"Normal" has not been good for everyone. It is time for a normal that restores an identity in Christ in us and all of our neighbors, especially our Black neighbors.
My normal as a white person does not require me to think about who might be watching me or how my actions might look to someone else merely due to the color of my skin. I can pass by neighbors, most of whom are strangers, without people perceiving me as a threat or wonder what I’m doing.
Black people in the U.S. live a different reality on a daily basis than I do as a white person. Their reality is one that they can't step away from because they're perpetually being judged by their skin color.
The reality of systemic racism requires our Black brothers and sisters to be wary, on guard, careful about their surroundings and the people near them 24/7 - whether going for a run, a drive in the car, shopping, or bird-watching.
That’s their normal, and we should not go back to that normal.
Black leaders are speaking and creating a new path forward. It is time for a normal that listens and seeks to understand.
If we wish to be faithful to God in doing to others as we would have them do to us, we must do something. The racism baked into the systems of our society will not change unless we continually take action.
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