17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:17-20)
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I write you during a time of great civil unrest, the likes of which I have not seen during my adult life. These are disturbing and confusing times, and many voices compete for our attention. My purpose in writing is to call us to listen to the voice of Jesus Christ and to urge us toward greater faithfulness. This letter will outline a theological way of framing events, share important elements I see in the situation, and call us to respond as disciples of Jesus Christ.
1) Theological Commitments
Let me begin by clarifying a theological lens (I have several) through which I view current events. The Apostle Paul says that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Godself and entrusted us with the ministry of reconciliation. This message is echoed throughout the New Testament. Ephesians tells us that Jesus has broken down “the dividing wall of hostility.” Colossians says that through Christ “God was pleased to reconcile all things to Godself by making peace through the blood of the cross.” God’s reconciling work in Christ grounds our vocation as “ambassadors for Christ” who bear “the message of reconciliation.” God’s victory establishes hope in the midst of persisting, entrenched estrangement.
At this historical moment, the ministry of reconciliation calls us to recognize the deep alienation in society, particularly the suffering experienced by African Americans, and commit ourselves to alleviating it. I do not pretend to write to you as someone who fully understands this suffering or has this all figured out, but as someone who understands this is a moment that calls Christians to make a responsible witness.
2) Analysis of the Civil Unrest:
a. America’s history of slavery, Jim Crow, redlining, and institutional racism has left a festering wound on American life, including our criminal justice system. This wound is not healed. While, my analysis focuses on one aspect of the criminal justice system, the problems we face go beyond the thoughts offered here.
b. Like all of us, police interactions with the public are also shaped by the racial and class dynamics of American society. Neighborhood segregation and poverty, a cycle of deep distrust between the police and those they serve, and a recent shift from viewing police as “officers of the peace” to a more militarized model complicate their work. Shooting simulators show that even African American police are more likely to shoot black than white suspects.
c. I’ve known some really good police officers who approached their difficult and dangerous work with an attitude of heroic service. Nothing in this letter is meant to dishonor them. However, it is also true that the professional culture, the “thin blue line,” can make it difficult for good officers to police bad officers and bad behavior. Prosecutors are often reluctant to prosecute because they work closely with the police and depend on them to do their jobs. This needs to change.
d. For decades people of color have told me that they are suspicious of law enforcement because they’ve been treated poorly. As I think about it, every black person I’ve known well has a story to tell. In recent years a disturbing number of videos have emerged to support these claims. Too often these videos contradict official police reports and tell the real story. This has deepened distrust. It is hard to imagine charges being filed in the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery or in the suffocation of George Floyd unless the videos had been made public. One also wonders whether charges would be filed in the case of Breonna Taylor, who was shot eight times in her own apartment, had body cameras been turned on.
e. The rule of law requires the force of law, but the force of law cannot, by itself, produce a good, just, and peaceable society. Police states are violent, repressive, and notoriously unstable. The willingness of citizens to obey the law rests on the moral legitimacy of our legal institutions. When we see people of color mistreated and killed and then see the institutions charged with upholding justice respond slowly, minimally, and sometimes not at all, we should not be surprised that citizens of color despairingly conclude that America is fundamentally unjust. Lawlessness among those charged to uphold the law always breeds lawlessness among those who must live under the law.
f. There is nothing more American than people exercising their First Amendment rights. The protests we have witnessed this past week reflect deep frustration with accumulated grievances regarding police brutality, the criminal justice system, and institutional racism. Most protesters are peaceful and seek redress for their grievances. (A black Presbyterian pastor friend complained to me that their protests haven’t received any news coverage because they are peaceful.) Indeed, there is considerable video showing protesters confronting people engaging in violence, fearing that it will provoke a violent response directed at them.
g. The rioting is perpetrated by different groups with different agendas. (1) Opportunists who are taking advantage of the mayhem. (2) Anarchists who want to hasten the fall of society. (3) White supremacists who are engaging in “false flag” operations to start a civil war, and finally (4) Protesters exasperated that peaceful calls for justice have gone unheard for so long and seek to amplify their voice. We should condemn the opportunists, anarchists, and white supremacists straight out.
Our view of the last group ought to be more circumspect. On the one hand, we should deplore how rioting and looting bring suffering upon the innocent and should bring those committing arson, murder, theft, etc. to justice. On the other hand, we ought to also take to heart Martin Luther King’s observation that “rioting is the language of the unheard.” Any nation that celebrates the Boston Tea Party and its revolutionary founding surely understands this.
In particular, white people should resist the temptation to use the rage as an excuse to dismiss legitimate grievances. We got to this place because we disregarded past peaceful protests. Ignoring the pain and grievance now will only deepen our alienation and delay the day of reckoning.
3) A Christian Response
During this dark time all Christians who are committed to the ministry of reconciliation have an opportunity to be the light. The ministry of reconciliation is painfully relevant. Now is the time for God’s church to make a faithful witness.
White Christians in particular have a responsibility to listen, learn, and act. Nothing will change unless white people demand change. This is unlikely to happen unless Christians lead the way. Changing our world begins with what Paul in 2 Corinthians called “the new creation” – hearts renewed by the experience of being “in Christ.”
Let us be clear: our failure to act will diminish our witness to Jesus Christ, give those alienated from religion another reason to think that Christian faith is irrelevant, and will pass these problems on to our children. The way forward is not to suppress the seething anger, but to press forward to build a more just and loving community.
River Road Presbyterian Church has some experience working toward racial reconciliation. It has animated our involvement at Reid Elementary and work we have done with All Souls Presbyterian Church. A few years back, a Sunday School class read the book, Waking Up White. It is a part of the vision Session adopted in 2018, that our church “Serve as a bridge across the divides in greater Richmond.”
The staff of our church intends to spend June working to foster faithful, thoughtful reflection in our congregation. Our goal is to build up the body of Christ for works of service. I invite each of you to pray for our nation, for those who suffer injustice, for those who lead, for yourself, for your church, and your church leaders. I invite you to study, listen, and learn. Finally, I invite you to act. Be the voice of understanding, the caring presence, and the catalyst for change.
I won’t pretend that any of this is easy, but I do know that it is worth it. If we take seriously the ministry of reconciliation, we can live into Jesus’ vision for the church as salt and light, the credibility of our witness will be strengthened, and we will draw closer to a day of true friendship and mutual flourishing. We should not despair: God has brought reconciliation and change to situations people thought were hopeless. We made progress during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. South Africa dismantled apartheid. The Spirit is calling us to trust that God is doing a new thing. The words of Jesus are still true, “Repent, believe the good news, the kingdom of God is near” (Mark 1:15).
In Christ’s Service,
Raymond R. Roberts, Ph.D.