It’s been a little over three years since the murder of George Floyd. During COVID we came face to face with lynching and racism and couldn’t just pass on by because we were all stuck inside. So, what did we do? We turned phrases we didn’t understand (as White people) like “critical race theory” and “woke” into pejorative turns so we could return to our white comfort. It worked.

Where I am the most disappointed is the way we’ve treated Jemar Tisby (as Exhibit A). His book, The Color of Compromise, had been released before 2020 and it was flying off the shelves after the murder of George Floyd. We, as White Christians, seemed to want to understand what was going on. But, after a six week Bible study proved we couldn’t solve racism quickly, we needed to get back to our comfort.

What is so egregious with what we did to Jemar Tisby is the man is a solid orthodox Christian. He was welcomed with open arms into the Reformed wing of the American church just a few short years ago. Now? Well, the very mention of his name on a syllabus gets professors in hot water at conservative Christian colleges.

Anthea Butler, religious studies professor at the University of Pennsylvania and author of “White Evangelical Racism,” a 2021 book about the racial divides of the evangelical movement, said evangelicals have a long history of welcoming Christians of color into their movement and then ousting them if they ask too many questions about race.

She said college leaders, like those behind the report at Grove City, or other Christian leaders who have denounced Tisby want to make an example of him as a warning to others.

“They want to punish him,” she said.

More HERE.

To my own shame, I’ve been more quiet than in 2020. Sure, I’ve had to get on to other things once COVID restrictions were relaxed, but my own withdrawal is noticeable.

God forgive me. It’s all I can ask for. Our wider system is determined to stay broken and it wearies me. But, Lord, forgive me.