Addressing race and identity from biblical perspective

Race is at the forefront of our lives, as much has gone topsy-turvy. Not that we have ever been free of its focus, but its impact these last several months has been of the in-your-face kind. We should all be disgusted by the divide, and people of faith, in particular, ought to be wondering if we have a role to play in the healing. This is the issue I addressed last Monday when I was honored to speak to the Remix ministry at Cape First Church, delivering a message I entitled "Race and Identity."

The church's website describes Remix as "a diverse mix of people in the 18 to early 30s range. We have a desire to create a community that is committed to passionately loving God, each other, and their city." What better place is there to discuss race? The group is in a series entitled "Red and Yellow, Black and White." At the invitation of Pastor Chad Fisher, who leads that young adult ministry, I spoke about what a Christian's response to such times should be.

I started by saying churches often ignore such weighty issues, mainly for two reasons: 1) Many want to walk away from a church service feeling better; they don't want to talk about world turmoil. 2) Many feel it's a sign of spirituality to say, "I don't see color," my response to which is that I don't trust people who "don't see color." I don't believe them is more like it. It's not a compliment to pretend you can't see the color in front of you with the eyes God gave you. "I didn't know you were Black, Adrienne!" Really? Look, it's not an insult to see my color; the insult is when that's all you see.

I asked Remix: Does the church -- and the church means individuals -- have a role to play in racial tension? The response was a resounding "yes." I agree. Why? Because if our faith is in God's word, we have to believe what God's word teaches -- that people of faith in the Lord both have the answer and are the answer. The Bible teaches that people who profess Christ are "the light of the world," "a city set on a hill," those to whom God is referring when He says, "My people called by My name," whose prayers get His attention. These are they who have a responsibility to be engaged. And as a graduate school professor wrote many years ago on one of my papers, "Responsibility is the ability to respond." I've never forgotten that.

However, we do not have that ability to respond, I pointed out, if we do not recognize our identity. While I highlighted that it's quite natural to recognize race, I stressed that as we identify with Jesus, Who identified with His Father, we walk in unity of the Spirit even with differences. In God's creativity, He endorsed diversity, but that diversity was never meant to overshadow the unity into which He called us. When we know who we are and Whose we are, we respond as one -- individuals with different backgrounds, different perspectives, but those whose only agenda is to glorify the Father with Whom they all identify.

An indication of how we identify is how we respond during crises. If we identify first as Black, when a tragic situation such as George Floyd's killing occurs, we may find ourselves shouting first, "Black Lives Matter!" When we identify first as white, we may follow with, "All Lives Matter!" When we identify first with law enforcement, it's likely to be, "Blue Lives Matter!" Perhaps we find ourselves enraged first or disinterested or skeptical -- depending on the identity we have embraced. But if we walk in the Spirit and identify first as a Christian, we will respond in the Spirit. We always respond in the spirit in which we walk. So if you don't know how you identify, just wait; it will always reveal itself.

As we commit to walking in the Spirit of the Savior, here are four things I left the young adults with moving forward with the challenges ahead of us, with our responsibility -- our ability to respond -- to race issues, yes, and to everything we face:

1. Pray: Jesus was a man of prayer, regularly. So when His agonizing death loomed over Him, He didn't have to learn a new behavior; He did what was natural to Him. Let us do the same.

2. Jesus stayed in fellowship. He kept certain people close to Him. We must be accountable. We cannot walk closely with everyone, but we cannot walk alone. We need people who have earned the right to speak wisdom into our lives.

3. At times, Jesus said nothing. We need to learn when to shut up -- shut our mouths, shut our social media. Just say nothing.

4. Speak up and stand up at the right times. While not every battle is our battle, some battles are, and we have to be willing to fight those, just as Jesus did. He was not a wimp. Just ask the Scribes and Pharisees. Some will judge us because they think we need to be silent about certain things. Do not shut up when it's your time to speak up.

We are living in serious times with much on the line, and I believe people of faith have a responsibility to make a difference. Jesus changed the atmosphere everywhere He went as He walked in His identity. He knew Who He was and to Whom He belonged -- and the motive of everything He did was love. As we embrace our identity in Him, we, too, can change the atmosphere for good with the love of God.

Adrienne Ross is owner of Adrienne Ross Communications and a former Southeast Missourian editorial board member.