We have been listening and learning in these recent days and are seeking ways to translate our statements from words to actions. Here are a few actions we are currently taking and invite you to join us.
Pray: We join believers of all races and ethnicities across our country and around our world in praying for justice, repentance, peace, reconciliation, forgiveness, wisdom, courage, strength, grace, and love. We pray for God’s leadership in our lives and decisions and for His wisdom and courage as we welcome difficult conversations with reconciliation as our goal. May His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:9; Luke 11:2).
Meditate on Scripture: Genesis 1:26-27; Micah 6:8; Psalm 34:18; Psalm 103:6; Isaiah 1:17; John 3:16-17; Galatians 3:28; Revelation 7:9
Listen and learn: Take this moment to really listen, seek out perspectives that are different from your own, and pay attention to voices you might be missing. Need some guidance?
Take action personally: Be willing to let God, through the Holy Spirit, reveal sinful thoughts, beliefs, and actions in your own heart. Take an implicit bias test. Pay attention to the voices and content you allow into your life. Are you consuming information, movies, music, food, or products from other perspectives or racial identities other than your own?
Take action communally. For white community members, listen to the stories and experiences of people of color within our Trevecca and Nashville community and seek to support them. Learn more about your elected officials and where they stand on issues, and make your voice heard. Call out ideas or acts of racism and discrimination when you see them. Seek ways to work with other believers from diverse congregations.
Act with grace: As believers, we recognize the overwhelming measure of grace God has shown us in Jesus. Seek to be a conduit of grace in your community, loving others well and knowing we all fall short. Understand that as believers, we follow a God of reconciliation who understands our pain and does not overlook injustice or oppression. He is the God who makes all things new, and we long for that, understanding our world is broken. Reconciliation is not an easy or quick process. Our community's commitment to reconciliation will call some of us to radical repentance and others to radical forgiveness.
Join the conversation: Follow #FightRacism on Twitter or other social media sites to find posts on efforts to fight racism. Post your own. Join a local Christian group fighting racism. Within the Trevecca community, give scholarships that support students in our social justice program. Support the Walden Club, a student organization for African American students, and get involved with the Trevecca Urban Farm, which seeks to find ways to alleviate food security and access issues in the neighborhoods that surround the University.
