Rick McKee is back for this week’s quick hit episode to discuss racial injustice and how Redemption Chapel approaches racial reconciliation.

Podcast Transcription:

I dont want to phrase this question the wrong way, but I know that theres been a lot around the racial issue specially this year and in the last couple years with everything going on. And our I think our church does a great job with how they handle a lot of that and trying to show the love for whats going on and just have a heart for the people. But I know theres good people that Im friends with that might have different opinions to how certain things are addressed in social media, sometimes with black lives matter movement. And youll say justiceforgeorgefloyd things like that. I mean, where where do you stand on that? When youre being open as a church to to that movement, or to just what happening right now in in the whole racial situation going on in culture America? We mentioned social media and thats the first mistake either. Lets lets make a false dichotomy, but for simplicitys sake. Lets say theyre two sides to this issue. And I probably dont like either side on social media, social media, social media is, its not given over towards nuance and these issues are very complex in and they require Nuance. So Ill give you an example are cops racist. And the answer is yes or no. yes, in the sense that there is, there is implicit bias in all of our hearts and theres no magic firewall that keeps that out of the police force, And not so somewhere, like, over Graces our closet races, and some just have him listed by as meaning. When they pull up, black man over there said, theres something within us that says, I have to be more careful because hes black is probably more violent and theres nothing thats thats in us as a human race. So its not the cops are bad as humans. We deal with this so then, yeah, thats a problem. But but then on the other hand of most cops are good civil servants, that wear a bulletproof vest. For a reason, like they are putting their life on the line, theyre hoping to go home with her family at night. They didnt get in it to keep the black man down. Like theyre looking to serve the community are good people and sometimes criminals are pulled over because of being criminals. And in. So now that that even that is overly simplistic. What Ive said already its way more complex than what I just said. None of that fits into a tweet, none of that, fits into Facebook and so instead what you get is all cops are racist or no cops are racist. And you know, it and then you get your, your Echo Chambers and you get confirmation bias, and none of it works out well, on social media. And so, what Im really wanting comes from building relationships, It is an understanding why certain things are important to certain people are so some people just dont understand some of the histories. Like so, for example, a lot of what we understand is a police for today, the Genesis of it was enslaved Patrols And then you go through the civil rights movement and you see that cops were the ones with the billy club, called in to break up some of the protests? These are to go. Okay. So theres a history here that when a black person gets over their understanding nervous. And so now its a powder keg and Ill start to unpack some help to build my understanding. But I dont want to go towards caricatures or once I dont like. So youre Browning you mentioned black lives matter. I think black lives matter is an incredibly good appropriate slogan, and I think it is a good movement. I dont think its a good organization. Thats Nuance. What did I just say that. It depends! In a tweet but black lives matter is an organization. Theres some evidently some witchcraft woven into its background, they support one political party, they are anti the nuclear family their traditional family as we understand it theres stuff about homosexuality and transgender know. Its one of your letters is in the hall that they probably all black lives matter is great, but the problem becomes that the black lives matter organization is about more than Black lives matter. So now Christians have to go. Do you support the organization or not? Thats difficult. So thats not so. So I dont actually support the organization that encourage people dont go on their website and dont get money. But as far as all my engagements with racial reconciliation, like the idea of black lives matter issued and if you respond to me well yeah. But all lies matter. Were going to have a talk but I know that youre actually youre not getting it and we need to understand that better together with clarify that. So Im actually all about this slogan in the moving in the direction and all that. Absolutely. And we got we still have racism is Alive and Well in America. It didnt end with slavery. It didnt end with Jim Crow. It didnt end with the Civil Right Stuff in the sixties. And seventies, we praise God, weve come so far and yet we have so far to go. So, theres a Nuance again, are we done know? So we havent made any progress. Know, weve come far and we have far to go. Its booked and we get into too much either or Its both Ian new you hit on the education piece, right? Because social media, you have this limited amount very shallow knowledge so its just probably as shallow as it can get. A couple words may be an image in general. Another problem as far as like, why are we getting our information from you or curious in this area? And you said, man, I need to study and learn right now. Ive went on a book and Im in the area that I want to know more information because everything I was getting was like, you said, very polar opposite and now Im probably in the middle and I need and theres nuance and I want understand it. So yeah, it very much. So and I read that too, on your suggestion of it and obviously got some things from her that I was like, okay. And then some things I was like, oh why didnt I know that? And thats that changes. My view a little bit and being more open to whats going on. Cuz Ive met, I felt the pool in a lot of different ways. From one side of my friend group that are good Christians, another side of my friend group, thats and family, thats good. Christians and they are polar opposite. In that Network comes down to politics of politics, and its going to be different views on certain things, but we have to agree on. The one thing that is most important than that. Thats why I was really matters. But you know, hes still get back to like I mean the