As I write to you today, I am watching the barbwire being put up by the courthouse to prepare the Derek Chauvin trial (the former officer who murdered George Floyd). Derek Chauvin looks a lot like me. I have often wondered what does it mean to be faithful as a cisgender, straight, white Christian male in this moment, trying to be authentic in my desire to participate in God’s justice and invite others to do the same, knowing someone who looks like me did this? How can I write and teach about the subject of dismantling white supremacy while benefiting from it? How can I claim an anti-racist ethic as a member of a church body that is 97% white? How do I facilitate change in my communities while I am still a work in progress myself? These are the tough questions I continue to ask myself. Danish Physicist Niels Bohr once said, “the opposite of a great truth is another truth.” In my Lutheran theological tradition, we also assert that there can be a “simul” relationship between two seemingly opposite ideas. So, as I balance these truths in my own life, I share them and wonder if they might have resonance for some of you or the people you are leading:

Interrogating Whiteness AND De-Centering Whiteness

It has been so important for me to understand what whiteness is and how it functions in my life. One of the most powerful ways that white supremacy functions is by going un-named. If we say we have not been complicit in the sinful system of oppression, we deceive ourselves and the truth isn’t in us. When I began to see how my own white cultural patterns were normed, I was able to adapt them to create more space in my life for other cultural ways of being. As I found mirrors that helped me see my own racial-ethnic-cultural identity, I found new redemptive models of whiteness that were more liberative. That said, what also happened quickly for me as I dove into the field of critical whiteness is that BIPOC voices began to take a backstage to MY development and MY culture. Suddenly anti-racist white authors replaced black authors on my bookshelf. I had to make sure that I was finding both mirrors into my own culture and windows into other cultures as well. Self-examination cannot stop at becoming curved in on one’s self but must always include a rhythm of other-oriented-ness. Jesus’ desire for his disciples to love others as much as they love themselves is an imperative to avoid neglecting either of those important relationships.

Practicing Allyship AND Accompaniment

I have tried to learn how to discern when I am being called to disrupt injustice with my voice and when I am called to be quiet and listen. In some moments, I am able to use my power to help amplify the voice of a BIPOC sibling whose voice can get drown out by white supremacist patterns. In other moments, however, my sincere desire to help can become infantilizing or paternalistic. This requires a continuous conversation with those to whom I am trying to be helpful. Mutual relationship tends to mitigate the paternalistic allyship that many of us white people can fall into. As a white person attempting to “ally”, I hear these two truths from my BIPOC friends, “We are fully capable of speaking up for ourselves, thank you!” and “If we could have solved racism by ourselves, we would have done it by now.” Like Jesus, walking alongside Peter on the beach, or walking with the woman on the road to Emmaus, my desire to be helpful in this messy and difficult reality must start with questions rather than answers.

Maintaining a Posture of Humility AND A Posture of Confidence

During my efforts to reflect Jesus in my anti-racist bridge building work, I have had constant reminders of my own fallibility and limited perspective. I cannot pretend to fully understand the experience of someone who is different from me. To quote Paul, “For I do not do the good I want to do” (Romans 7:15) This humbles me greatly. I am also, however, made fearfully and wonderfully in God’s image. I am called by name and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live and love boldly. Without this confidence, I cannot begin to engage in this important work. For me to continue on this journey, I have had to remember both my sinful brokenness and my redeemed beloved-ness. When I mess up and say or do the wrong thing in this work, I have tried to remember that this has no bearing on my worthiness as a human. God’s grace propels me forward to not get caught in the paralysis of my own shame and to continue doing the work without fear of failure. Nelson Mandela says “I never fail. I either win or I learn.”

Urgency AND Patience

In an urgent situation like the Chauvin trial where the “right answer” feels so easy for me to see, it is very tempting for me to draw a line in the sand with everyone in my life and say, “Either get on board with the right view about this right now or we’re done!” What is much harder for me is realizing that racism didn’t start yesterday. I have learned so much from my BIPOC friends who have fought this battle for many years. They constantly remind me that we didn’t get here overnight, and we are not going to solve it overnight either. Secondly, I must remember that not everyone is on the exact same trajectory of growth as me. It’s harder for me to stay committed to those difficult relationships in my life where we disagree and not “cut bait”. If we are going to need everyone in God’s Shalom enterprise for the planet, then I need to stay in dialogue with those that do not agree with me. God has dealt patiently with me in my development and I must do the same for others.

