Finding Grace in the Issues of Race
When Lucretia Berry said those words in a podcast interview Cheri Gregory and I did with her recently, the weight of them rang through my heart like a tolling bell. Beautiful. True.
Since I was a little girl, my heart has been tender toward the issue of race; however, I shut down in the last decade or so. It seemed too complicated to unravel the problems. Too painful. Too hard. Too politicized (internal ouch).
But God has been re-awakening me. Teaching me and changing me. He has shifted my heart to want to be part of a solution in my little part of the world.
The story I told in today’s Encouragement for Today devotion The Glares that Changed the Way I See Others is one I’ve carried in the recesses of my memory for decades. To be clear, I have a terrible memory. I don’t remember LOTS about my past, but God has used emotion and conviction to embed some shaping experiences and ideas. Feeling the momentary stab of racism that day in Scotland is a memory that’s carved on my heart.
I believe it’s remained with a purpose. It was meant to be retold today to restart my journey, and hopefully yours, toward unity.
God is using Lucretia Berry as a compass to find grace in the issues of race, and I want to share her with you! Here are the links to the Grit ‘n’ Grace interviews Cheri and I did with Lucretia. I pray that many of you will click on the links below, download them and listen so that you can launch out toward unity with me!
In these interviews, Lucretia Berry shares how to build our vocabulary and emotional muscles for having difficult but transforming conversations about race.
Throughout these riveting episodes, Lucretia shares her personal journey of discussions in her family and equips us for these conversations in our own lives. These interviews are for every person who has watched the problems of race on the news and thought, I wish I knew what to do to help.
** Make sure to follow the links in the Recommended Resources to Lucretia’s excellent curriculum and website.
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A Special Note for You:
I’m in the process of developing a more tender heart and a stronger voice.
What does that mean? I’m being called off the sidelines into speaking with conviction on the topics that are flooding our culture. Topics God cares about and speaks about in His Word. It’s my deepest desire to do it the right way, seeking His truth through Scripture every step of the way.
I’m building a community of women here who are growing in the same direction. Would you join me? I promise that I won’t start telling you what to think. I’ll be digging into how to think about our culture’s issues based on Scripture.
Periodically, I’ll send exclusive content to subscribers, my friends who are learning with me. Next month I’ll send a special resource to subscribers only with beginning steps about how to have positive discussions about race in your home. Click here to become a subscriber today so that you’ll receive a weekly encouragement in your email box along with free special resources developed just for you.
I am so excited about all that God is stirring in you. It energizes my HOPE! Thank for being on the journey, sharing your journey, and inviting folks to join you on the journey. Yes! Amen! Shalom!
It’s an honor to be on the path with you, Lucretia! Thanks for taking time to encourage me.
I would like to comment on your Aug 14 devotions email regarding prejudice you experienced in Scotland years ago. When the people looked at you (glared) are you sure they were being prejudiced? Maybe it just looked unusual to see two ethic people together and so caught their eye and they looked at you. That is not necessarily prejudice. Many times I assume looks mean something bad when maybe they don’t. True prejudice is represented in the signs that people are not welcome and have to enter a back door like you mentioned. That is obviously prejudge which is not in line with God’s word. It might have been a thought of “how nice to see too different ethnic people together!”. Members of my family have adopted children from other countries and I think when people see them together it may help to affirm that we are all alike in God’s eyes. Just a thought, to be aware of how we can become so passionate for equality for all people that we “assume” someone disapproves when maybe it was just the fact that the site was different than normal for them and it caught their attention. Hope this comment is helpful.
Linda, I agree that sometimes people’s stares are curious. I’m quite sure, however, that’s not what I experienced in the situation I described in today’s devotion. The looks I was getting were clearly hostile.
It was just a tiny glimpse into how what I’ve heard my minority brothers and sisters describe about what they face on a daily basis. My heart aches that they face disapproval and hostility simply because of the color of their skin, and their stories are fueling my passion to battle my own prejudices as well as to encourage others to face theirs.
Thank you so much for your comment, Linda! I do agree with you that there’s rarely a downside to believing the best about others even as we live in the Truth.
Thanks for your reply. It is upsetting that people have prejudices but hopefully as Christians we can help to change that in the future. In the Midwest where I live, I feel that it is already better today than during the time I grew up, so some progress is being made. Our Christian faith and bringing others of all races into the Christian faith is the best thing we can do. As people truly follow Christ, the prejudices will fade away and we will see that we all belong to the family of God who made us all.