Conversations about race and faith

 Thankful to God for waking me up this morning in prayer about my day. We've started an interfaith dialog at work on racial justice. I'm having my friend from church come and meet our leadership team. He's a guy who loves people even racist people, he shows his love in his words and actions. I'm excited to introduce Sam Houston to Ameriprise and get ideas on questions that highlight God's plan for humanity and the inclusivity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet I want to be sensitive and allow God to use Sam to connect in a potentially different way. So that's why I've been praying for hours this morning. 

Then I opened my email and found a message from the Science Museum of Minnesota, "Race isn't real. But Racism is real." They have great conversation starters and a 10-minute drama to see from a fictional interaction what could have been different. After looking at all the material I found this additional resource: Race and Faith Communities Conversation Guide. The following if from the conversation guide and I think it will give the opportunity for Sam to express himself and honor his calling. 

Getting to know you:

• What are your hopes and concerns for your family, community and/or the country?
• What would your best friend say about who you are?
• What sense of purpose / mission / duty guides you in your life?

Round 2:

• How racially/ethnically diverse is your congregation? Have you ever attended a place of worship where you were in the racial/ethnic minority? What was that experience like?
• How has your faith inspired you to respond in this moment? What are you feeling called to do? Where do you feel resistance?
• What messages have you internalized from your faith’s culture, history, and doctrine around Blackness and people of color?
• What challenges/barriers do you face in speaking up when you see anti-Blackness/racism/white supremacy in your faith community?
• What is giving you hope right now?

Reflecting on the conversation:

• What learning, new understanding or common ground was found on the topic?
• How has this conversation changed your perception of anyone in this group?