So, even though there are some very clear moral mandates from Jesus that we have been given about how we treat one another, what we do with those who have violated those mandates can be nuanced, especially when we ourselves have sinned against our neighbors. As I try to respond to the current chapter of racial violence in our society while being overwhelmed by my own shortcomings in the work, I have tried to remember the cross. It is situated in this place where we encounter a God who is big enough to somehow hold together Law and Gospel, Accountability and Grace, Love of Self and Love of Others, and many of the other complex paradoxes that responding to racism poses. It is situated in this place where we will encounter the Holy Wisdom needed to move forward with confidence. When I meditate on the cross, it gives me the strength to bring my whole self to this work and say, “God you made me just the way I

In our work with students in our CPL course, we often give them a case story that helps them contextualize the theological concepts that they are learning. Using Princeton practical theologian Rick Osmer’s four questions, they reflect on their own leadership and how God is active in the scenarios that we provide. As we are leading communities whose micro and/or macro cultures may be different than our own, it is important to be reflective and strategic about our approach. Here is a case story that we used recently that proved to be very fruitful for conversation. Read this and reflect on how you might respond in a similar situation: 

You are a recent graduate of Luther Seminary who is now serving as a pastor at a white rural parish in Western North Dakota. You have learned a lot at seminary about God’s justice and love for all people. You are excited to share all that you have learned with the congregation. During your prayerful sermon preparation, you are convinced that the story about Zipporah would lend itself perfectly to a Womanist reading of the text. You preach a beautiful sermon that weaves together Zipporah’s marginalization as a black woman and the killing of Breonna Taylor. You connect Jesus’ marginalized body on the cross as a reminder that Black Lives Matter. You felt like this call to action was a hard but important truth for your congregation to hear.

A retired police officer in you congregation named Steve approaches you after the service and speaks these words: “My wife and I just lost our teenage grandson to suicide a few months ago Our hearts are hurting in light of what is going on in the world and in our own lives. We came to church today longing to hear some comfort from the Gospel. All you gave us today was the law. All you gave us today was your own personal politics. It felt like a personal attack on my profession. That is not what we needed today. We can’t have a pastor who puts her own agenda in front of the spiritual needs of her people. We come here to hear Good News.”You are passionate about the intrinsic connection between racial justice and the Gospel. However, you are aware that many of your parishioners do not make that connection as quickly as you do. You were warned before you showed up that your congregation is very polarized theologically and politically. You want them to trust you. You want to speak truth in a way that people can hear it. And you have another sermon to preach the following week. The country is on fire with upheaval connected to racial injustice. The biblical texts selected for next week seem even more connected to God’s justice and reconciliation. You believe that they could catalyze important conversations in your congregation in the midst of a nation that has been torn apart. You are also mindful of members like Steve who are struggling with their own grief and longing for comfort. How will you proceed?

We invite you to use Osmer’s 4 questions and apply them to this situation.

• What is happening? (Much of this has already been answered in the story)
• Why is it happening? (Drawing on theories of the arts and/or sciences to explain these patterns and dynamics that are occurring)
• What should be happening? (Using theological concepts to interpret particular episodes, situations, or contexts, constructing ethical norms to guide responses and learn from “good practice”)
• How should I/we respond? (Determining strategies of action that influence situations in ways that are desirable and entering into a reflective conversation with the “talk back” emerging when they are enacted)

How would you respond to this scenario? We know you do not necessarily have all of the information in the story, but hopefully there is enough to give you a good start. Don’t forget to think about the language you used in the Intercultural Development Inventory as well as other theological tools that might be helpful. We would love to hear your thoughts about this scenario. Have you been in a similar situation before? What has been helpful to you in framing conversations about race in your context?

