This is my response to Adele Hallidays’ callout to ‘white people’

Dear Adele,

I’m sorry you have been traumatized and dealing with intense anger, immense exhaustion and deep pain. I hope your ‘theological training’ will bring Jesus’ call to your heart; “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) Jesus can help your troubled soul far better than anyone else.

I’m responding to you as a Christian, not as an old white man because the Bible says; “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28) As you know, for Christians of all ages, colors and male or female – our common ground, hope and rest is in Jesus and His Gospel.

Jesus teaches us something better than demanding action and revolution; “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:43,44) In the face of this dark world’s oppression it’s time for prayer.

I know that you are writing to me as part of a group who have; ‘white privilege and who have benefitted from systemic racism.’ Yes I am ‘white’ and yes I have benefitted from privilege some earned and some not – guilty as charged. But that person died when he was born again; “. . . if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) God no longer holds my sins against me. God forgives me; “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” (Ephesians 1:7) Maybe you can find it in your heart to let go of my past sins as well. Jesus tells us he came to provide freedom from the collective and vicarious trauma you are experiencing (Luke 4:18). And forgiveness is a crucial part of that freedom (Matthew 6:14,15)

As a born again Bible believing Christian I am happy to stop calling myself a non-racist. I am happy to stop pointing at others to rationalize my failings. I’m happy to do something about the system in this country that pits one human against another, that pits black against white. I’ll point to Jesus and Jesus alone who came to set the oppressed free; “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.” (Luke 4:18) I’m happy to do my own work testifying to Jesus Christ and His transforming power in all of us. I sincerely hope this brings you some relief.

I will be ‘pastoral’ and bring to you the only remedy I know for your terror, trauma and grief. His name is Jesus. The Word of God reminds us; “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10) God’s righteous right hand is way better than my hand or anyone else’s in these difficult times. Cling to Him.

I can’t say “Black Lives Matter” because this has become a slogan co-opted by a movement that mires people in their rage and resentments. God didn’t say ‘Black Lives Matter’ to the world’s sin and oppression. The Gospel says; “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16,17) God says; “All Lives Matter.” To say anything else is to bow down to idols. Jesus’ life matters and in Him, we all matter.

You ask me to be prophetic and in saying this I am being prophetic because the Bible says; ” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10) I have responded to your heart cry with the testimony of Jesus not Critical Race Theory or some other invention of man.

To conclude, I too am weary of seeing news articles about anti-Black racism. I know you are more than weary of it. Yet we all live with it. It breaks my heart to hear of a black child who had his arm broken by two white children. How must the child feel and his mother, his family and friends feel? I am lonely for my friend who was deported to Africa. How much more lonely must his mom, dad and siblings be for him? The deep pain and hurt of others doesn’t cancel the empathy and sympathy of those who witness it.

I will preach to the solution of the problem of racism in Canada and the world for that matter. Thank God the solution has a name – His name is Jesus. And I will remember this is long term work – it will continue until He returns. I’ll also remember that people get persecuted and killed for it. Jesus said; “All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:8-13)

Hang on Adele, remember who your real Savior is. Speak His Word into the hurting world and into yourself. He’s coming back. And until He returns the work He commissioned us to do is in the Bible – to love God first and foremost, to love our neighbours no matter what their colour and to make disciples – true disciples who abide in His Word. This is the work that liberates and heals.

It is a matter of eternal life and death.

God Bless you

Tony