So a word to church leaders, pastors, ministers in different capacities.

You want to move forward on racial justice, but your congregation or

your fellowship or community is somehow resistant.

Well, in the Bible it says to shepherd the flock that is among you.

And I take that to mean, well at least one meaning is that we are to begin where the people are. So you have to know your

people, know their objections, know their responses and and begin there. That will provide you a good baseline.

What I found is effective is a few things.

Number one, beginning with personal stories.

Talk about your journey of racial justice, why this is now a burden for you.

And then, if it's a faith community, begin with the sacred text. We should never assume that people who read the Bible let's say

already know what the Bible has to say about race or ethnicity or justice. We need to be

explicit about it. We need to point it out in as many ways as possible.

And just when you think you're talking about it too much is probably right when they're beginning to understand and you need to keep talking about it.

This is not a subject just for one sermon or even a series.

It should be woven into the fabric of your

work teaching or what people in religious communities call discipleship, the way you're forming people,

and they should know that this is part of the entire ethos and approach of the church

because it is biblical in the case of Christianity.

And so I would be prepared for it to be long, a long journey. I would also be prepared for the truth to divide. There will be some

among you who don't want to receive this truth and that doesn't mean you're doing

it wrong.

Truth has never been entirely popular.

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