 

One day I was preparing for a speaking engagement that I had with a predominantly white church in rural Iowa. I couldn’t wait to “smack them in the head” with the truth about racism and their complicity in it. By the end of my hour with them, I was going to have those people crying with shame and repenting of their evil sin. Richard Webb, who has been one of my mentors in this work (big “shout out” to Richard), looked at me and asked me this simple question: “Do you want to be right or be effective?”

For those of us wanting to cross-cultural barriers (particularly around politics or religion), we can fall into our own ego’s desire to have all the right answers. This often prevents us from having important relationships with the very people that we can help influence. How is the Holy Spirit leading us to engage with people who are different from us? How do we engage in productive conversations that move us closer to the heart of God? Here are five techniques that we could employ as we do this work of moving people closer to an expansive understanding of God’s love and justice:

#1: Humility and Vulnerability

“Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”-Luke 7:47

The most important thing I need to remind myself is that I myself will not change anyone’s heart. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, I have still not arrived at perfection when it comes to anti-racism work in Jesus’ name. That means that I have to make space and grace for others the way that God has dealt graciously with my shortcomings. There was a time in which I did not know what I know now about some of these justice issues (it could have been last year, or it could have been last week). In the same way that Richard was gracious with me, I need to find ways to extend that grace to others who are still learning like me. When I hear someone use an offensive term to describe someone, I find myself saying something to the effect of, “You know, I used to think that was the term to use as well, but I have discovered that some of my friends have said that they would like to be called by a different name.” This acknowledges your own imperfection, and invites your conversation partner to join you on your journey of inquiry.

#2: Clarifying Questions

“Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6)

Jesus asked many questions as a way of catalyzing change. When someone says something with which I disagree, I have learned how to ask this question quickly to them: “Tell me more about why you believe that?” As I ask this, I have committed myself to being genuinely curious about their answer rather than just waiting to weaponize their responses.

This question allows someone to reflect on what they believe and why. If there are inconsistencies in their own theology or ideologies, they may come to this understanding on their own and adjust their point of view. Perhaps they never thought about where their stereotypes originated. Maybe they don’t think about race often enough to have a cohesive argument. Your clarifying question could be helpful for both of you. Another helpful function of a clarifying question is that it buys you time to take a deep breath so that you do not “blow up” on the other person. 

#3: Storytelling

“Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15)

I was fiercely arguing with one of my friends about gun control one day and we were spinning in circles. He kept rattling off statistics, and I kept citing articles I had read. We were talking over each other without progress. I finally asked him as genuinely as I possibly could: “So, why do you like guns so much?” In that moment, he immediately lit up as he spoke about growing up hunting with his uncle George in the woods. George had passed away when he was younger, but he felt like he could feel his spirit with him whenever he went out to the deer stand with a gun. I began to understand why he might be so into guns when I realized that he had equated them with the fond memories of his uncle. He then responded with a similar question, “Dave, why do you hate guns so much?” I was able to share a story with him about a 12-year-old girl that I used to work with who had been tragically shot in the head during a drive-by shooting. After this happened, I began to equate guns with traumatic tragedy and death. We affirmed the validity of each other’s story. We had been connected in a way that the statistics could not accomplish. I am not convinced that we changed each other’s stances that day. However, I do believe that we had changed both of our hearts through this sacred practice of story sharing. We need stories of oppression-breaking hope that are readily available to us at moment’s notice. Stories change us.

