Editor’s Note: Even though I am on vacation this week and had not planned to publish any articles during this time, I thought the timeliness of today’s article was critical as we near the end of Black History Month. So I asked my friend Jerome Bell to be our guest blogger this for “Family and Friends Friday.”
Jerome and his wife of three years, Hannah, have been members at Webster Bible Church for the past two years. They met at Houghton College, where he earned his master’s degrees in conducting and composition, and his bachelor’s degree in composition. An avid educator, musician, and deep thinker, Jerome enjoys grappling with challenging topics such as race’s role in religion and politics, and asking the big questions like: who is the strongest Marvel superhero?
Update: Jerome had submitted his article to me the day before he got some great news, which I could not resist posting here. Jerome was just accepted into the Ph.D. program at the world-renowned Eastman School of Music! This has been a dream for Jerome and is the answer to many prayers. This wonderful news makes today’s posting all the more special. Congratulations, Jerome!
When we think about history, our primary inclination is to look backwards as we aim to search for the truth. However, when searching for this truth, believers have a significant advantage: we serve a God who exists outside of time. Furthermore, through the Spirit, we too can have insight into this truth; we are able to see how God works in the past, present, and future.
I have been thinking about this idea lately as I contemplate Black History Month. What is Black History Month, and why might it be important to the evangelical Christian? Although I will not spend too much time on the first half of this question, I will simply state that Black History Month affords us the opportunity to highlight pertinent historical happenings and its impact on us today. In short, I believe there is value in re-learning and valuing Black History. I liken this to the idea of Valentine’s day. Of course, one should show their significant other love throughout the year, but Valentine’s day grants us the opportunity to be more intentional about how we display our love towards others. Nevertheless, I will pay primary attention to the latter half of the question. In doing so, it is noteworthy to consider Romans 12, particularly verse 2:
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
It is important to make sure that we are not viewing the idea of Black History through a worldly lens. This creates an issue, as some would argue that the very idea of observing Black History is a worldly practice. However, as I mentioned above, Christians have a significant insight into how we can attempt to transform the world around us. We can accomplish this by not only looking backward, but also looking at what is happening now as we anticipate what will come in the future.
Many would argue that there remains an issue of race in this country that stems from a complicated history. What can we do about this? Thankfully, friends, we can turn to the Gospel for answers.
Simply put, the Gospel can be explained in three parts:
We all have sinned, and therefore have a broken connection to God (Romans 3:23, 6:23a).
Jesus offers us new life by giving us the opportunity to repent of our sins and follow Him (Romans 6:23b, Luke 9:23, John 3:16).
As a result, we can look with expectant hope to Christ’s return and the full restoration of His Kingdom (Revelation 21).
This understanding of the Gospel can significantly help us as we deal with the racial tensions that surround us today. It is important to recognize our own sin in this.
None of us is perfect.
We all sin. And we all can be wrong, no matter our skin tone or political affiliation. However, because of the transformative power of Jesus, we can learn from the past. But it does not need to end there. We can also see what God is doing right now while taking steps to foreshadow what God’s Kingdom will be like in the future. This is where the Church comes in.
I remain thankful for the church body during these difficult times, and I especially remain grateful for my brothers and sisters at Webster Bible Church.
Has it all been peaches and roses?
No.
Has it all been perfect?
No.
But within this past year, I have witnessed firsthand the power that the Unity in Christ can have on a congregation. Despite differing opinions, upbringings, and political worldviews, we can heavily lean on our common unity. When we fully submit to the Holy Spirit by loving our brothers and sisters, we can function as a bright light in a terribly darkening world. Where the world promotes divisiveness, hastiness, and hatred, the Church offers unity, patience, and love. By simply meeting with one another face-to-face and having edifying conversations, we can get more done than we could by engaging in social media wars. (Guilty!)
Essentially, faith without works is dead!
This leads me to my final point: Because we have a true picture of what the Kingdom of God will be like, we can look to the future with hope. Although there is still a need for the observance of Black History Month due to man’s present sinfulness, there will be no need for Black History then. This is because the only history that will be relevant is the history of Christ’s work on the cross.
In short, it can be beneficial to evaluate the effects that our country’s challenging past has had on darker-skinned folks today. But more importantly, the Church can play a significant role in showing the world how to respond to these deep issues by displaying the hope and love that we have towards one another.
Brothers and sisters, let us be the light in a darkening world.