Heal Us, Emmanuel: A Call for Racial Reconciliation, Representation, and Unity in the Church

My impressions of this book are truly mixed. In what follows I am not personally attacking my brothers who are the authors. They are to be commended for their intentions. On one hand I appreciate the sensitivity, care and concern that the authors have on the issue of racism. All Christ followers need to share that. On the other hand, the authors seem to have mostly accepted many of the lies and untruths that our sick culture today has fallen for.I hate to say it, but if one defines racism as “judging people by the color of their skin” then this book seems to promote it.This book also resurfaces the question of how Christians should react towards others who are distressed because they have believed things that are simply not factually true. Should they seek to instruct the mis-informed, or should they place a higher value on commiserating and establishing emotional rapport? Unfortunately many people today are deceived when it comes to racial issues. We see this when Ferguson and other recent racial flash points are held up as examples of racial injustice – even when Michael Brown was killed during an actual attack on a police officer. How should we respond to people who believe things that are simply wrong?In the Introduction the book gets off on the wrong foot by using the offensive term “White privilege” without also acknowledging that there is also “Black privilege” and “Asian privilege”. As long as people judge each other by ethnicity people will ascribe certain positive things to particular ethnicities. The broadness of these “privileges” may vary, but they do exist for all ethnicities. The Introduction also says that Caucasian Christians should “wake up”. Throughout the book I see leftist jargon and ideas.In the introduction we first see the concept that multi-ethnic churches are superior to mono-ethnic churches. Later we see this idea attempted to be justified by Rev 5:9-11; 7:9-17 in Chapter 1. This amounts to saying that because people from all ethnicities will worship together in God’s Kingdom therefore something is wrong if worship today is not multi-ethnic. Make no mistake – I love multi-ethnic worship. But the amount of honor given to Christ in a worship service is not dependent upon having the “correct” balance of melatonin in the skins of the worshipers. Though I do admit that the impressiveness of a multi-ethnic worship service as observed by other humans may vary and appear to be more “hip” or “woke” to some. I think what matters to God is that He be worshipped in “spirit and in truth”. Chapter 1 seems to confuse descriptive scripture with prescriptive scripture and makes multi-ethnic worship an “express command” (pg 5). Again – I love multi-ethnic worship and would prefer it. But where in the Bible is multi-ethnic worship a command?Chapter One also seems to denigrate the idea of being a “color-blind” society, as if reaching that goal is insufficient. But wouldn’t racism disappear if people no longer noticed race? And this chapter labels “individual rights, individual merit and strict fairness” as “American values” - as if these were not also Biblical values – again hints of Leftist ideology.Chapter 3 introduces racial “microaggressions” - yet another popular buzzword. Yes, people are often insensitive or thoughtless in their comments. But some people are thin skinned and always on the lookout for ways to be offended. To have every comment judged for its good or evil by the recipient alone places any speaker at the mercy of the recipient. God judges the heart.Chapter 3 makes the outrageous claim that racial prejudice without privilege and power is not racism. This flatly contradicts the definition of racism (Google “define racism” to check for yourself). Again, this is a common leftist claim, often used (though not here) to make the outrageous statement that a Black person cannot be racist.Chapter 4 and many other chapters mention Ferguson as an example of racial injustice and then goes on to blame White men for racism – even when racism is intrinsic to all cultures everywhere.Chapter 5 says that "there have been far too many high-profile incidents of white violence toward black youths". But what makes an incident “high profile”, if not widespread exposure through the mass media? And subsequent investigations often prove the original media articles were misleading.Chapter 6 again raises the false impression that Michale Brown was innocent. It then goes on to say that systemic anti-black oppression exists today – an assertion with little or no proof if one recognizes that some sub-cultures encourage some behaviors that have bad consequences.There is one point at which systemic racial unfairness definitely exists – the US Social Security system taxes blacks and whites at the same levels, but blacks live shorter lifespans and therefore get around 20% less back. What