My man A.T. (RedRev, partner in Lions and Liars) called me sometime back with the exciting news of having the opportunity to travel to South Africa (Cape Town) next week to mutually encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ. He created a curriculum that was picked up by Lifeway to challenge believers to accept one another the way that GOD sees us. Even as I prepare to journey to South Africa, I feel there is no one phrase, study, sermon, song or video that I could use to bring an undying love to people who have been raised in a culture of racial discrimination.
Last night, I watched political pundits debate on whether or not the state of Arizona should have the right to pull ethnic studies from public schools. I really believe some of these individuals are not intentionally racist and possibly have friends of different nationalities. However, these same individuals are really scared of the unknown, and they respond out of that fear. It’s going to take multiple sermons, studies, songs, videos, life experiences, and ultimately, God dealing with their heart to change their worldview.
The overall problem is that too many people are not willing to come to the table to reason at a respectable level. (Especially those individuals who are called to be world changers.) I recently saw a video featuring Alicia Keys for her song “Unthinkable.” This particular video brings to the forefront the prejudices and racial tensions that span decades and still exist in many ways. I would like for you to watch this video and leave your comments.
*I advise you not to watch this video if “non-Christian” music offends you.
Not sure how you connected the song to your point
Loving the site and the vision behind it. Race is an issue people are scared to discuss. It will forever be the stain on Christianity if we dont bring it to the table.
heres a link to the vid
http://www.tekbuz.com/uncategorized/alicia-keys-unthinkable
LOOOOVED it..good on her for “going there”..needs to be said, this vid made me weep, ..I’ve lived this life….
I’m a White Australian Woman, who married a Black American Man (in the US in 1992), and I was shocked then,..and still am now by PPLs attitudes to our relationship, as being brought up in Australia, all I ever saw of the US was “sanitized” TV, the Cosby show etc,..and I’d thought that racism was a thing of the past.
After living in the US for 2 years we moved back to Australia as i did not want to bring Children up in an environment of racism,.. in Australia, Black people of Afro Origin only ever really face the prejudice of being seen as “automatically cool”…and assumptions of “dance talent”, “sports talent” etc are the only ones you have to deal with. Subsequently , there are more & more mixed race couples here, and lots of mixed kids,..also a lot of 1st generation “African Australians” now as the kids of African refugees who’ve sought a new home here, begin to grow up with Aussie accents.
HOWEVER,..shocking attitudes still exist against “indigenous Australians” (Aboriginals) here,..but there are changes slowly happening there too,..I was greatly encouraged recently to see the rise of a beautiful Aboriginal model “Samantha Harris”,..who has made it internationally and here in Australia, making the cover of Vogue recently and gracing the top designers catwalks for Australian Fashion Week….there is hope.
It is a disgrace that racism still exists in our country today. Nathan>> the “Unthinkable” video covers racism at it’s most taboo level and perhaps, “Taboo” would have been a better title for the song. If we as Christians do not display Christ’s unconditional love, how will we truly reach the lost? This video simply challenges us to accept others as God accepts us regardless of race, relationship, religion, social status, etc. If we accepted each other unconditionally, how would that video have ended?
Thanks so much for posting this. Very well done video, depicting the reality that we are still fighting the same battles. Unfortunately just as common within the church as without.