Brandon Glenn
Director of Youth Ministries
We Can Do Better
The Apostle Paul tells us that because of the gospel, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28, NIV).
Recently, it came to light that a young man was gunned down while jogging in his neighborhood. His name was Ahmaud Arbery. Ahmaud was black, and his killers were white. The fact that this event occurred in February and it didn’t come to light until May is troubling at best. As Christians, we can do better. As Americans, we can do better.
God says that everyone is equal in His eyes! He doesn’t look at outward appearances (1 Samuel 16:7).
You may be asking yourself what you can do to help end racism in the U.S. Recently, Shiloh’s 4:12 Youth talked about this topic, and here are some ways we discussed ending racism:
- Interrupt racist jokes and comments. We’ve all been there when racist remarks were being made. Interrupt them before they are told in their entirety.
- Listen. When people of color share their experiences with you, listen.
- Amplify. Amplify the message of people of color so their thoughts and ideas are shared with their own voice.
- Speak. This is critical! Speak up when you witness an injustice and speak up when you have the opportunity to educate and advocate.
- Don’t do it alone. Ask someone to take a stand with you. Better yet, if you see someone else taking a stand against racism alone, join them.
I whole-heartedly believe that racism can end with this next generation! However, we older people need to be an example. Brothers and sisters, we can do better. Every human is made in the image of God. Jesus died for every person. When we see an injustice like racism, take action.