By Joe Hellerman | Biola University
Published in June of 2020
SUMMARY: Biola professor Joe Hellerman sees three problems when an all lives matter slogan or variation on that theme is used to counter a black lives matter statement. One problem is that social context means something.
KEY QUOTE: “Before white evangelicals can authentically declare to marginalized people groups that Jesus died for all, that all lives matter, that the ground is level at the foot of the cross, we will need first to (a) acknowledge the social injustices of the world in which we live, (b) hear the experiences of our black brothers and sisters in Christ, and (c) do what we can to address these issues in both public and private settings.”
Read the full article at Biola.edu
More curated articles on black lives matter:
ARTICLE: Dear White Brothers and Sisters: Why #BlackLivesMatter Matters to You
Living in intimate relationships with people of color or at the very least speaking with people of different opinions is a must for Christians to work through racial issues says Natasha Sistrunk Robinson, the Assistant Director of the Center for the Development of Evangelical Leadership (CDEL) at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Sistrunk Robinson also explains three things to help white evangelicals know where some black people are coming from when they say black lives matter.
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ARTICLE: Black Lives Matter: The hashtag, the movement, the network, and the truth
Pastor David Williams attempts to breakdown the difference between BLM’s hashtag, movement, and network while trying to get at the truth. Although this is centered around InterVarsity’s position in 2016, much of the article is relevant today. Lots of excellent links included in the article to dig deeper as well.
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ARTICLE: Stung Like a Bee
Using the story of boxer Mohammed Ali leaving his Christian faith because the church he attended would not stand up for him in the face of discrimination actor Gauis Charles wonders if the Christian church is in a similar moment. The church in the past has been complicit with slavery and many churches have not engaged in anti-racism teaching. Will the failure of the church to lead on issues of race result in people walking away?
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