Race/Racism
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Transcript
Discussion Flow Framework
Opening
Josh introduces the topic and acknowledges why this conversation matters
Good morning, everyone. We're gathering today to have a conversation that many of us avoid, but that our faith actually requires us to have—an honest conversation about race, racism, and reconciliation in our community and in our churches.
I want to acknowledge upfront why this conversation matters. As followers of Jesus, we can't claim to love God while remaining indifferent to the experiences of our brothers and sisters who face racism. This isn't just a social issue—it's a discipleship issue. It's about whether we're truly living out the Gospel we claim to believe.
Brief introductions of each person's perspective/background they bring
I bring the perspective of someone who has had to confront the reality of racism within my own family and within myself. I'm joined by Rodney, who brings his experience as a Black pastor and leader here in Spokane, and Jaiyla, who will share her lived experiences in our workplace, community, and church contexts.
Set the tone: "We're having the conversation many avoid, but faith requires we have honest conversations"
Let me set the tone for our time together: We're not here to point fingers or make anyone feel guilty. We're here because faith requires honest conversations, and because Genesis 1:27 tells us,
So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
This foundational truth frames everything we'll discuss today.
Segment 1: Personal Stories & Awakening
When I read scriptures like Acts 10:34-35
Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.
I can’t help but see that God is for all people because he created all people.
Josh: Share about discovering racism in his family of origin - the moment(s) of realization
Let me share something deeply personal that shaped everything about how I understand race and faith today. My story begins before I was even born—I was conceived from a weekend affair, which set the tone for a complicated family dynamic from the start.
I was born in Houston, Texas, and lived there until I was 12 years old. Then my family moved to North Idaho, where we homesteaded a farm. We grew up in what I'd call a nominal Christian environment—we knew about God, but our faith wasn't deeply rooted or well-formed.
Here's the hard truth I have to share: my dad was racist, and he actually marched with the Aryan Nations. I grew up in a racist home. Let me be clear about that—this wasn't subtle prejudice or unconscious bias. This was overt, intentional racism that shaped the atmosphere of our household.
But here's what I find remarkable looking back: even as a child, I knew this wasn't right. Something deep inside me rebelled against the hatred I was seeing and hearing. I believe now that the Lord was protecting me from that hatred taking root in my heart. I had no theology or deep understanding of how God thought about all people, but somehow I knew—I just knew—that God loved all people.
That tension between what I was being taught at home and what I sensed in my spirit about God's heart created a conflict that would shape my entire spiritual journey. I couldn't articulate it then, but there was something fundamentally wrong with hating people based on the color of their skin while claiming to follow a God of love.
When I later read scriptures like Acts 10:34-35, where Peter says, "I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right," I realized I was having my own "Peter moment." Just like Peter had to have his assumptions about who God accepted challenged, I had to face the reality that even though I had rejected my father's overt racism, I still had work to do in understanding God's heart for all people.
I can't help but see that God is for all people because he created all people. But recognizing that truth intellectually and living it out practically are two very different things. That recognition was the beginning of a journey that required me to do some uncomfortable internal work—not just rejecting the obvious racism of my upbringing, but examining the more subtle ways that growing up in that environment had shaped my thinking.
For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Transition question - "Rodney, from your perspective as a Black pastor in Spokane..."
Rodney: His experience as a Black pastor/leader in Spokane - specific examples of what he's encountered
Transition question - "Jaiyla, when you think about your own journey and experiences..."
Jaiyla: Her lived experience - workplace, community, church contexts
Segment 2: The Church's Challenge
Josh: The internal work required - moving from awareness to action
The internal work required to move from awareness to action is perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of this journey. For me, James 2:1-9 became a mirror that I couldn't look away from. James asks,
My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?
He goes on to describe how we give special attention to the wealthy while dishonoring the poor, and then he says something that stopped me cold:
But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.
This was a strong warning to me to be careful how I live my life. It wasn't enough to say I believed in equality—my actions, my associations, my priorities all needed to align with that belief.
I needed to set into motion a series of changes that required me to live out my faith, not just in word but also in deed. This required that I learn at the feet of Jesus, invite leaders like Rodney into my life, listen to stories from people like Jaiyla, and not assume that I have all things figured out.
One pivotal moment came when I read "Rediscipling the White Church" by David Swanson. It became a game changer for me because it helped me realize something uncomfortable: I was largely listening to, reading, and learning from white leaders and pastors. If I was going to live a Gospel-centered life for Jesus, this had to change.
I had to ask myself: If I'm only learning from people who look like me and share my cultural background, how can I truly understand God's heart for all people? How can I be equipped to love my neighbors well if I don't know their stories, their struggles, their perspectives?
This realization led me to intentionally diversify not just what I read, but who I listened to, who I learned from, and who I invited into positions of influence in my life and ministry.
Rodney: This question sheds light on our missteps and sin but also gives hope to what God has done through the local church that He has chosen to be the change agent in the world.
Where has the church has struggled and where it's made progress?
Jaiyla: What do you wish white Christians understood about race and racism?
If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?
"What does repentance look like in this context?"
Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.
"How do we move beyond good intentions to meaningful change?"
Segment 3: Spokane-Specific Realities
And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
All three discuss: What does racial reconciliation look like in our specific city?
For me, it's meant intentionally doing ministry differently, finding ways to serve together across racial lines, and standing in solidarity with communities that have been marginalized. It's not enough to just "not be racist"—we have to actively work for justice and reconciliation.
One practical expression of this has been through the PNW Movement, where pastors and leaders are connecting with each other across racial and denominational lines. We're building genuine relationships, not just having surface-level conversations about unity.
“…Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Local challenges and opportunities they've observed
In Spokane, this means acknowledging our city's history with racism, recognizing the ongoing challenges our Black and brown neighbors face, and working together to create change.
Success stories from the community
Segment 4: Moving Forward Together
Practical next steps for individuals and the church
Josh: What white Christians can do beyond "not being racist"
So what can white Christians do beyond just "not being racist"? Let me be practical here, because good intentions aren't enough.
First, actively speak up when you hear racist comments or jokes. Silence is complicity. If someone in your family, your workplace, or your social circle makes a racist comment, don't just let it slide. Love requires that we speak truth, even when it's uncomfortable.
Second, do your own homework. Don't expect your Black friends to educate you about racism. Read books, listen to podcasts, study history. Take responsibility for your own learning.
Third, support Black-owned businesses and organizations financially. Put your money where your values are. This isn't just about being nice—it's about actively working to address economic disparities that have real impacts on families and communities.
Fourth, ask "Who's not in the room?" when you're in spaces of influence or decision-making. Whether it's at work, in your neighborhood association, or in church leadership, notice who's missing and work to change that.
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
This isn't just a nice sentiment—it's a call to action that should shape how we live, how we lead, and how we love our neighbors.
The Gospel calls us to more than tolerance. It calls us to active love, to justice, to reconciliation. And that work starts with each of us examining our own hearts, confronting our own biases, and choosing to love our neighbors—all of our neighbors—with the same intentionality that Jesus loved us.
Jaiyla: How to be genuine allies
For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups.
Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
Christ breaking down dividing walls
Rodney: Vision for beloved community in Spokane
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us.
We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
Ministry of reconciliation
Close with shared prayer and commissioning over the congregation
Clement Lye will pray over the congregation
