Be The Bridge

Steph Nickel reviews “Be the Bridge” and says “The book is a clarion call for Christians to move toward relationship and deeper understanding in the midst of a divisive culture.” Read on to see why.

Challenging Times

A global pandemic. The last three months have been incredibly challenging. Of course, frontline workers and those who have lost family members have faced challenges that the rest of us haven’t. Still, isolation, missed birthdays and graduations, failing mental health … These have gotten to many of us to one degree or another. Myself included.

And then … George Floyd!

Current Events Threaten

Typically, I am a positive, upbeat person. Perky even! But the turmoil of current events has threatened to overwhelm me.

But overwhelm is not what God has for us. Neither is being swept away by the enormity of it all. Still, current events give us the opportunity to ask the Lord if there is something He wants us to do, a way in which He wants us to be part of the solution, His solution.

Be The Bridge Organization

Recently, I heard LaTasha Morrison on an episode of the podcast Annie and Eddie Keep Talking. LaTasha began the Be the Bridge organization and wrote the book by the same name. LaTasha and those who have formed Be the Bridge groups are making a difference.

The Be the Bridge organization “empowers people and culture toward racial healing, equity and reconciliation.”

The book is “a clarion call for Christians to move toward relationship and deeper understanding in the midst of a divisive culture.”

Appreciation for Mom

It wasn’t until the last couple of weeks that I truly came to appreciate how my mom raised me. Her friends included those of various races and ability levels. It wasn’t that she was “colour-blind.” (I agree that we shouldn’t pretend there aren’t differences in our experiences, our day-to-day reality, and our history. Instead, we should embrace the many expressions of how God created His image-bearers and strive for the unity Jesus prayed for.)

One of my favourite memories is from a ladies’ retreat years ago. A dear Asian lady who referred to my mom as her spiritual mother wanted to have a picture taken of me because we were “sisters.” A precious older black woman joined us and said, “I want to be in the picture too. We’re all sisters.” Oh my heart!

Were there visible differences between the three of us? Of course.

Did we have different backgrounds? Certainly.

Did we face different challenges? We did.

But were we able to experience a unity that only God could arrange? Without a doubt.

Do I want to be part of replicating that experience and doing my part to work toward God-honouring unity day be day? Yes. Yes. Yes!

Read Be The Bridge Prayerfully

Reading Be the Bridge and prayerfully considering what God wants me to do with the insight I’m gaining is a step on the journey.

This is the blurb on Amazon:

In an era where we seem to be increasingly divided along racial lines, many are hesitant to step into the gap, fearful of saying or doing the wrong thing. At times the silence, particularly within the church, seems deafening.
 
But change begins with an honest conversation among a group of Christians willing to give a voice to unspoken hurts, hidden fears, and mounting tensions. These ongoing dialogues have formed the foundation of a global movement called Be the Bridge—a nonprofit organization whose goal is to equip the church to have a distinctive and transformative response to racism and racial division.
 
In this perspective-shifting book, founder Latasha Morrison shows how you can participate in this incredible work and replicate it in your own community. With conviction and grace, she examines the historical complexities of racism. She expertly applies biblical principles, such as lamentation, confession, and forgiveness, to lay the framework for restoration.
 
Along with prayers, discussion questions, and other resources to enhance group engagement, Be the Bridge presents a compelling vision of what it means for every follower of Jesus to become a bridge builder—committed to pursuing justice and racial unity in light of the gospel.

Personal Reflection

This is one of those books I’d like to order in paperback when it’s available. I’m sure I would underline several passages and refer to them often. I would also like to dig deeper into the personal reflection questions and Bible references LaTasha includes in the book.

Everything that has been happening recently has, indeed, taken its toll—on some more directly than others.

While God graciously doesn’t ask us to deny the challenges we’re facing and meets us where we are, He also wants us to ask for wisdom and direction, trusting Him to show us how we are to face not only our immediate situation but also the more far-reaching circumstances that are occurring all around us.

If you are looking for a Christian perspective on the realities of racial division and how to address it in your own life, I recommend LaTasha’s book, Be the Bridge.

What have you recently read and can recommend? We would love to hear from you. Share your comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.