ones I will say you cant even tell me you cant even say black lives matter in a in a social media post or whatever because that automatically puts you in a certain kind of a realm. And now can Im the furthest thing from social media, guy whatsoever is not going to get into any of that. You know. I dont know because I thought you answered it very well and where you guys stand on it. But Im still Try to figure out the best way to witness into both areas of people who differ in that in that argument cuz I think it is very prevalent in two in todays was gushing. I dont think its just that argument either. Like Christians were called to be countercultural regardless of what the what the argument is. So the transgenders is transgenderism issue. Theres like the all all these issues right now then finding that that Nuance, as you described it, to be able to educate yourself enough to have a conversation about it. Instead of just blasting what youve seen on social media. That seems like that makes you act different. You know. Im all about that because you mean you know in our conversations Ill tend to sometimes play Devils. Advocate not that Im trying to say that. Ive got this opinion but just to pull back a little bit and be like, I wont have you thought about this, you know what about this angle? You know, trying to open up the diet Login to sense. Like I dont want my mind to be so directly focused on to something that ultimately isnt biblical one way the other. Like, I want my mind to be focused that way on the gospel but everything else. I want to be open to hearing the different opinions and I feel like great, again, great Christians that are great followers of Christ will be that way in one way or the other on some of those issues that, you know, its not, its not gospel and thats where its like, guys. Lets get back to whats important. Legit. And yet arent arent challenges to teach the scriptures so we teach biblically. And so if we teach that God values life and in that to take life in the womb is wrong, then we get congregants to go. Thats pro-life amen. Pastor preach it and theyre all good with it until we start to say, the oppression of black people is wrong, which is just Bible, right? And they go. Hey hey, whoa, time out. When did we get all political here? Being pro-life is political. We wont bet. Were just being difficult and so its funny to watch people be okay with us being quote, on Co political or just being difficult but theyre okay with it. So long as it agrees with their politics. But as soon as we say something from the scriptures that challenges them, Then I am in El Paso and they just get me come unglued and its sad to see. And so if the Bible cant challenge your politics, then you are not following Jesus. Youre falling a political party and thats a problem in. Jesus is an equal-opportunity offender, he will challenge the Democrats hell challenge, the Republicans and so, were just going to keep challenging and if the Bible speaks against oppression, which it does and calls us who are in a position of power to speak out for the oppressed. Thats what were called to do. And if we dont do it, what we failed yet. Now, then the challenges to say, well, yeah, but are they oppressed today and so all us white people want to go. No. Call Cheska black person I can speak into what its like to be in Black in America day. Should we ask a black person? You know, but we is white folks want to pass judgment on like whether or not they were pressed and silenced their voice in the process, which by the way, is oppressing them. I will say when I was looking for like, to get more into the topic, I didnt want to hear from white people. I heard enough of. That is okay, living in living in Hudson, go to church and stuff. So like, I dont run into it a bunch in my normal Community, actually interact with the electrical work but in general its like I want to I want to talk to someone but at the same time, how do you have a conversation? That is a conversation. Doesnt get I guess controversial or just a sensitive topic. You want to talk to someone that you know what? Youre more light less heat. Thats what we need. And when I share a platform with Pastor, Brendan he will say, okay to do another nuanced question, why do black people play the race card? Pastor Brendan would say sometimes. Yeah. They abused it sometimes and then sometimes know theyre just theyre just addressing some oppressor impression, some racism. Some whats the highest some in insult or or are black people lazy? Now, thats a caricature. All black. People are lazy. No, thats wrong, thats wrong. Well then Id say our black people people. Yes, our people sometimes, lazy do black people deal with that they are are inherently as a people are lazy or violent or whatever. Thats where we go again. If theres theres theres some on that topic. I know its Im glad its a part of our church. Ive enjoyed some of the events moved on and certainly challenging counted that our congregation. Obviously, I love seeing our congregation grow in diversity. I think you asked any Pastor, like a, would you like to see more people of color at your church? Well, sure. We would, you know, I like will you value what they value? Its what you have is there. Their Community feels hurt over and over and something happens in our culture that hurts them once again. And we, as white folks just totally ignore it in our congregation and Im like, why are black people coming next week and care? What about what they care about? We didnt care about them. And so, so for us to care about these issues is not only biblically, right? But it also leaves us in the direction of that, getting a little bit of tasty on Earth that which we will experience. Usually and heaven, and Heaven majority of the folks, probably have white. So, how did you get a taste of it? Now, you cant beat yourself up about that and still, because whats the percentage of population and still a good point. Like, some of the multi-racial at the very diverse Church models are built on churches in New York City, or LA, or Landslide, you install, right? So, my goal is a pastor is I just want to beat the demographic, I cant remember. It is only the, lets say its 5%, then I want to have a congregation, thats better than 5% people. I just want to do better than that demographic that you could Bowl. I like that. Id love it 50-50 but that I think we need every glad you could join us for another core for Life podcast. 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