The Unbiased Gospel
At some point, we must admit the prejudices we hold are not from God. We filter God’s love through our own preferences, and then we try to offer it to others. The true gospel must be preserved by a church that offers it as freely as she has received it.
This video - a September 2020 sermon from Pastor Rob Irvine - expands on these thoughts.
About this Resource Page
The following resources have been gathered to provide awareness, offer encouragement, and inspire action in the direction of racial reconciliation. We understand that with such a broad array of content, Cumberland cannot definitively endorse this collection. We acknowledge that some content may not be faith-based, and we dare not offer them as a substitute for God’s word. Nevertheless, we recognize that the issues surrounding these racial tensions are historical as much as they are theological. Therefore, we hope to provide appropriate attention in both regards.
Our intent is to connect with people wherever they might stand on these issues, and to encourage movement in a direction towards unity. May these resources assist you in your own longing for racial harmony.
Where Am I on this Journey?
Uncertain about the Issues
“Is this really something we should be discussing?”
Curious about the Causes
“I know something is wrong, but I don’t really understand what or how we got here.”
Advocate for Others
“How can I continue to practice love beyond my own cultural experience?”
Open to Change
“I’ve seen the problems, and I understand there have been injustices, but what do I do?”
Cautious about the Solution
“I have voiced concerns in the past, only to meet dismissive resistance. I’m willing to take steps forward - but how did their hang-ups become my responsibility?”
Eager for Change
“We must address these problems together. What responsibility should I take in helping to educate those who have a different experience?”
Hurt from the Reality
“My experiences are too hurtful to ignore, and it’s difficult to build relationships beyond those offenses. How can I get past the pain?”
Why won’t people acknowledge my pain?
I am…
Uncertain about the Issues
“Is this really something we should be discussing?”
Or
Hurt from the Reality
Why won’t people acknowledge my pain?
The distance between perspectives
The distance between perspectives on these issues of race emerges from our tendency to paint history through the lens of our personal experience. The reality is that we have one, shared American history - for better or for worse. And the only way we can come to the same conclusions about what is happening today is if we view what happened yesterday in truth. This sharp gaze into the mirror is not about guilt or condemnation, it’s about applying the hope of the gospel specifically to the issues at hand. If we really want to find a solution, then we have to be willing to start with the problem.
Videos
- Race: The Power of An Illusion” (a 3-part PBS documentary)
- Race, Ethnicity, Nationality and Jellybeans” (a video explanation)
Articles
- “How Deep the Root of Racism?” by Thabiti Anyabwile
- “Race: What Is It?” by Judy Wu Dominick
- “10 Reasons Racism Is Sin” by Kevin DeYoung
- “Biblical Righteous Is a Four-Paned Window” by Carl Ellis
- “Why David Platt and Ligon Duncan Repented for Racial Blindness” by David Daniels
- “Foundational Principles Every White Bridge-Builder Needs to Understand” from Be the Bridge
Books
- “The Civil War as a Theological Crisis” by Mark Noll
- “Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America” by Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith
- “Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian” by John Piper
- “United: Captured by God’s Heart for Diversity” by Trillia Newbell
- “White Awake: An Honest Look at What It Means to Be White” by Daniel Hill
- “Being Latino in Christ: Finding Wholeness in Your Ethnic Identity” by Orlando Crespo
- “One Church, Many Tribes: Following Jesus the Way God Made You” by Richard Twiss
- “A Sojourner's Truth: Choosing Freedom and Courage in a Divided World” by Natasha Sistrunk Robinson
- “Let Justice Roll Down” by John M. Perkins
- “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration” by Isabel Wilkerson
- “Mother to Son: Letters to a Black Boy on Identity and Hope” by Jasmine Holmes
Additional resources:
- Article - Terrible Truths for the Church to Face by David Swanson
- Book - The Ferguson Dilemma by Jade Lee
- Book - The Color of Law: The Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein
- Book - The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
- Book - Insider Outsider by Bryan Loritts
- Book - The Myth of Equality by Ken Wytsma
- Book - White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity by Robert P. Jones
I am…
Curious about the Cause
“I know something is wrong, but I don’t really understand what or how we got here.”
