THE DAILY RACE
Race and Christian Identity
Lessons on Leadership
“Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. And he said to her, ‘What do you want?’ She said to him, ‘Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your … Continue reading
Stephen R. Haynes: Memphis ‘kneel-ins’ tested churches
The 1960s campaign to integrate churches needs to be remembered and re-examined says the author of “The Last Segregated Hour: The Memphis Kneel-Ins and the Campaign for Southern Church Desegregation.” Stephen R. Haynes shares with readers another facet of the civil rights movement on Duke Divinity School’s Faith & Leadership blog.
Afraid of who we will become
“For in him, we live, move and have our being.” ~ The Acts of the Apostles 17.28 Why is race so successful? Why is it so convincing, so engrained, so entrenched in who we are? Why is it so difficult to dig it up and to root it out of us? Why do we have such a … Continue reading
If you’re Christian and a racist
“When the racist is also a Christian, which is often the case in America, he is frequently a polytheist. Historically, in polytheistic faiths, various gods have controlled various spheres of authority. Thus, a Christian racist may think he lives under the requirements of the God biblical faith in most areas of his life, but whenever … Continue reading
I have a question
Why are the following statements true? “By and large, the people who have been the racists of the modern world have also been Christians or the heirs of Christian civilization. Among large numbers of Christians, racism has been the other faith or one of the other faiths” (George D. Kelsey, Racism and the Christian Understanding … Continue reading
The Color of Christ in “Bombingham”
Four little girls Who went to Sunday School that day And never came back at home at all– But left instead Their blood upon the wall. ~Langston Hughes I recently purchased The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of Race in America by Edward J. Blum & Paul Harvey. The … Continue reading
Race Fact #3
Race was not a social category in the ancient world of the Bible. “The ancient world did not make skin color the focus of irrational sentiments or the basis for uncritical evaluation. …(T)he ancient world did not fall into the error of biological racism; black skin color was not a sign of inferiority; Greeks and … Continue reading
How does race bring glory to God?
“It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way but that by my speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death.” ~ Philippians 1.20 “The chief end of man is to glorify God and … Continue reading
Do Unto Others
“But I say to you that listen, ‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other side also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give … Continue reading
Race does not have the last word
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” ~The Revelation 22.13, NRSV Of the many things that I dislike about race, one is its use in the predeterminations of a person’s life. Before the plot begins, race has already finished the story. It is the same … Continue reading
