Blessings Acknowledged by CRT
Below are two questions I embrace as blessings since they allow me to provide clarity on how CRT can be engaged without compromising one’s faith in Christ and Christian worldview. These blessings are opportunities Christians can leverage for gospel proclamation and disciple making.
Q: Why is it necessary for all Christians to use CRT?
A: First, it is not necessary for all Christians to use CRT. Salvation is a gift given by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, confirmed in Scripture alone, for the glory of God alone (Eph 2:4-10). Embracing Christ as Savior is necessary to be part of His Church (1 Pet 2:5). Jesus was building His church (Matt 16:18; Acts 2; Eph 1:22-23) for nearly two millennia before CRT surfaced in the late 20th Century. Jesus’ work is not dependent on anything or anyone other than Him. In light of these truths, as a missiologist who is evangelistically active and discipleship driven, I choose to engage CRT because its relevant to my mission field in North America. CRT brings awareness to matters that impact the precious lives in my field. My work involves applying biblical truth to the complexities sin has produced by distorting the living conditions where I, live, move, and have my being alongside millions of others. At times, CRT gives language to the afflictions and sufferings of those whose cries are ignored. Their pain doesn’t disappear because others ignore it. My engagement with CRT allows me to privately and publicly address these sufferings in real time while sharing my hope in Christ. I realize not every Christian experienced the same up bringing I did, in fact we Christians in North America are the minority population of the global church![3] I also acknowledge other Christians in North America have different spiritual gifts and missional callings from Jesus. To them I say, be free to pursue God’s desire for you in your ministry endeavors (cf. Psalm 34:4; 37:4; 20:4) but please extend this freedom to myself and others who share a similar calling.
Q: What’s the best way Christians can address our racial tensions in the Church?
A: I believe Ethnic Conciliation is our best move.[4] In my book Intensional: Kingdom Ethnicity in a Divided World [5] I define Ethnic Conciliation, support it with Scripture, share practical ways we can do this work, and call Christians to leverage our privileges by obeying Jesus’ social and spiritual commands.[6] In addition, Christians in America must become more honest in communicating how the systemic sin of partiality enforced by those of European descent resulted in the redemptive birth of the Black Church.[7] Also we must improve how we respond to the present day consequences stemming from Christian passivity during Jim Crow. Southern Christians of European descent branded the Civil Rights Movement, which grew out of and was anchored by the Black Church [8], not just a “social crisis” but an attack on “certain unchanging truths taught in Holy Scripture and required of all true Christians” and said “those who contradicted such teachings were not merely social deviants, they were also biblical apostates.”[9] People are alive today who were taught this in the 1950’s! The consequences for this anti-biblical view calls for both individual and institutional issues to be dealt with and repented of [10] so we can move forward as salt and light (Matt 5:13-16). To accomplish this, en mass we Evangelicals must address and resolve our three weaknesses Francis Schaeffer identified in 1984 that remain present in 2021.[11]
Burdens Assigned by CRT
Below are questions I accept as burdens because they’re often asked after hearing Christian leaders say CRT must be accepted or rejected in total. I give answers revealing how this false binary doesn’t have to obeyed.
