Galen Harrill

For most of my life, it seemed like society was making good strides toward a more just world for people of all backgrounds. The past few years, however, have certainly seen a reversal of this as the national discourse has become coarser and more divisive, especially regarding race. The concurrent violence has made dear brothers and sisters in my own church fear for the safety of their own friends and family. As one of my brothers put it, “It feels like 1965.” We as a church have lamented this turn of events and asked how we can be a light to a world growing darker as we believe it is only in the church where true reconciliation can happen. How to affect this? It was in one of these discussions with a brother I learned about a book.

It’s There in Black and White – Scriptural Answers to 37 Questions People Are Asking about Racial Tension in the Church, published in 2020, is exactly what it says it is.  Co-authors Glenn Colley, Ben Giselbach, Hiram Kemp, and Melvin L. Otey collaborate to answer each of these 37 questions. According to them, the questions were originally divided up and worked out individually, but each section faced the scrutiny of all until all were happy with the result.  Importantly, two of the authors are black and two are white (their own description of themselves). Each also offers up a short autobiography, which establishes their credibility to speak to the issues they address. They further add brief stories of four other individuals to help us “appreciate the vast range of experiences people have had” (p.8).  They define terms to avoid confusion and help readers understand where they are coming from and end with a scripture index.

The book is easy to read, educational, and inciteful. At 89 pages, you can read it in a single sitting, but I’d recommend taking some time to digest each section. They cover a range of topics including slavery, Critical Race Theory, color-blindness, reparations, racism in the church, and the merging of culturally diverse churches to name a few. Every question is thoughtfully discussed and thoroughly held to the standard of scripture. The authors display a firm grasp of the material and a dedication to the Lordship of Jesus in finding ways forward.

I highly recommend It’s There in Black and White to anyone who wants a scriptural outlook on these questions. If we hope to make changes in ourselves, our churches, and our society, we must start with Spirit-led, open, and honest dialogue; this book delivers. No wonder – as the authors state, “If we possess the fruit of the Spirit and seek to live by the Christian graces, there is no subject that Christians cannot discuss and still maintain unity” (p.77).

It’s There in Black and White is Published by PlainSimpleFaith and available at the publishing website plainsimplefath.com, https://plainsimplefaith.com/product/there-in-black-white/