All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.” – 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

“But if we’re not careful, it is quite possible and tempting to be more in love with the idea of reconciliation than to actually engage in the actual work of reconciliation—the arduous, painful, and messy marathon work of reconciliation. That’s the pivotal question we must ask: Are we more in love with the idea of following Jesus than actually following Jesus---including to and through some difficult areas?” – Dr. Brenda Salter-McNeil, Roadmap to Reconciliation 2.0

“The problem I see with most of our racial justice efforts is that we are largely passive and reactive rather than active and intentional. We wait for the next tragedy or outrage and only then do we act (for a little while). Racial Justice is a disposition, not a “to do” item.” – Dr. Jemar Tisby

Message from Marisa Gronholz, Director of Formation and Outreach at Bethany:

Dear Bethany Family,

As the above quotes indicate, racial justice is not a “to-do” list or a program, but rather a whole-life, and life-long disposition – one that is intrinsic to our identity as followers of Jesus. Time and time again, as I am in conversations about race, I’m reminded that there are specific invitations for white people in racial justice work and specific invitations for BIPOC (black, Indigenous and people of color) as we seek God’s justice, healing and flourishing in our lives, our communities and our world.

To take Jesus seriously as white Americans, we need to look at the truth of our own racial identity and conditioning. The way forward involves pruning what is bad, rediscovering what is good, and finding our part to play in opposing racism. The Way Forward is a three-week class designed to help white Christians better understand themselves and become good news to a world haunted by racial injustice. 

Bethany supports the work of the Unity Collective—a non-profit counseling service dedicated to transforming individuals, relationships, and communities through embodied intersectional, integrative, and holistic care. Their therapists have specific training in the integration of the intersections of faith, race, and mental health. If you are looking for some additional support in your healing, please reach out to www.unitycollectivecounseling.org or reach out to me, marisag@bethanypc.org and I can connect you with a counselor or group.