New Living Translation Chapter 2

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

“Help Us Catch Our Breath”

Every time one of these tragic, police-involved killings happen, for African-Americans, it’s like experiencing what our nation experienced on 9/11.

Within the span of four months, we’ve experienced the emotions of THREE 9/11 attacks, PLUS a pandemic that is killing us at disproportional rates, AND crippling unemployment that has predominantly affected the jobs we work in.

This has been an emotionally exhausting few months.

And we hear the cry of fellow believers, fellow humans, “What can we do?”

When we as African-American believers can’t breathe, we need the true Body of Christ to be unified with us, to help us catch our breath.

THESIS/BIG IDEA: Being allies with us can help us catch our breath.

Paul encourages these believers, and now us too, to progress in our discipleship to the point where the world can see the unity in the Spirit of the Church.

We do a lot of other stuff well, but this is the area where we still have to get better at: oneness in agreement, oneness in showing love, oneness in work, oneness in purpose.

He then takes the next 2 verses to unpack how to get there.

“Don’t be selfish”

The context is of not being self-centered, self-absorbed, oblivious

“selfish ambition” (NKJV) - a behavior that is based upon the flesh & not the Spirit (Gal 5:20); used also in 1:17, can mean ‘party spirit’/partisanship”; “inordinately seeking the advantage for one’s own group” or “repeating the party line”; “being concerned with one’s own (social) advantage.”

White guilt, white fragility, white silence at this particular time are all selfish reactions to the anger & angst & frustration that has been poured out in this country

This is NOT the time to shrink back from the task of ridding ourselves of privilege & mindsets of whiteness

We don’t need any more Amy Cooper’s: folks who don’t think of themselves as racist, but in a moment of selfishness, their true biases show through!

To be a REAL ally, we need you to do what Jim Wallis (America’s Original Sin) calls “dying to whiteness”

idolatry of whiteness - a false identity & privilege that is filled with wrongful pride & arrogance.

ALL are made in the image of God & there is no inferiority

white = right / acceptable / “normal” / preferable / deserving

implicit bias

the unexamined values we subconsciously assign about how people ARE based upon arbitrary physical/external characteristics

Eph. 4:22-24 (ESV)

English Standard Version Chapter 4

22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Commit to some self-introspection, do some personal inventory regarding areas of blindness, prejudice, microagressions

Jokes

Stereotypes

“I’m an ally” statements: “some of my best friends are Black;” “I voted for Obama;” “I’m darker/blacker than you;” “You’re so articulate/well spoken/You sound white;" “I’m not racist;” “Guuurrrlll...”

What do I REALLY believe about black people/POC?

Where did those stereotypes come from? Who told me that? Why do I believe that?

Why do I need this person of color to know that I’m NOT a racist?

“Be humble”

An Exegetical Summary of Philippians 2:3

it is based on dependence upon God for everything [Ea], with an awareness of one’s own lacks and of the gifts of others which may be superior to one’s own

The New American Commentary: Philippians, Colossians, Philemon The Expression of Unity (2:2b–4)

Humility begins with a realistic appraisal of oneself and others as being in the image of God.

This speaks to a recognition that I may not be the expert in this area, and it’s okay to let somebody else lead me & teach me.

“A spirit of pride in human relations indicates a lack of humility before God.” - BKC

Rom12:15

The New King James Version Chapter 12

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

DO:

Align with, make yourself available to the ones who feel the oppression every single day of their lives.

There is something Christlike & redemptive about humbling ourselves & identifying/aligning with the oppressed (2 Cor 8:9 & Phil. 2:6-8)

Acknowledge that you don’t know what to say. Acknowledge that you don’t know what it feels like, but you are there for them.

“I'm here for you if you need to blow some steam, shed some tears or 2 talk.”

Allow that you are gonna mess us & say the wrong thing; apologize a lot.

DON’T:

Reduce the Gospel & its implications to just saving people from hell.

Quote MLK back to us.

Post something about how “All Lives Matter.” Nobody shows up at a breast cancer rally & shouts “all cancers matter.”

Feel like you have to help us or defend God on social media.

Back down in fear or silence when we need godly allies the most.

“Look out for the interests of others”

The New American Commentary: Philippians, Colossians, Philemon The Expression of Unity (2:2b–4)

Any concerns of others were to become the concerns of all!

What are the “things” referring to in this verse?

Matters of well-being; including BOTH spiritual and material matters because spiritual interests extend into material interests for Christians!

What can I do at my church/on my job/in my neighborhood/with the parent group/in my small group that looks out for the interests of my African-American brothers and sisters?

What barriers can I remove? What stances do I need to take? Whose cause can I champion?

Transfer the benefits of your privilege to those who lack it.

Take on the struggle of others as your own.

Stand up, even when you’re scared of the backlash or consequences.

Paul begged the believers in Philippi to “make his joy complete” by working for unity in the Body of believers.

Yes, as African-American believers, we KNOW Jesus is the answer and only He can change the hearts & sin-tendencies of people.

But we need some allies, some partners, somebody to help us catch our breath.

Let’s use the tragedies and upheavals of our current times to FINALLY be the unified Church Jesus prayed for in John 17.