The Nicene Creed was a document created in 325AD to describe what a Christian believed. Sure it was written up about the same time Christianity lost its marginal status and became the “church of the state,” a real political power where apparently what one believed became more important than how one lived. Nonetheless, this ancient document is often adopted by churches and faith based organizations to reflect what they believe: God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit… but it goes on to say: “I believe (notice the individual tone) in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.” Notice “catholic” here has a small “c,” meaning it is the “universal” or “inclusive” Church as opposed to the big “C” which refers to a particular denomination.
Martin Luther King Jr once said, “It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o’clock on Sunday morning.” (Tripp, 2015) More than 60 years have past since these words were uttered, and yet it still reigns true today. The sad reality is that Monday- Saturday continues to be just as segregated as Sunday for many white church folk, and as a result Sunday segregation continues to be a reality. Consider Jesus on death row. Death was imminent and he had his last meal, only to spend the time washing nasty feet and telling his followers they must do the same. Jesus then speaks his final words in the form of a prayer for us, “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one-- as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me” (New Living Translation, 1996/2015, John 17:20-21.). The world will believe in the reality of God not because of the miracles we perform or because of the Creeds we adopt as our belief system. The world will believe because we are united. Unity does not equate to uniformity, just the opposite , unity celebrates differences and sees the value in embracing “the other,” so they no longer are considered “other.”
One of the privileges of being white is that we have the option of not thinking about race. Sure George Floyd’s death caused a lot of white folks to see that the problem of racism still exists, and many books studies were started and race conferences attended. These are good things, but as white folks we need to continue the journey. One thing I have noticed on this journey is that many white folks have missed the connection between the reality of race and racism in our society and how the Bible speaks to it. My hope is that the Holy Spirit uses these reflections on Scripture to speak to white folks and to stir us to a deeper understanding of what God is calling us to do about racism in our country. It is my desire that you will be empowered with courage to embrace others and to fulfill Jesus last wish of working towards unity.
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