Race and Reconciliation in America

The issue of race is an important one in the United States, politically and religiously. It is extremely influential, in ways seen and unseen. It is highly emotional, partly because it is an inherently personal issue for many, partly because it represents a long frustrating history.

As a pastor, I am particularly interested in how the issue of race affects the church. It has often been said that Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America -- and there is much evidence to support this. This -- either the fact or appearance of a racial divide in the church -- is an embarrassment for a faith which proclaims that "There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for all are one in Christ Jesus."

More personally, I am aware of some of the challenges race poses for the church as a whole, and for individual congregations, based on my previous experience serving as a Youth Minister in an intentionally multi-ethnic church (primarily African-American and Caucasian, but also a few others).

This said, I commend to you the speech given this day by Barack Obama on the issue of race in the United States. True, he is a politician, not a pastor, but this issue has raised its head because of statements made by an influential African-American pastor (who happens to have recently retired as the pastor of Obama's church).

Here is a YouTube video of the entire speech.

I know that this is a speech given in a campaign, so parts of it are just parts of Obama's campaign stump speech. But I think that a good portion of it -- maybe half to two-thirds -- is an authentic attempt to grapple with the issue of race in the US. It is fair to say that you won't hear another politician talk in similar terms, or with similar depth (such as is possible in a speech of this time), in the near future.

Obama avoids some of the more provocative examples he could have cited in this speech, notably a recent report about the unbelievably high percentage of African-American males who have been incarcerated in their lives. But on the whole, he gives a good introduction to the issue, especially I think to certain generally held African-American attitudes in this country.

I know the speech is lengthy (37 minutes), but I think it is a helpful resource. It is a way to broaden our minds, by gaining some insight into the lives of those different from us. And, I hope, it is a way to stimulate our hearts, to imagine positive change that would allow us, and those around us, to more fully live out the teachings of the gospel.