6/27/20

Dear Veritas Family,

“We affirm that all people, regardless of race, ethnicity or gender, are created in God’s image and, if they have repented and believed in Christ, are brothers and sisters together in the one body of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. Because of this shared imago dei and because of Christ’s saving work among all nations, people, and tongues, we believe that one major task of Baptist catholicity* is to promote racial unity, especially within the body of Christ.”

This is the sixth point in the Manifesto written by the Center For Baptist Renewal. And it is deeply rooted in Scripture. We find these truths plastered all over the pages of Scripture, beginning in Genesis 1:26-27 all the way to Revelation 7:9-10. God’s Word is clear from the very beginning that in the creation of Adam, he was creating all of mankind in His image. That image which began with Adam and Eve has been passed on to every human being that has been conceived throughout history up to this very moment. Since humanity bears God’s image, that means that every single person possesses intrinsic dignity, value, and worth in their relation to the Triune God. 

Sadly, in Genesis 3 Adam and Eve sinned. And in doing so their relationship with God became broken. But it wasn’t just their relationship with God that had changed, it was also their relationship to one another and to all of the created order. Unfortunately, their sin, much like God’ image, was transferred to all of humanity. This means that, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). And like Adam and Eve before us, our sin has created broken relationships between us and God and others. 

One detestable way that our broken relationships have played out in human history is racism. This is particularly true in our nation. Racism is not a sin exclusive to the United States, but it’s something that has been a part of our nation’s fabric before its official founding. Hatred and violence against black people is well-noted throughout our nation’s history. And while discussions regarding race have recently been given a spotlight in our nation, racialization and racial injustices are not new. What has changed is that we now live in a world where everyone carries a video camera in their pockets and what has been out of the public eye in the past now goes viral in moments for all the world to see. The recent murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd are painful examples of what the black community has been crying out about for years. 

Jesus was sent to earth to save a people from every nation, tribe, and tongue from their sin. In his coming, he inaugurated his kingdom here on earth. This kingdom is a kingdom of restoration and reconciliation. In his kingdom, Jesus is setting out to right all of the wrongs, heal every wound, wipe every tear. When he returns, he will make all things new, putting an end to sin and death. However, as we know all too well, we still live in a world that is plagued with every kind of sin. We know this personally and publicly as we see the effects of sin all around us. We may sometimes feel like there is no hope or that God has left humanity to themselves to figure it out. Yet, that is not the case. In his first coming, Jesus has launched his plan for the world to see what kingdom life and restoration was to be like. It’s called the church. 

Jesus has called the church to be his kingdom ambassadors spreading the good news of the gospel to the nations. And as his embassy, we are to be agents of restoration and reconciliation. But the church is filled with redeemed sinners, who are therefore still capable and guilty of sinful thoughts, words, and actions. The church has been guilty of many heinous sins throughout world history because it has sought after the things of the world over and against the things of Christ. This is plainly evident in white church traditions in the United States. Churches and church leaders have been complicit in and even perpetuated institutional racism in slavery, segregation, Jim Crow laws, redlining, police brutality, and mass incarceration. Complicity in the face of and perpetuation of such injustices denies principles proclaimed in the very Word of God. God’s word tells us that we are descended from the same first parents, Adam and Eve. God’s word tells us that all people, regardless of the color of their skin, are made in the image of the Triune God. God’s word tells us that all who trust in him, regardless of the color of their skin, are one in him. 

In this cultural moment, we have an opportunity to be the kinds of agents of reconciliation that our forefathers refused to be. This is a moment in history that we can stand with those in the black community, specifically our brothers and sisters in Christ, to declare a message of reconciliation that only comes from God. How can we do this well? How does this happen once the news cycle moves on to the next big thing in our country and our world? How do we move on from merely posting about issues of injustice on social media to actually living it out in our daily lives? To start out, we can lament with our black brothers and sisters. Paul encourages the church to “weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15). If you’ve paid attention to any form of media lately, it’s plain to see that the black community is hurting and has been hurting. Many black Christians have been very open and honest about the pain that they are living with right now. This is a time for us to come alongside our brothers and sisters and weep with them. Paul writes to the Corinthian church “If one member suffers, all suffer together;” Brothers and sisters, black Christians in America are suffering. We should be feeling their pain and weeping with them. 