Or
Cautious about the Solution
“I’m willing to take steps forward - but only after others own their responsibility for the problem.”
Things are not the way they should be.
At some point, we have to acknowledge that things are not the way they should be concerning race relations. Even if we agree about our past, we still need to reconcile its implications for today. Our faith informs us that not only is the world broken, but more specifically, we broke it. And even when our intentions are good, our fallen nature continues to impede God’s desire for humanity. Obviously, the problems won’t fix themselves. But if we continue to ignore them, then we’ll have to own responsibility for allowing the tensions to become worse.
Videos
- “13th” (Netflix documentary)
- “Teach Us All” (documentary)
- “Asian Americans” (PBS documentary)
- “A Theology of Race” with Jemar Tisby (PCA Voices)
- “Finding Your Roots” (series on PBS)
- “Why I Must Speak Out About Racial Discrimination” with Frederick Edwards Jr. (TEDxNDSU)
- “Just Mercy” (2020 film from Warner Bros. Pictures)
Articles
- “The Museum of the New South Helps Us Understand Racism in the South after the Civil War,” by Jemar Tisby
- “Racism Is Demonic” by Andrew Menkis
- “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
- “10 Ways to Have Conversations on Race” by Mae Elise Cannon, Lisa Sharon Harper, Troy Jackson and Soong-Chan Rah
- “How to Grieve Racial Violence Through Lament” Mark Vroegop
Books
- “A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America” by Ronald Takaki
- “‘Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?’ and Other Conversations About Race” by Beverly Daniel Tatum
- “Disunity in Christ: Uncovering the Hidden Forces that Keep Us Apart” by Dr. Christena Cleveland
- “Letters Across the Divide” by David Anderson and Brent Zuercher
- “I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness” by Austin Channing Brown
- “Hermanas: Deepening Our Identity and Growing Our Influence” by Natalia Kohn, Noemi Vega Quiñones, and Kristy Garza Robinson
- “Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations” by Mira Jacob
- “The Wolf Shall Dwell With the Lamb: A Spirituality for Leadership in a Multicultural Community” by Eric H.F. Law
- “Misreading Scripture With Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible” by Randolph Richards and Brandon O’Brien
- “Dream With Me: Race, Love, and the Struggle We Must Win” by John M. Perkins
- “Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times” by Soong-Chan Rah
Additional resources:
- Book - White Fragility by Robin Diangelo
- Book - Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
- Book - Trouble I’ve Seen: Changing The Way The Church Views Racism by Drew G.I. Hart
- Book - Beyond Racial Gridlock by George Yancey
- Article - What Well-Meaning White People Need to Know About Race by Bryan Stevenson
- Book - Reconstructing the Gospel: Finding Freedom from Slaveholder Religion by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
- Book - Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabella Wilkenson
I am…
Open to Change
“I’ve seen the problems, and I understand there have been injustices, but what do I do?”
Or
Eager for Change
“Haven’t we all had enough of these injustices? Why isn’t everyone taking personal responsibility to eliminate racism for good?”
What is required of us?
Change requires the courage to act. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to arrive at the courage that is needed. And whether it is compassion for the oppressed or frustration with the oppressors, the desire for change provides a point of agreement for all who are willing to acknowledge the real problem. If we can get past the temptation to demonize each other, then we can unite to fight against the true enemy - racism.