#4: Sleight of Mouth

Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.”-Mark 12:17

Jesus had a way of calling people “in” rather than just calling them “out”. This begs the question: How do we humans (who are not Jesus!) correct someone’s racist behavior without shaming them and cutting off relationship? In his Anti-racism Study Dialogues, Dr. Okogyeamon often talks about using “sleight of mouth” (as opposed to “sleight of hand”) as a way of creatively admonishing someone. Think about Nathan’s story he told to David that moved David’s heart to repentance. Think about Jesus’ clever quips when authorities were abusing their power. This is the Spirit-led discourse and action that we are seeking. I was in a small group recently. One of the white members kept asking an African American woman in the group what black people thought about the subject we were discussing. He asked it twice and she was starting to look uncomfortable at the notion that she could speak on the behalf of 44 million people. In this moment, I gently reminded the group that it is not fair to single someone out in important conversations like the one that we were having. I did not call the offender out by name, but he clearly knew who I was talking about and he was able to correct his behavior while still preserving his dignity. I believe that the Holy Spirit will provide creative ways to disrupt injustice as it happens if we listen. Sometimes it is very direct. Other times it is less direct. Sometimes I have gotten it right, and there have been many other times where I have missed my moment to stand up for God’s justice. “Sleight of mouth” is a skill that takes time to learn.

#5: Humor

“But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.”-Luke 10:33

Many of Jesus’ parables actually had an ironic (and dare I say “funny”) element to them for listeners that understand the context out of which they came. As Emily Dickinson once said, “tell all the truth but tell it slant”. In the story I mentioned earlier, I told a joke about a scenario in which group members would ask a white person to speak on the behalf of their entire race. Everyone joined in on the joke realizing the absurdity of it, including the person who had been called out. The laughter had been healing for everyone and broke some of the tension that could have lingered in the room. Many psychologists have noted the healing properties of laughter in our own bodies. It is indeed good for our souls. Anti-Racism Writer/Theologian Andre Henry is often called out for smiling in pictures by people who question whether he should be so happy amid all of the injustice in the world. He says that he responds to them by posting pictures of all of the civil rights workers in the 1960’s laughing and celebrating together. I share Andre’s belief in the controversial notion that joy and humor are still invaluable tools in the fight against racism.

Many of you more than likely have churches full of people who are in different places ideologically and theologically. They are longing for your gracious invitations into a better story than the story of “Empire” in which so many of us live. How will you tell better stories? How will you model the humility and vulnerability of the cross? How will you ask questions with curiosity and respond creatively to injustice? Our world, our country, and our churches need it now more than ever. And when you find yourself eager to hit everyone violently with the hammer of truth to prove how right and “woke” you are, may you be reminded of my friend Richard’s question: “Do you want to be right, or be effective?” Amen.

• A student travels to Japan and comes back talking only about the similarities between the people there without acknowledging any of the significant differences that were present.

• A male internship supervisor fails to see the common humanity in their female student because they are so fixated on their gender differences that it has completely polarized their relationship and become a barrier to their work together.

• A pastor of a mostly LGBTQIA+ church leans so heavily into the perceived shared sexual identity of parishioners that they completely fail to see other important differences that are present, including race and class.

What do all of these have in common? In each of these three cases, these leaders were unable to see both the cultural similarities AND the differences that are so important to notice if we are to fully live into the body of Christ.

When we place too much emphasis on similarity, we usually end up in conformity. Perhaps you have been a part of a monocultural community where this was the case. Can you imagine being at a 3M lab in Maplewood, MN sitting at a desk with 5 white, male, upper middle class scientists all educated at MIT, trying to solve a problem together? What about pastors with similar cultural identities trying to see the fullness of God who have all been trained by the exact same theologians? The breakthrough often comes from someone who brings a divergent voice into the dominant discourse. When we only focus on our similarity, we lose this generative quality of diversity that can be such an asset. While it might be the same spirit that activates our gifts, we know that our gifts vary in many ways and add to the beauty of God’s kin-dome. Jesus’ disciples came from a variety of backgrounds. He chose them specifically for their diverse gifts not because it is the right “woke” progressive thing to do, but because he knows that the more diverse the proclaimers, the more robust the proclamation. How are you being mindful of diversity in your proclamation?

When we place too much emphasis on difference, we usually end up in fragmentation. Have you ever been a part of a polarized community that could not find any common ground as they were trying to work together? Instead of leveraging the gifts of difference to create something beautiful, these differences became a barrier to success. If we become fixated only on our differences, we fail to see the common human dignity that each of us share. Our neighbors become a political party and only a political party. Our friend becomes a member of a socioeconomic class and only a member of a socioeconomic class. This inability to see important cultural differences and adapt to them was one of the things that was splitting up the early Jesus communities and resulting in deep divisive conflict and trauma. It is into this context of polarization that Paul reminds the Romans that they are a part of the same body and reminds the Galatians that they share unity in Christ, regardless of cultural background. This unifying dimension of God’s love must always be remembered, along with the truth that we share a variety of cultural particularities and differences that should be both honored and seen. How are you working to unify the body of Christ in your proclamation?