Another way that we can use this cultural moment to bring about kingdom change is by being willing to listen to our black brothers and sisters in Christ. There are a lot of Christ centered, Bible believing, church loving folks who over the past two weeks and beyond have shared their lives, their pain, and their experiences when it comes to facing racism in America. I have learned a lot from them and am thankful for their desire to see Christ’s kingdom come and will be done on earth as it is in heaven. One of the main reasons that I am writing this is because I have seen many of you sharing different posts and videos on social media. It has made my heart happy to see the people of Veritas so ready to speak out against the sin of racism. My hope was, with the resource list below, to provide people to follow, books and articles to read, and podcasts to listen to that would help equip you with godly and biblical wisdom, so that you could learn from people who love Jesus and listen to their stories and to be moved to compassion and empathy. As Bryan Lorrits writes in his book Insider Outsider, and I paraphrase, “when it comes to racism and police violence against black people, we become PhDs in statistics and have a 3rd grade education when it comes to empathy.” Let us listen with the ears of Christ so that we can empathize and feel deeply the pain of our brothers and sisters.

Lastly, as we listen, we can learn and from our learning turn that into action. In Paul’s conclusion to Titus, he writes, “Let our people learn to devote themselves to good works for pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful” (Titus 3:14). Church, we have an amazing opportunity to learn right now. There are so many amazing resources and people to learn from. But it’s not enough to learn and do nothing with our gained knowledge. The pressing need right now is to affirm that individual racism and systemic racism are sinful. That they have no place in our world, much less the church of Christ. The pressing need for us as the body of Christ is to affirm that all people everywhere, of all colors and ethnicities, are created in God’s image and therefore they have dignity and value. The pressing need is to truly desire that peoples from every tribe, tongue, and nation are saved into the family of God and that we put that desire into action by carrying out the great commission, starting with our own homes, neighborhoods, and cities. May we seek the welfare of our city and seek to bring about the restoration of the kingdom of God in our neighborhoods by loving our neighbors well. 

These last few weeks have caused me to pause and to pray. To reflect on some of the things that the Lord had convicted me of back in 2018 while sitting in the Sojourn Network Leaders Summit. I didn’t want to merely write because it seemed like everyone was jumping into the fray. I wanted to weigh my words and be compelled by Scripture, the Holy Spirit, and godly voices, and not respond from emotion, mob mentality, and because it was the popular thing to do. The Lord has broken me many times over the years as I have seen with my own eyes the racism that exists in America today. Those times where friends of mine have experienced its demonic consequences first hand still linger in my head, and from time to time cause me to well up in tears. My hope is that we will be a people who affirm the imago dei of all people, and that we will promote ethnic conciliation (see Eph.2:11-12) in the church and justice in the public square. 

Sincerely, Pastor J.J. Krumlauf

*catholicity refers to universality and wholeness of the church

RESOURCE LIST

This is by no means exhaustive and will probably be updated as I continue to come across things that I feel would be beneficial to the body. Also, as with any book or resource you consume, you should read it through the lens of Scripture. I have not agreed with every single thing said in these resources but have found them, for the most part, to be beneficial.

Books:

For adults

For kids and parents

Media:

Social Media follows:

  • Pastor Eric Mason

  • Pastor Charlie Dates

  • Pastor John Owuchekwa 

  • Pastor Jamaal Williams

  • Pastor D.A. Horton

  • Pastor Dhati Lewis

  • Pastor Thabiti Anyabwiile

  • Dr. Esau McCaulley

  • Kristie Anyabwile

  • Dr. Carl F. Ellis Jr.

  • K.A. Ellis

  • Dr. Jarvis Williams

  • Dr. Walter Strickland

  • Trip Lee

  • Jackie Hill Perry

  • Shai Linne

  • Dr. Bryan Loritts

  • Pastor Mika Edmundson

  • Justin Giboney 

  • Benjamin Watson

  • Pastor Malcolm Foley