Videos
- “Let’s Get to the Root of Racial Injustice” with Megan Ming Francis (TEDxRainier)
- “12 Years a Slave” (2020 film from Fox Searchlight Pictures)
- “The People of God and Diversity” with Lecrae, Soong-Chan Rah, Elicia Horton and Joe Thorn
- “What’s One Thing You Wish White Evangelicals Knew About Racial Reconciliation?” with Thabiti Anyabwile (The Gospel Coalition)
- “Not Black Enough” (documentary)
- “Practical Ways to Pursue Racial Reconciliation” with Bryan Loritts
- “Become the Bridge: A Conversation With Two Pastors”
Articles
- “‘But I Wasn’t There’: Lessons on Injustice from King David” by Josh Fenska
- “We Need to Be Uncomfortable” by Phillip Holmes
- “Estoy Cansada: Reflections on my Own Reconciliation Blues” (Yo Soy Kristy)
- “Oh God, Make Us Angry!” by Amy DiMarcangelo
Books
- “Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery,” by Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah
- “The Woke Church: An Urgent Call for Christians in America to Confront Racism and Injustice” by Eric Mason
- “The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church’s Complicity in Racism” by Jemar Tisby
- “Mañana: Christian Theology from a Hispanic Perspective” by Justo Gonzalez
- “Misreading Scripture With Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible” by Randolph Richards and Brandon O’Brien
- “A Cry of Hope, a Call to Action: Unleashing the Next Generation of Black Christian Leaders” by Dr. Charles Gilmer
- “Roadmap to Reconciliation: Moving Communities Into Unity, Wholeness and Justice” by Brenda Salter McNeil
- “Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation” by Latasha Morrison
Additional Resources:
- Book - Rediscipling the White Church by David Swanson
- Book - The Cross and The Lynching Tree by James Cone
- Book - Rethinking Incarceration; Advocating For Justice That Restores by Dominique Dubois Gilliard
- Book - Generous Justice: How God’s Grace Makes Us Just by Tim Keller
- Article - I’ve Had Enough of #Solidarity
- Book - Advocates: The Narrow Path to Racial Reconciliation by Dhati Lewis
- Book - Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope by Esau McCaulley
- Book - White Lies: Nine Ways to Expose and Resist the Racial Systems that Divide Us by Daniel Hill
I will…
Advocate for Others
“How can I continue to practice love beyond my own cultural experience - FOR those who are hurting, WITH those who long for justice, and TO those who oppose?”
God’s heart for humanity
As we capture God’s heart for humanity, it becomes clear that He is for us, not against us. Our challenge seems to lie in broadening our definition of “US”. We must continuously dismantle the walls of division - visible and invisible - to experience the harmony promised by the gospel. This requires active participation, humble self-assessment, and a conviction to love unconditionally.
Videos
- “I Am Not Your Negro” (2016 documentary)
- “Must Every Church Be Multiethnic?” with John Piper, Stephen Um and Trip Lee (The Gospel Coalition)
- “How Churches Can Address Hidden Feelings of Prejudice and Racism” with Jackie Hill Perry (The Gospel Coalition)
- PBS Videos on Various Cultures
- “Right Color, Wrong Culture: Pursuing Multi-Ethnic Cultural Engagement” with Bryan Loritts (ERLC)
- Race, Repent, and Repair: A Conversation with Tyler Burns
Articles
- “The Chicken Came First” by Thabiti Anyabwile
- “A Burden Removed: A Biblical Path for Removing the Racism of our Forefathers” by Thabiti Anyawible
- The Intercultural Development Inventory
- “Working on Common Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges” by Marcelle E. DuPraw and Marya Axner
- “Lamentations 5 for 2020” by Soong-Chan Rah
Books
- “Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela” by Nelson Mandela
- “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison
- “One Blood: Parting Words to the Church on Race and Love” by John M. Perkins
Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaign's Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement by Justin Giboney, Michael Wear, and Chris Butler
Additional resources:
- Book - Oneness Embraced by Dr. Tony Evans
- Book - The Post-Black and Post-White Church: Becoming The Beloved Community in a Multiethnic World by Dr. Efrem Smith
- Book - Building A Healthy Multiethnic Church by Mark DeYmaz
- Book - The Minority Experience by Adrian Pei
- Book - Right Color Wrong Culture by Bryan Loritts
- Book - The High Definition Leader: Building Multiethnic Churches in a Multiethnic World by Dr. Derwin Gray
- Book - The Third Option: Hope for a Racially Divided Nation by Miles McPherson