Recently, we talked about the importance of listening well so that we can follow in the way of Jesus. We know that to follow Jesus requires loving God and our neighbors, but we cannot love our neighbors if we do not listen to them. We cannot love our neighbors if we are not aware of their pain. We cannot love our neighbors if are not walking in unity with them. Many of our neighbors, especially our black brothers and sisters, are in pain. It is a pain carried for generations, a pain that has been minimized, and a pain that has been suffered many times over through re-traumatization. A pain that as the church of Jesus, we cannot ignore.

We are called to be a people who listen and learn so that we can love well and be the unified church that Jesus prayed for. Below you will find a resource list that will help you further engage in this conversation.  This list is by no means comprehensive, but it is a starting point to help us all to learn about anti-racism and racial restoration and reconciliation. May our learning not end with this list, but move us to real conversations with others and loving action as we seek to be a people who, “Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.” (Micah 6:8)