created for.
-politics, law, et. al will not solve racism (though their contributions will be important at various points). Only a demonstration of freedom from it in Christ will demonstrate its reality to the world. And because it is real there, hope arises that it is possible everywhere. This is how, according to Paul, the church announces to the rebellious powers that their reign of terror and error is over.
-These powers are akin to the exorcism Jesus said would be cast out by "prayer and fasting." That is, made an intentional and persistent focus of worship and sacrifice as a community seeks to become a living demonstration such spoken of.
-"Black Lives Matter" doesn't mean white lives don't. But in another sense it does. White lives matter a lot as to whether they will or will not take up their Christian calling to form these communities of freedom.
-Beyond the question of personal culpability and responsibility no one "caused" the shootings of the last few days. Racism did. It holds all of us, whether we personally hold racist views or not. It's an "us"-problem not a "them"-problem.
-It's one of those "principalities and powers" thingies Paul talks about that should have functioned to keep and make h...uman life human but rebelled against God and has distorted life in racist ways. But Christ has defeated these powers and in himself created a zone of freedom called the church which should display the new life we were created for.
-politics, law, et. al will not solve racism (though their contributions will be important at various points). Only a demonstration of freedom from it in Christ will demonstrate its reality to the world. And because it is real there, hope arises that it is possible everywhere. This is how, according to Paul, the church announces to the rebellious powers that their reign of terror and error is over.
-These powers are akin to the exorcism Jesus said would be cast out by "prayer and fasting." That is, made an intentional and persistent focus of worship and sacrifice as a community seeks to become a living demonstration such spoken of.
-"Black Lives Matter" doesn't mean white lives don't. But in another sense it does. White lives matter a lot as to whether they will or will not take up their Christian calling to form these communities of freedom.
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