Ideas

EDITORIAL: Burned, but Not Consumed

A response to the black church arsons.

Whoever is responsible for the rash of black church arsons–whether conspirators or copycats–should be forewarned: what they intend as a blow to the heart of the African-American community may instead be a wakeup call to the church, both black and white.

Groups as different as the Christian Coalition and the National Council of Churches have come to the support of the black churches. That has to be some kind of progress. The Christian Coalition is offering a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone who can expose racially motivated links between the arsons. The National Council of Churches is pressuring the Clinton administration to step up the federal investigation.

Some, though not all, of these churches are covered by fire insurance. Even so, replacement costs often exceed the insured coverage. Here is a challenge for the congregations of this land: donate an amount equal to the casualty insurance premiums on your church building to be used by these black congregations in their rebuilding efforts. In my congregation, that comes to a modest $5.92 per member. A fund has been jointly established by the National Association of Evangelicals and the National Black Evangelical Association ("Partnership to Rebuild the Churches," World Relief, P.O. Box WRC, Wheaton, IL 60189).

Gifts toward rebuilding may be merely symbolic. Indeed, financial support may not be the greatest need in their time of anguish. It would be better for some folks from majority churches to relate directly to these congregations. For instance, Mennonite Disaster Service, typically known for cleanup and reconstruction efforts following natural disasters, is using volunteers to rebuild one of the burned-out churches in Alabama. For all of us, this should be a time of looking deep within our own souls to see what racism lingers there.

A generation ago some of us, inspired by Martin Luther King's dream, hoped that racism might one day be eradicated. Regrettably, like kudzu, that creepy, crawly vinelike weed that perennially stakes its claim in vegetable gardens, racism has not been rooted out.

To expect no more racism in America would be heaven on earth, an eschatological hope. It is what we pray for when we repeat the Lord's Prayer–and what we work toward. In the meantime, we should expect that the church will be the church. Human distinctions and hostilities engendered by race, gender, or economic status have no place in the redeemed community.

Copyright © 1996 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Also in this issue

Persecuted: A crisis for the contemporary church

Christians, Jews Form Coalition

Lutheran, Catholic, and Black Churches Join Graham Effort

1,800 Churches Participating in Olympic Outreach

YANCEY: Confessions of a Spiritual Amnesiac

Why the Psalms Scare Us

From the Fringe to the Fold

ARTS: Messiaen’s Complicated Contemplations

NORTH AMERICAN SCENE: Arsons Continue, Frustration Sets In

Foes, Backers Seeks Common Ground

Congressmen Focus on Persecuted Believers

Bishops Propose Chastity Canon

Women Become 'Promise Keepers'

WORLD SCENE: Abducted SIL Missionary Freed

News

OBITUARY: Ex-Fuller President David Hubbard Dies

Palau Preached to a Preoccupied Metropolis

Evangelist Sets Sights on U.S. Latinos

The Suffering Church

SIDEBAR: Forgive Us Our Trespasses

News

News Briefs: July 15, 1996

Wire Story

SBC Targets Clinton, Disney, Jews

Risky Business

LETTERS: No Middle Ground

Editorial

EDITORIAL: Ministry in the Real World Order

ARTICLE: Saving the Safety Net

SIDEBAR: When Your Church Says It’s Wrong

News

News Briefs: July 15, 1996

ARTICLE: Tolerance Without Compromise

BOOKS: Getting Evangelicals into the Church

BOOKS: Wesley on CD

BOOKS: Hymns for the Politically Correct

Classic & Contemporary Excerpts from July 15, 1996

SIDEBAR: Escaping Martyrdom in Saudi Arabia

SIDEBAR: Help for the Persecuted

View issue

Our Latest

News

As Shutdown Strains Incomes, Church Ramps Up to Feed the Hungry

In suburban Detroit, a $50,000 ministry grant helps families keep food on the tables during furloughs.

News

Kenyan Churches Struggle to Support Childless Couples

One Christian woman hopes to destigmatize infertility.

The Just Life with Benjamin Watson

Lecrae Moore: Why Lecrae Won’t Be Silent

Exploring faith that acts, how the gospel grounds justice, why silence wounds, and what hopeful, everyday courage looks like.

Review

‘Roe v. Wade’ Eroded the Church’s Historic Pro-Life Consensus

It was already unraveling by 1973. Repairing it today won’t be easy.

Taylor Swift Makes Showgirls of Us All

Something compels us to perform our relationship with the pop star’s music. Maybe that’s her secret to success.

Public Theology Project

The Loss of One Forgotten Virtue Could Destroy the Country

We’ve all become numb to this unserious, trivializing age.

News

Amid Floods and Heat Waves, Indian Church Fights Climate Change

Christ Church in Kerala tends to its garden while helping its parishioners and neighbors live sustainably.

A Civil War of Words

Evangelical factions can increasingly be identified by our speech. We agree on big issues yet insult and talk past each other.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube