\n
\nWithout the freedom to say dumb things, and even speak words that are rude, unkind or ignorant, true healing dialogue cannot occur because the depth of discussion needed will not occur, added Gilbreath, author of the critically acclaimed book Reconciliation Blues: A Black Evangelical\u2019s Inside View of White Christianity<\/em>. Also needed is trust – trust that the other person genuinely wants reconciliation, he added.<\/p>\n
Gilbreath spoke Thursday with the same whimsical style that led Philip Yancey to refer to him as a \u201cgentle prophet\u201d and led Publisher\u2019s Weekly<\/em> to refer to Reconciliation Blues<\/em> as\u00a0 \u201ca poignant and often humorous look at the state of racial reconciliation within evangelical Christianity.\u201d<\/p>\n That approach was evident as he told of hearing dumb things spoken by people who did not know what they were saying. At best, the words were spoken in ignorance by well-intentioned friends, or at worst, by others stoking latent racism.<\/p>\n There have been the times, for example, a person didn\u2019t realize the racism in their comments when they told Gilbreath, \u201cEd, you\u2019re different. I don\u2019t even think of you as black.\u201d<\/p>\n Such remarks betray the lie that society has become colorblind. \u201cOur \u2018colorblindness\u2019 has hindered us from seeing the distance we still need to travel,\u201d Gilbreath said.<\/p>\n The biggest obstacle to reconciliation is that \u201cWe still don\u2019t know each other,\u201d Gilbreath said. To overcome the barriers, \u201cWe must work, live and worship alongside one another to get to know one another.\u201d<\/p>\n By being with one another, people can move beyond the labels and stereotypes that often lay a burden on others in ways rarely recognized, Gilbreath said. He laughed at how his white colleagues at Christianity Today<\/em> would always turn to him for a black person\u2019s perspective on events because he was the expert on \u201call things African-American.\u201d<\/p>\n Gilbreath said he felt the pressure of having to present that perspective although, \u201cNo one person can represent any particular race.\u201d<\/p>\n He quipped, however, that there were times he relished the opportunity and sometimes felt slightly threatened when another African-American was hired at the organization, especially if they had a different perspective than his own. Gilbreath laughed as he recalled thinking at the time, \u201cThese are my white people! I\u2019ve worked too hard to condition them.\u201d<\/p>\n Gilbreath said Christians must live the call to love others as the Apostle Paul declares in 2 Corinthians 5:16: \u201cFrom now on, we regard no one from an earthly point of view.\u201d Such love will require intentionality, he added.<\/p>\n That intentionality must be modeled in the church if Christians are to have credibility with others, Gilbreath said. He quoted from Martin Luther King\u2019s \u201cA Knock at Midnight\u201d sermon in which the civil rights leader declared, \u201cIf the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. If the church does not participate actively in the struggle for peace and for economic and racial justice, it will forfeit the loyalty of millions and cause men everywhere to say that it has atrophied its will.\u201d<\/p>\n Gilbreath said he does not believe that every church has to be multi-ethnic, but all congregations, regardless of their ethnicity, must have the heart to reach beyond themselves. The church will grow richer as a result because, \u201cEach race represents a unique side of God\u2019s image.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the racial divisions that still exist, Gilbreath stated, \u201cThe divide is not too wide for the cross, the cross of Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n Gilbreath met Thursday afternoon with a group of leaders from North Park University and the Evangelical Covenant Church, and he spoke Thursday evening in Hamming Hall on the university campus. The events were sponsored by the Center for Youth Ministry Studies and Center for Justice Ministries at North Park Theological Seminary, as well as University Ministries and the Dialogue Program at North Park University.<\/p>\n![\"Gilbreath\"](\"http:\/\/www.covchurch.org\/uploads\/kZ\/09\/kZ09O2dGZQM0TZzfi7Fp7A\/Gilbreath.jpg\")
Gilbreath is editor-at-large and former editor with Christianity Today<\/em> as well as a former editor with Today\u2019s Christian<\/em> magazine. For years he was the lone or one of only a few African-Americans on staff in either organization. He now is the editorial director for Urban Ministries.<\/p>\n