Tag: racism

(from left) Victor Lewis and Hugh Vasquez.

I have been stomping around my house, impotent, angry and fearful. Ferguson verdict is in.

The Apostle Paul was good friends with a Christian slave owner and the New Testament contains one of his personal letters. It’s worth reading, it’s called Philemon, but don't go to if you want a railing condemnation on the scourge of slavery and racism.

In 1900, W. E. B. Du Bois declared that “the problem of the 20th century” would be “the problem of the color line.” His prediction is just as true for our 21st century. Black men and women in contemporary America are judged not by the content of their character, but by the color of their skin.

The reality of any talk of race for a Christian starts from the radical statement that Jesus became man to be with us. Meaning all humanistic tendencies to divide humans along ethnic, racial, economic, political subgroups or abilities are false for a Christian.

You say the shooting of Michael Brown happened happened earlier this month and only the riots and marches are keeping it alive in the news cycle.

Sadly, there have been other recent stories about black men losing their lives due to the unwarranted perception of threat they have posed. But I have read more stories coming from Ferguson that speak to the deep, psychological effects of racism that hurt individuals and communities of color.