Reconciliation Blues

Call me naïve, but I thought that we were past the need for racial reconciliation. I thought that relationships among races were for the most part not a problem. Edward Gilbreath says that we do have a problem, especially within evangelicalism and that something most be done. “My hope is that this inside perspective on what I regrettably call ‘white Christianity’ can help both blacks and whites get a better sense of the condition of our racial reconciliation and the distance we need to travel to make it something more authentic and true.”

I was blind to much of what Mr. Gilbreath sheds light upon. One friend he quotes in the book has this to say, & I am quite sad to admit it speaks directly to me. “The white Christians I encounter often display a shocking provincialism – a real naivete about the world around them. Frankly it’s as if they are stunned to find out that their cultural, political, and religious frame of reference is not the only one.”

I tend to be within a white evangelical bubble concerned primarily with our white evangelical issues. This book helped me think beyond myself as well as beyond only my culture.

Mr. Gilbreath tackles a wide birth of issues from evangelicalism itself, to racial justice to politics to Jesse Jackson. Coming from Christianity Today, the perspectives are definitely his own, but solidly evangelical. I learned a great deal from Mr. Gilbreath and was greatly challenged on my own beliefs, leanings and narrow-mindedness. I found myself unable to be more white – something my wife finds endearing, but something also which betrays a lack of being others-centric. I even thought about taking up Spanish, but have re-thought that only because I have tried to learn five languages in my life-time failing miserably, and am only moderately successful at English. But I have learned that there is a wealth of cultural heritage and history which I can take more of an active role in. This is a very good book that you would do well to be aware of.

Pick up a copy here for 20% off.