So, how do we get better at noticing both similarity AND difference in our midst? Utilizing the language from the Intercultural Development Continuum, we must continue to seek experiences that help us ask ourselves the following questions:

• Where are the differences?
• Where are the similarities?
• What am I doing about those similarities and differences?
  • Am I judging them? (Polarization)
  • Minimizing them? (Minimization)
  • Seeing them and accepting/valuing them? (Acceptance)
  • Am I adapting to them to make others feel welcomed and included and behaving in ways that are both appropriate and authentic? (Adaptation)

These questions must be repeated and repeated if we want to continue to develop in this work.

What kind of experiences will help us get better at this work? It is not just action that changes our behavior, but it is action along with metacognitive reflection (thinking about our thinking) that “moves the needle”. If we engage in this deep reflection, then many of our experiences (be they big or small) can become “grist for the mill” for our intercultural development, including:

Travel
While traveling to another corner of the world can open our horizons, if we don’t interrogate our thought patterns about differences and similarity, we will continue to reinforce the same ideas, regardless of where we spend our time. When we travel we must keep reflecting about the difference and the similarity that we are seeing.

Books
As we read the authors that we read, where are we seeing cultural difference and similarity? We can branch out and read authors with different perspectives as well as “similar” perspectives and still try to see the contours of difference that are present.

Intercultural Journal
Where did I see cultural difference today? Where did I see similarities today? Where did I see my own dominant cultural identities showing up? Where did I feel discomfort around cultural differences and what did I do about it? Journals can help us record our thoughts about these questions as many others as we continue to dive deeper into this work.

Interpersonal Interactions
 If you are talking to a group of friends that you see as very similar to each other, are you still able to see the difference that is present? If you are interacting with a cultural group that is less familiar to you, are you seeing the difference that is present within the members of that cultural group? It is very important to not just place your body in new spaces but also have new thoughts about the same old spaces you have been in. We can be on the frontlines of the march and still be problematic if we are not thinking deeply about how we are showing up with our fellow humans.

These are just a few of the activities that you can engage in but there are many more (including tv/movies, site visits, intercultural coaches, etc.). The important thing is that you continue to grow and learn, knowing that it is a journey. So, what if we thought about the three different stories I told you in the beginning where these leaders had started to develop more of this intercultural competence we are talking about. What might that look like?:

• A student travels to Japan and marvels at how similar some of the Japanese culture was to their culture, but also how vastly different it was in so many other ways. The student reflects on the contours of difference that they witnessed within the Japanese culture and how there were so many microcultural dynamics that were also at play. They continued to ask these questions about similarity and difference in their daily life and began to learn how to behave appropriately and authentically. They don’t “nail it” all the time, but noticing the differences of the culture have helped them in their intercultural competence and humility.

• An internship supervisor is aware of gender dynamics and how those are affecting his supervision, but he has also found ways to build rapport and common ground as he supports his intern. He does not overly focus on gender, but brings it up when it is relevant and is able to name the difference in ways that invites the intern to bring her full self to the internship.

• The pastor of a mostly LGBTQIA+ congregation finds affinity and solidarity with so many people who share their similar marginalized identities. While this shared experience brings the congregation together, the pastor is also quick to point out that there are still many different identities that are present and that need to be tended to. The congregation has moved past only being LGBTIQIA+ affirming but is also leaning into what it means to be anti-racist and living into God’s beloved community as a diverse socioeconomic community.

Seeing the fullness of God through people who are culturally different from us is a lifelong journey. We will not always do it perfectly, but God’s grace is propelling us forward. To paraphrase my colleague Mary Hess: “There are two ways to do develop intercultural competence: imperfectly or not at all”