RACIAL RECONCILIATION THROUGH FORGIVENESS IS NOT ON OFFER OUTSIDE OF THE GOSPEL

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In relation to the question of race, we need to consider the secular mindset of today’s racial illuminati. They employ the categories of guilt and innocence but apart from a conviction that God has dealt with universal guilt by the sacrifice of his innocent Son. Therefore, whites are guilty because they are white; blacks innocent because they are black.

Redemption and reconciliation through forgiveness is not on offer, only perpetual repentance on the part of one group.

For most of the last two thousand years Christians have believed that God deals with nations as nations and enters into closer relations with societies that claim him as Lord. This belief in the national covenant, only recently out of fashion, is where Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King, Jr. turned when faced with such questions in their own time.

This anthology, Race and Covenant explores the theme of national covenant in scripture, history, and contemporary American society as well as the theology and practices of covenant communities. Its authors suggest new strategies for finding racial reconciliation in this troubled time.

Featuring contributions from W.B. Allen, Joshua Berman, Timothy George, Derryck Green, Alveda C. King, Glenn C. Loury, Gerald R. McDermott, Joshua Mitchell, Evan Musgraves, Osvaldo Padilla, James M. Patterson, Jacqueline C. Rivers, R. Mitchell Rocklin, Robert Smith, Jr., Carol M. Swain, Mark Tooley, and Robert L. Woodson, Sr.

This stirring passage from Derryck Green’s contribution itself commends the book:

Blacks have been systematically targeted, attacked, hurt, and damaged. Slavery and segregation, while not unique to America, were evil. They were sins against the national covenant, and these sins have been massive impediments to the peace and unity which most blacks and whites seek. The residual of white racial chauvinism, though legally outlawed, continues to guide far too many hearts and minds. Some black anger and resentment are therefore understandable; some are not. But it doesn’t matter. Jesus was very clear that the obligation of his followers is to upend the normal cycle of reciprocating anger, antipathy, and hostility. As his disciples, black folks in the churches must initiate reconciliation, and that begins with forgiveness.

Extracted from article Race, Covenant, and Forgiveness by James F Keating in The Catholic Thing, Saturday July 10th, 2021

THE GOSPEL IS ABOUT RECONCILING PEOPLE TO GOD

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The agenda of the gospel is not social and structural reform. The Gospel is about reconciling mankind to God, not to one another.

It is through reconciliation to God by the finished work of the cross that reconciliation happens between people groups. This simply means works produced by faith cannot be had without genuine faith. This seems like stating the obvious, but with all of the assumptions on what is of “first importance” today, it must be stated, and restated because it is becoming less and less clear to those who consider themselves faithful Christians.

Sure faith without works is dead but those works will bring love, joy, peace, righteousness, kindness, goodness and mercy. We will do all that we can to be at peace with all men because we are at peace with God. The gospel of individual salvation must always be in the place of “first importance“. 

The early church adhered unflinchingly to the refusal to use violence. It is part of the critical power of the gospel that this summons to freedom – which also means freedom from the inner law of violence – is still heard today. is in fact once again being heard more clearly. … Reflection on the message of Jesus against the background of the unimaginable brutality and injustice of his age could help us today better to understand the gospel, that is, Jesus’ summons to freedom, and to act accordingly.

Relevant Scriptures:

“So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2:17

“Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; James 2:21

“Wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.“ James 3:17-18