How Should a Christian Respond to the Black Lives Matter Movement?
Introduction
The Black Lives Matter movement arose as a response to perceived systemic injustice and violence against Black people.
For Christians, the movement presents a tension: the core statement ("Black lives matter") aligns with the biblical mandate to value all people and seek justice, but certain elements of the movement's organizational philosophy and political aims may conflict with Christian theology regarding sin, identity, and the ultimate source of reconciliation.
The Christian must engage with discernment, affirming the legitimate need for justice while ensuring the Gospel remains the ultimate source of truth and hope.
1. Affirming the Core Biblical Mandate for Justice
The Christian must unequivocally affirm the value of Black lives and the spiritual duty to oppose oppression.
The Imago Dei (Image of God): Every human being is created in God's image (Genesis 1:27), which means every life possesses inherent, sacred, and equal worth. When any group experiences oppression or injustice, the Christian has a non-negotiable duty to speak out, lament, and seek change. The affirmation that "Black lives matter" is simply a necessary and clear application of the imago Dei principle to a group facing particular vulnerabilities.
Scripture Says: "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28). This establishes the spiritual basis for equality that necessitates defending the marginalized.
The Call to Do Justice: Biblical justice requires taking proactive steps to defend the rights and well-being of the oppressed and the vulnerable. Prophets and apostles constantly condemned those who failed to enact justice for the poor and the sojourner.
Scripture Says: "Act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8). This is the Christian's mandate in response to all injustice.
2. Exercising Discernment Over Philosophical Conflicts
While affirming the need for racial justice, the Christian must be cautious about adopting philosophical tenets that contradict Scripture.
The Root of Sin is Universal: Some political movements (like those rooted in certain critical theories, as discussed in a previous lesson) may view sin primarily as a structural power dynamic (e.g., perpetual oppressor/oppressed groups). The Christian must insist that while systems are corruptible, the ultimate root of injustice, racism, and oppression is universal sin in the human heart (Romans 3:23). This means both victims and perpetrators need the Gospel.
Identity in Christ Transcends Social Groupings: The Christian must ensure that a person's ultimate, defining identity is in Christ, not primarily in their social or racial category. While social categories matter, they cannot replace the eternal identity found in union with Christ.
The Goal is Gospel Reconciliation: Political solutions often seek retribution or division, but the Gospel's ultimate goal is reconciliation—healing broken relationships between God and humanity, and between people—through the sacrificial love of Christ.
Scripture Says: "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:18). The Christian's highest calling is to this ministry.
3. Practical Christian Response: Listen, Lament, and Lead
The Christian response is practical and personal, enacted both inside and outside the church.
Listen and Lament: The Christian must approach issues of racial injustice with humility, actively listening to the lived experiences of Black brothers and sisters in Christ, and lamenting the reality of historical and contemporary racism in the church and society.
Lead with Reconciliation in the Church: The local church should be the primary model for racial reconciliation and equality, demonstrating the unity of the Body of Christ. If there is racial division or injustice in the church, the Christian must work tirelessly to correct it first.
Advocate for Justice in Society: Christians should advocate for specific, non-violent, and righteous policy changes that reduce systemic disadvantages, such as judicial reform, housing equality, and educational opportunity. This is how the Church fulfills its role as salt and light (Matthew 5:13, 16).
Conclusion
A Christian should respond to the Black Lives Matter movement by affirming the value of Black lives and the biblical mandate for justice (Micah 6:8). This requires discerning between the movement’s legitimate cry for justice and any non-biblical philosophies regarding sin or identity.
The Christian must engage with a commitment to active reconciliation and love, seeking to heal divisions and advocate for righteous change through the power and truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
