By now, all the world knows that on May 25, 2020, a Black man named George Floyd was brutally murdered by a White police officer in Minneapolis. A week later, my co-worker shared her very personal and raw experiences with racial profiling, inequality and microaggressions.

In my typical fashion, I dug in immediately, reading articles, finding new voices, listening to podcasts and posting to my social media. At the end of the week, my screen time was up 104%! I vacillated between wanting to throw up my hands in hopelessness (What can I do?) to jumping into premature action (What can I do?).

Then I read this quote from Be the Bridge:

In the midst of everything that is going on in our country right now, we want to remind our white brothers and sisters to press pause. We want to remind you to not jump into action and “fix it” mode. Learn to be still and listen and learn. Do not give into the temptation and engrained condition to “lead.” This does not mean take no actions—this means change the place from which you are taking those actions. Work from a posture of awareness and humility, always being open and flexible to change your process as you learn from Black people.

@beabridgebuilder

So, I pushed pause. Giving myself some time to breathe at the feet of my Lord, I realized that while the focus of my mission (assignment, concern) may be new, the method or process is the same as all other callings in my life.

• Be all-in: Engage fully and totally in the race God has given you.
• Learn: Humbly admit you have more to learn from unusual voices.
• Listen: Enter into the sufferings of others by asking to hear their stories.
• Lament: Mourn with those who mourn; process your own losses.
• Ponder: Ask God to show you where you need to confess, grow and change.
• Take regular breaks: Step back, practice Sabbath, do a life-giving activity, rest.
• Be still: Allow time for the Spirit to sort through the voices, renew your soul and guide.
• Act: Obey what the Spirit guides you to do.
• Pace yourself: Establish attainable rhythms of action and restoration, individual and communal.
• Stay in the fight: Persevere; don’t grow weary in well-doing.
• Repeat.

Apply these steps to whatever God has asked you to do—planting a church, tending a marriage, walking the faith, maintaining relationships, discipling others, fighting injustice. 

Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Or as my co-worker reminded me:

This journey is a crockpot, not a microwave.

What part of the above quote most challenges you? What would it look like for you to press pause?

Voices I’m learning from about racial injustice:

• Faith and Prejudice Nona Jones
• Be the Bridge Latasha Morrison
• Dr. Anita Phillips YouTube Channel
• Marcie Walker Black Coffee With White Friends, Mockingbird History Lessons
• Otesha Moore Shalom Sistas, Dear White Peacemaker Podcast
• Dieula Previlon Elevate Her International
• Emmanuel Acho Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man
• Priscilla Shirer
• Dr. Tony Evans
• 1619 Podcast