Discussion on Civil Righteousness Pt. 1
About a year ago, I was chatting with my pastor (who is African American). He shared how his friendship with my husband had brought healing to his heart. My pastor shared how he had experienced hurt and betrayal at the hands of white men - and that in my husband he had found a white man he could trust. Wow! My husband’s goal was to not necessarily heal the racial divide with this friendship. He just wanted to be a friend and support to our pastor. But it was his friendship that healed a racial wound in our pastor’s heart.
There is a time and place for the powerful altar moments of prayer and repentance, where a community or individuals come together and ask the Lord to release healing for the racial divide. And those moments are powerful for the pulling down of individual and community-wide demonic strongholds that blind people’s eyes and harden their hearts.
But what if intentional friendship is also an altar? What if the next step after those powerful encounters with the power of God is the intentional encounter with our neighbor or coworker?
I think about Jesus encountering the woman at the well (John 4). He intentionally travelled through a territory of the Samaritan race and culture, stopped at a watering hole in the heat of the day, so that he could encounter a woman who needed to encounter Him.
Prayer is necessary. Worship is necessary. Godly teaching is necessary. Evangelism is necessary. Good legislation is necessary. All of these things are necessary to change lives and worldview in the realm of racial healing and reconciliation.
And beautiful, sometimes awkward, intentional friendship with those that look different than us. This is also necessary.
What if there are literally no people of other skin hues or cultures around you? Then, pray and ask the Lord to connect you with someone. He will. The point is to be intentional, even in prayer. However, don’t let prayer be your “out.” Allow prayer to be a catalyst for hearing where the Lord would send you, just like the Father directed His Son to a Samaritan woman at a well.
We can do this, friends. We really can. One friendship at a time.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9
"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
