LETTER TO THE EDITOR: An open letter to churches, pastors in Macon

Editor’s note: This letter, originally published in 2004, has been reprinted by request and with the approval of the Baptist Ministers’ Union of Macon and Vicinity.

The Rev. Dr. Lonzy F. Edwards is President of the Baptist Ministers’ Union of Macon and Vicinity and Pastor of Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church.

An open letter to the pastors and members of white Christian churches of Middle Georgia from some of your black Christian brethren:

There are times when it seems that Christ has broken down the dividing wall (Eph. 2:14) of antagonism between the races everywhere except in our community. In our isolation from each other, we have not only failed to see, but in some instances, kept others from seeing the inclusive picture of heaven that was captured in the book of Revelation: There was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes, and people and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. –Rev. 7:9.

If this is what heaven will be like, why are we so committed to maintaining communities and churches that bear such a poor likeness to it? From the way some of us behave, we are not going to enjoy the place God has prepared for us. Despite the political advantage, some among us seek from attacking those who value racial and cultural differences in the human family, multiculturalism, pluralism, and diversity are views of human relations that clearly comport with scripture.

We realize that other races are increasingly represented in this part of Georgia. But the problem in race relations that has given us a black eye as a state and region has invariably involved white people and black people. Consequently, that relationship is the focus of this letter. The irony is that the emergence of globalization suggests that the world is made up of only one race—i. e., the human race.

Sadly, this truth and what it portends seem to be recognized everywhere except in our churches. That Christians of different races are not even on speaking terms must break the heart of God, grieve his Son, and offend his Spirit.

We can continue to transact religious business as usual. But it is doubtful in so doing that the church, black or white, can rightly be called Christian. We are not enemies and it is time that we stop acting as if we are at war with each other. The problems we face are not black or white but human.

We all want the same things—a quality education, decent homes, safe neighborhoods, good jobs, and a chance to pursue our dreams. Judging from the way we relate to each other, one would think we are from a different planet instead of the same household of faith.

We can talk to one another, relate to each other, and work together without abandoning our respective sense of who we are. It is not necessary for us to stop being Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, for example—or even black or white, to have the kind of fellowship we believe is sorely needed. After all, we are all Christians!

The stakes are too high for us to do nothing. How we handle this issue has significant implications for the spiritual and economic development of our area. Our prospects are adversely affected by the perception that we do not have our act together. As our churches go, so will our communities. What happens in one part of the body politic affects the others for good or ill.

Old ways of thinking and behaving have not helped us deal with each other or solve our problems. In our view, nothing less than a “new town” modeled on John’s vision will get us to where we need to be.

Example: While we want community, we have to avoid even the appearance of trying to remake each other in our image. That, in a word, would be idolatrous. Our separate histories are a source of pride and difficulty. The test of our faith is not just our ability to move high mountains, but also to overcome the colossal mistakes of the past. All of us have to be careful to not allow concern for our heritage to become old-fashioned hate.

We believe the basis of fellowship among believers is the Word of God—and our shared faith in Jesus. It is neither possible nor desirable to impose any other conditions on the relationship between equals.

Too often good-intentioned efforts to bridge the gap between the races get off track because there are those who are not tolerant of differences of opinion on the many social, economic, and political issues that confront us. The issue of affirmative action, access to schools, the war in Iraq, and the Confederate flag are perhaps the best contemporary examples of this.

Coming as we do from such different backgrounds and life experiences, we should not be surprised that we have different perspectives. When our views are exchanged in the spirit of Christ and the truth is spoken in love, we are more likely to achieve an authentic form of community than when we mindlessly parrot the party line of either side of the racial divide.

The problem is exacerbated by people on both sides who have unrealistic expectations, think honest dissent should be suppressed, and seek to impose their views and will on others.

We believe there are many good people who are saddened by the state of race relations in this area. They are often frustrated by their inability to figure out what to do about it, and as a result, they do nothing.

While we admit that we do not have all of the answers to this intractable problem, we are convinced that we cannot afford to be “at ease in Zion.” We believe we must begin somewhere in our search for common ground. Yet, we have no illusion about ever achieving inter- or intra-racial unity.

As we are not monolithic, no one person or group of persons can be expected to speakfor all members of any race. In our opinion, that is not necessary for us to be on speaking terms, and work together as members of a “community of communities.”

Instead of unity, we seek the more modest goal of reconciliation. Not even that will happen overnight and there will be times when interaction will be full of conflict and painful. The alternative will be far worse—both in the here-and-now and the hereafter.

If you are as embarrassed as we are about the state of race relations, even among Christians, we urge you to join us in praying for the people who are separated from and mistreat

their brothers and sisters of other races because of the color of their skin. Beyond that, what is

done will vary with our commitment to the teachings of the Bible, willingness to take

reasonable risks for the cause of Christ, and openness to the influence of the Holy Spirit.

At a minimum, we propose the following steps towards the goal of reconciliation:

• Create regular opportunities for dialogue.
• Encourage the development of “sister church” relationships between churches of different races;
• Hold periodic joint services of worship or a pulpit exchange between “sister churches;”
• Develop a ministry and partnership to address community development and social justice issues;
• Plan and sponsor an interfaith, community-wide baccalaureate service for high school students; and
• Prophetically urge the people in our churches whose attitudes and decisions influence how we get along in the public life of our communities to repent of the sin of racism.

Beginning church to church, we may be able to become a people to people, community wide movement. Although there is plenty of work to be done on both sides of the tracks, success in this effort will require pastors to lead for a change in an arena in which they have rarely been active in recent years. Through interaction of this kind, it may be possible to solve some of the problems on both sides of the divide that keep us at each other’s throats. On one side there is a vast reservoir of hate, anger, and mistrust. On the other side, there is probably a huge pool of guilt, fear, and resentment. The common denominator is prejudice. Neither side is likely to get healed without dealing in some way with the other. That is the promise, price and peril of interdependence.

In preparation for this effort, the following preliminary steps should be taken by those who wish to participate in discussions that will lead to citizenship in a “new town:”

• Develop a course designed to help people deal with the issue of race;
• Teach and preach what the Bible says about love, repentance, forgiveness, and grace;
• Teach and practice mutual respect for people who may be culturally or racially different and value their contributions to our community.
  
  

Come, let us reason together for God’s sake and the good of our community. Anyone who wishes to accept our invitation or respond to this letter can contact us at the following address:

Baptist Ministers’ Union of Macon and Vicinity

Georgia Baptist Building

2016 Second Street

Macon, GA 31201