they don’t get back is not part of their estate so it is not passed on to their children – depriving their families of tens of thousands of dollars. But I have yet to hear anyone from the Left raise a concern about this injustice.Chapter 7 brings up the subject of repenting for the sins of our fathers. While in the case of the PCA corporate repentance is justified, on an individual level, scripturally I see no need to repent individually of something I never did, or for something I have already repented of and no longer practice. This chapter also says that racism is a part of our American DNA, without also mentioning that racism is a part of every human’s DNA.Again in this chapter I see references to Covenant Theological Seminary. This makes me wonder what else they teach there. I find it disturbing that so many of the young PCA pastors from there seem to seek a race-conscious and discriminating society more than they seek a color-blind one.Chapter 8 confirms that racism is a part of today’s America. That should come as no surprise to someone already familiar with human depravity.Chapter 10 presents a one-sided recounting of the arrest and death of Sandra Bland, claiming that she was "unjustly victimized by a system of White dominance” when actually she was pulled over for breaking the law and then tragically committed suicide in jail. Her jailers should have kept her under observation given that she had previously attempted suicide.Chapter 13 correctly says the term “ethnicity” is more appropriate than “race” in this discussion, because all humans are of the same race.Chapter 16 – denounced judging people by the color of their skin – but much of the book calls us to do exactly that. It goes on to call the name “Redskins” for a football team a “racial slur”.In Chapter 17 it is interesting to see the concept of the church staying out of politics treated as a bad thing, when on other issues such as abortion and violations of the Constitution these same pastors probably take the opposite “hands off” stance. Nowhere is the book do I see it mentioned that the Democratic Party was a big defender of slavery, the founder of the KKK and Jim Crow and did not support the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 as much as the Republicans did.Chapter 21 is quite good and presents a decent rebuttal of one of the “The Bible supports segregation” arguments.Chapter 22 again asserts that multi-ethnic churches are somehow intrinsically more pleasing to God than mono-ethnic churches and speaks again of White power structures. It also asserts how reconciliation and justice need to be priorities – which reminds me of this John Piper clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX3tSWQNwDk. It claims that a lack of such a focus leads to a perverting of the Gospel. I disagree with the author’s dim view of Abraham Kuyper.Chapter 25 attempts to make a case for repenting of since that you did not commit (pg 255). I think the author’s case falls flat. It also brings up the concept of affirming someone else’s beliefs about racism without asking first if those beliefs are based on reality. For instance, the Michael Brown “hands up, don’t shoot” claim has been clearly debunked, showing that Michael was shot by an officer acting in self defense. Should I as a Christian affirm the belief of fellow Christians that his shooting was racially motivated? I think not.Chapter 26 says that we ought to identify ourselves by our identity in Christ, not by our ethnicity.The author of Chapter 27 naively assumed that electing Obama would improve racism in America rather than make it worse. He too is a graduate of Covenant Seminary. Obama had a long history of using ethnicity to divide people. His actual impact on racism (he has exacerbated it) was quite predictable.Chapter 28 indirectly points out (pg 281) how Affirmative Action programs have devalued many laudable achievements of black people. Affirmative Action is often just systematic reverse-racism.Chapter 30 again confuses descriptive and prescriptive bible verses, saying that because heaven will be multi-ethnic we therefore have a charge to value our fellow church attendees of other ethnicities higher than those of the same ethnicity.My quickly drafted comment have been mostly negative, but the book has some good points as well. My main concern is the distorted emphasis adopted by these leaders of the PCA. By emphasizing ethnicity they actually encourage racism, not color-blindness. And they use the same jargon as the Left and the Religious Left and subscribe to some of the same historical revisionism. That’s a big yellow flag.Here is another review of the book that is more eloquent and better written: http://theaquilareport.com/reflective-review-heal-us-emmanuel/

THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK I'VE READ IN A LONG TIME. I wanted to state that at the start, in case you don't read the rest of my comments.The Presbyterian tradition has, like every other family of churches, had its bright moments and its dark ones. In terms of bringing reconciliation between blacks and whites, fighting for racial justice and equity in the church and in the general culture, its track record has been very mixed, and rarely as faithful as it could have been. At times, the Presbyterian Church has hurt more than it has helped. There have been sins of omission and sins of commission. Too often the church has stood by, indifferent or worse. To our shame, elements in the church has been active agents of racial cruelty.In the past few years there has been a growing understanding among many in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) that injustice in our culture and in our churches lingers, and must be rooted out. There's also been a growing sense among many in PCA that for healing to happen there needs to be a frank, open, clear acknowledgment of past sins, and a willingness to seek forgiveness from its victims and their heirs.This book is a bold attempt by both black and white pastors (about 30 or so, making up almost 1% of all the active clergy in the PCA) to see this happen in a larger, deeper way. The essays are very diverse. Some are basically anecdotes and stories. Some are more scholarly reflections on theology of culture or exegesis of Scripture. They vary in tone and quality. But all are thoughtful and heartfelt attempts to deepen our understanding of the problem.I have to say, this is probably the most painful book I've read on the subject of race since God's Long Summer. At times, I had to put it down. At times, it made me weep. It will be truly haunting for any Christian. The section in Rev. Ward's essay on the misinterpretations of Scripture in the public writings of one the denomination's founding fathers (Morton Smith) -- that alone is cause for deep grief.But I also find great hope in its pages. It is very clear to me that if America's racial problems are going to heal, it will have to happen around the Gospel. The Gospel truly embraced can do things that protests, laws, education, fiction, film, art, and every other religion can not really do. Because in an age ruled by cynicism, trust is always qualified. And in age of moral relativism, the foundation for racial justice can only be based ultimately on power struggles. But the Gospel, the real Gospel, the true message of Scripture is based on unearned grace. Of all the religions and philosophies and worldviews in history, its the only one that says your life is not justified by your keeping some rules, or measuring up, or proving your worthiness. Only the Gospel says that God on the Cross has paid the price we all owe for our faults. None of us deserve the mercy we are given. And when we know that, its destroys the superiority narratives of every race and ethnicity and class and nation and political party. We've been loved and rescued by God through unearned grace and so we have nothing to brag about, nothing to feel superior about toward others. We embrace that and we can truly embrace all others made in God's holy image.As Rev. Dr. Irwyn Ince puts it (p. 238): "In Christ, ethnic, social, and gender distinctions are not obliterated. Rather, what is done away with is the sinful inequality that separates us from one another." In the Gospel we can celebrate our differences, diversity, and distinctions without elevating them over unity in Christ.30 (mostly) outstanding chapters, each worthy of deep reflection. Essays include: Rev. Dr. Tim LeCroy "A New Lens for Race, Media, and the Gospel," Rev. Sam. Wheatley "Overcoming Made in America Racism," Rev. Dennis Hermerding "Back Friends," Rev. Mark Peach "Privileged to Serve," Rev. Jon Price "Silence Far Too Long," Rev. Walter Henegar "All in the Family," Rev. Kevin Twit, "Forming Friendships Through Music," Rev. Doug Severn "I Am A Racist... Also chapters that especially cut to the heart: Greg Ward, Rev. Dr. Irwyn Ince, Rev. Dr. Mike Khandjian, Rev. Scott Sauls, Rev. Joel St. Clair, Rev. Dr. Sean Lucas, Rev. Dr. Bobby Griffith, Rev. Russ Whitfield....Anyone in the PCA will recognize those names as sort of a who's who of the more thoughtful and dynamic ministers in the denomination. They represent PCA churches black, white, and mixed, very small and very large, established and fresh plants, urban and suburban. But these authors (and most of the others) represent some of the most interesting ministries in the classic Reformed world.Truly, if I were somehow limited to reading just one book this year, it would select this one. I've already purchased 6 more copies for friends, and plan to re-read it before General Assembly this summer. More importantly, I pray the Lord uses these reflections on his Church to provoke me to new and deeper repentance. And to intentionally seek positive ways to be faithful to the Gospel, as provoked and challenged and encouraged to in this book.