Excerpt
Color-Courageous Discipleship Student Edition
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Invitation to a Racial Discipleship JourneyYou may be wondering, What does race have to do with discipleship? Great question! Although I am both African American and a national discipleship leader, I am still baffled by this question. For much of my life, I have not made concrete connections between race and discipleship. Does that matter?
I mean, it’s pretty obvious that followers of Jesus shouldn’t be racist bullies, right? Personally, I am for Jesus as well as all races of people. I am against all forms of racism, full stop. I bet most people reading this, including you, would agree. So . . . aren’t we good? What more is there to talk about? Racism can be such a depressing topic. I’d much rather talk about Jesus!
But see, that’s the problem: Race and discipleship aren’t completely separate things, like apples and clementines. Actually, they are related in pretty eye-popping ways! What’s more, I now realize this exciting truth: One of the best ways for this generation to grow as disciples of Jesus is to understand what race is all about and, together with Jesus, to resist racism as color-courageous disciples.
What makes a disciple “color-courageous”? Color-courageous disciples understand that it isn’t so helpful to be “color-blind,” moving through life as though race doesn’t exist and doesn’t matter. I wish race didn’t matter too! But as we will soon discover, it does. In fact, racism continues to cause untold suffering throughout the world and in the lives of people whom Jesus loves. But disciples of Jesus are not powerless—we can make a difference.
The great news is that as disciples we can become part of the solution as we move from color-blind to color-courageous. Not only that, but we can get to know Jesus better on the way.
Finally, I’m starting to get it. By missing the connection between race and discipleship, I’ve been missing out on experiencing more of Jesus as a color-courageous disciple! I promise to share more of my story with you—but, ultimately, this is about your story. Even now, as you are reading, you are opening your personal invitation to a brand-new discipleship adventure. In fact, that’s why I wrote this book: I don’t want you—or any other disciple—to miss out on all that Jesus has for you.
Discipleship DefinedI know we’ve already been talking about disciples and discipleship, but before we continue on our journey, let’s make sure we’re clear on what discipleship is. My favorite definition for discipleship comes from Jesus’s invitation to his first disciples: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of people” (Matthew 4:19, nasb). From this brief but brilliant invitation, we discover three elements of discipleship: A disciple (1) follows Jesus, (2) is transformed by Jesus, and (3) is on mission with Jesus.
First, a disciple follows Jesus. A disciple’s life isn’t centered on religious stuff but on the person of Jesus Christ. A disciple has accepted Jesus Christ as Savior (our rescuer) and Lord (our leader). (By the way, if you are not yet a disciple of Jesus or want to learn more about what that means, don’t miss my special invitation for “not-yet-followers” of Jesus at the back of this book!) Second, a disciple is being transformed by Jesus. This means that Jesus constantly shapes his disciples to be more like him. Finally, a disciple is on mission with Jesus. In other words, disciples partner with Jesus to heal the world . . . and make more disciples!
Matthew 4:19
A disciple . . .
Follow Me,Follows Jesus . . .
and I will make youis transformed by Jesus . . .
fishers of people.is on mission with Jesus.
So, What Is Racial Discipleship?Racial discipleship, like all discipleship, involves all three discipleship dimensions. It is about following Jesus more closely as we encounter racial challenges, being transformed by Jesus in our racial mindsets and interactions, and embarking on mission with Jesus as we partner with him to bring racial healing to the world. As we strive for all three, we will pursue antiracism not as some fashionable trend but as an ongoing expression of our discipleship—which is exactly what it should be.
And now we must ponder a surprising idea: You have already been racially discipled. Whether you realize it or not, you have already been set up by the world to engage with race in certain ways. We have all been subtly influenced by the culture, practices, and perspectives of the family we were raised in, the place we grew up in, and even the era that we find ourselves in. The question is not if you have been racially discipled. The question is how.
That is why what many disciples need now is to embark on a different kind of racial discipleship journey—different, in that this time it will be intentional. Different, in that this time we will orient ourselves as disciples of Jesus Christ to engage effectively with the racial challenges we face, in Jesus’s name. When it comes to race, most of us need to be intentionally “rediscipled.” That is, we need to be discipled again. What’s more, on this journey we will discover that racial discipleship is not just about resisting racism or transforming the world. It is certainly that, but it is far more: Racial discipleship is about being personally transformed so that you can experience more of Jesus. And that is what has been the most exciting part of the journey for me.
You can make a profound difference for Jesus—perhaps especially because you are young.
By the way, yes, this invitation is for you—whatever your race might be. None of us have a perfect perspective when it comes to race. That includes me. I can’t tell you how surprised I was when I came to understand that I had been doing things to perpetuate racism too! When it comes to race, we all need awakening, transformation, healing, and a fresh vision to forge a better future together. Although our individual racial discipleship journeys will have different starting points and milestones, I believe that the journey itself is universal.
And yes, this invitation is also for you, whatever your age might be. In fact, God calls young disciples to be examples for older ones. And that’s not my idea. It’s from the Bible: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). No matter what anyone says, you can make a profound difference for Jesus—perhaps especially because you are young.
As disciples of Christ, we are all invited to awaken to the racial brokenness of the world: young and old, male and female, Black and White—and beyond. And we are all invited to come up with solutions for our future together.
It’s not enough to avoid racism—to make a difference, we must learn how to resist racism.
As far as solutions go, here’s the crux of the matter: It’s no longer enough for you to say, “I’m not racist.” It’s no longer enough to merely be a nonracist disciple. If you really want to make a difference and reflect God’s heart, you must become an antiracist disciple. That means you must learn not only how to avoid racism—more importantly, you must learn how to actively resist racism as a color-courageous disciple. Together, we will discover how.
Now Is the Right Time to Do SomethingYour generation has been witness to a profound racial reckoning that has swept the world—with the devastating death of George Floyd in 2020 as a pivotal moment. Many have asked new questions and taken new steps to learn and grow. People of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, and faith traditions are wondering about racism again and asking, “What can I do?” Yet as Christians, we must also ask additional, deeper questions in light of our primary commitment to Jesus Christ: “Jesus, what are you inviting me, as your disciple, to do? And how can I grow closer to you in the process?” In this book, we will explore these questions.
But before diving in, let’s have a brief vocabulary lesson. I think that people get stuck in conversations about race because, although they use the same words, they use them in very different ways, so then everyone ends up confused! Let’s try to avoid that on our journey, shall we?
