When I Recognized Race: David Gentino

by | Sep 29, 2020

The grisly video of Ahmaud Arbery’s death shook many of us.  It was so wanton, so cruel, so animalistic.  A twenty-five year old image bearer of God bled out on the asphalt of a suburban neighborhood, staining the street and the conscience of a nation with those three chilling words, “unarmed black male.”  Race was everywhere.

This series is called, “When I Recognized Race.”  In my case, it might as well be called “When I Re-recognized Race.”  White brothers and sisters such as myself do not have to recognize race on a constant basis. There are events that jar us and wake us up to realities we would rather not think about.  When I watched Ahmaud Arbery die at the hands of three white men, I re-recognized race.

I saw race in the scramble of woke whites to hashtag their condemnation of racism.  I saw race in the defiance of sleepy whites to even acknowledge racism exists.  I saw politicians politicize race and pundits weaponize race and celebrities dumb race down.  In a nation that at least once frantically espoused colorblindness, I saw color everywhere.  But of all the places I saw race, of course, the most startling place was my own heart.  I re-recognized race in the power I held to scroll right past the news and not do a thing about it. I re-recognized my ability to ignore race and racism.

But God is kind and he’s brought dear, diverse friends into my life.  Walking with them in the shared trauma and fallout of Ahmaud’s death shook me.  Listening to and loving, however imperfectly, black brothers and sisters in Christ made race personal.  And spiritual.  The one-another’s of Scripture compelled me to move closer and closer to the uncomfortable place that these dear saints felt this in a way I never could.  Could I refuse to bear another’s burden and so dismiss the law of Christ?

A startling thing began to happen, but it took these friendships to realize it.  The further I got away from a local, racially-charged killing and its wake of a victimized family and a grieving community, the more obscure the thing became – less personal, less spiritual.  Ahmaud the man was becoming Ahmaud the hashtag, a dividing line in the sand for a host of issues.  The more I listened to worldly noise online, the more confused, frustrated, and paralyzed I felt.

But friendships have a way of changing ideologies into personalities.  And as we friends gathered, grieved, and prayed, we moved closer to each other and closer to what had actually happened in Brunswick to a person.  We quickly felt the Samaritan’s dilemma.  Brunswick is only three hours from my hometown of Columbia, SC.  Crossing the road felt like the only option.  We couldn’t have known then how life-changing it would be.

Twenty-five of us, black and white, ministry leaders and lay leaders, all believers representing different churches, loaded up on a bus.  The Church rode to Brunswick.  Along the way we had honest conversations about race, faith, lament, and forgiveness.  We asked each other hard questions and heard gut-wrenching answers.  I’m always amazed at how meaningful a conversation can be when I’m quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.  I’m always amazed too at how deep and vulnerable we can become with each other when we put screens aside, seeing each other face to face.

I fancy myself culturally aware and open-minded.  But that can be a handicap of presumption.  I can quickly presume to know how friends are feeling, reacting, and processing.  But without time and care, I don’t really know.  And my presumption, masquerading as wokefulness, keeps me stuck in a sympathy that can’t move to empathy.  And while that passes on social media, it can ruin a real relationship.

John Perry, a local pastor and the president of the Brunswick NAACP, graciously arranged our entire time there.  Our group gathered at the courthouse with the mayor, a state senator, Ahmaud’s grade school teachers, and Ahmaud’s dad, Marcus.  It took about two seconds to realize that everyone in the circle was a Christian.  The awkwardness melted.  We shared encouragement in Christ, we prayed, we gave a love offering to the family.  And then we worshipped.  We sang our hearts out—at the center of a grieving city marked by injustice—to a God who heralds a kingdom of justice and mercy and righteousness.

I hope to remember this trip as long as I live.  And when I remember the gift of that fellowship, I hope to remember the horrible realities of race and racism that prompted our trip. I hope God reminds me of the unique burdens he’s called us each to bear and the unique burdens he’s called us to bear for each other.  May it be a nudge across the road toward one-another-ness once again.

 


YouTube Video Source URL: https://youtu.be/Jjc8IJkgLD8


Prayer Requests:

  1. Pray for diverse relationships.  Not in a crisis, not in response to something in the new, but now around the dinner table.
  2. Pray for sympathy that moves to empathy, so-called wokefulness that leads to action.
  3. Pray for greater love and joy in a God of diversity, justice, and mercy.

 

Recent POdcasts

The Role of Prayer with Carl and Karen Ellis

The Role of Prayer with Carl and Karen Ellis

Austin and Isaac were blessed to be joined in the lab by Carl and Karen Ellis. Carl is a Professor at RTS, Atlanta, and Karen is a writer and lecturer. Together, they lead the Edmiston Center for the Bible and Ethnicity. We wanted to have Karen on to teach us about...

read more
Our Identity in Christ with Dr. Robert Smith, Jr.

Our Identity in Christ with Dr. Robert Smith, Jr.

Isaac sits down with a living legend, Dr. Robert Smith, Jr. Dr. Smith is Professor of Preaching at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Smith is a black man who has lived through racism and division, but has not allowed it to define him. As Isaac...

read more
Who is Discipling You on Race?

Who is Discipling You on Race?

Isaac and Austin are joined in the studio by Josh Chatman, Jared Torrence, DeMyron Haynes, and John Talley. As we were sitting around and talking with the mics off, someone asked the question, "who do you think is discipling most people on race, and what role does the...

read more

Upcoming Events

Isaac-Adams-United-We-Pray-speaking-at-an-event

Click Here to View Now

Recent Articles

The Readiness Spectrum

The Readiness Spectrum

Diversity is such an amazing aspect of our society. Many institutions, schools, workplaces, and even churches are coming to understand the value of diversity and are seeking to hire minorities for leadership positions. There are many reasons why there has been an...

read more
Sitting At The Wrong Lunch Table

Sitting At The Wrong Lunch Table

In her book Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria? (New York: Basic, 1997), psychologist Beverly Daniel Tatum discusses the concept of racial identity development. First published nearly 25 years ago, she sought to help readers understand the...

read more
I Don’t Date Asians

I Don’t Date Asians

“I’m not attracted to Asian guys.” It’s a simple phrase, seemingly innocent enough, but many Asian Americans have heard it or have had similar sentiments expressed towards them. And they certainly can resonate with the stinging pain that such sentiments bring about....

read more

We’d love to hear what you think about this article. Submit your feedback by clicking here to contact us.

Author

  • David Gentino

    David Gentino is the church planting pastor of Columbia Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Columbia, SC. He’s happily married to Julie and you can typically find them outdoors adventuring with their kids.

Related Articles

Sitting At The Wrong Lunch Table

Sitting At The Wrong Lunch Table

In her book Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria? (New York: Basic, 1997), psychologist Beverly Daniel Tatum discusses the concept of racial identity development. First published nearly 25 years ago, she sought to help readers understand the...

read more
I Don’t Date Asians

I Don’t Date Asians

“I’m not attracted to Asian guys.” It’s a simple phrase, seemingly innocent enough, but many Asian Americans have heard it or have had similar sentiments expressed towards them. And they certainly can resonate with the stinging pain that such sentiments bring about....

read more

Stay Connected