We suggest the following resources for further learning on race and racism in America, and how we are called to respond as God’s Church. While we may not endorse every sentiment or thought shared from these conversation partners, we believe they are helpful in providing important data, challenging insights, and personal observations to help us pursue how Christ would have us live and love.

— The Pastors of Third Church

 

Love and the Justice of God

In February 2021, we spent time looking at the topics of love and justice, and how God, who perfectly embodies both, calls us to do both. According to Scripture, separating love and justice from God’s character is impossible. This also means we cannot, and must not, separate love and justice from the life of his Church. So, if the body of Christ is meant to be the embodiment of God’s life in the world, then we have a lot to learn about what the Bible has to say about love and justice.

Week 1: What is Biblical Justice?
Week 2: Justice for the Sake of the World
Week 3: Justice and the Public Sphere
Week 4: Becoming Communities of Justice

 

Additional Resources From Third Church

A Call to Repentance: Corey Widmer’s call to the church to repent of personal and systemic racism.

Responding to our Racial Crisis: A pastoral message with Q&A. Corey gives a pastoral message on our church’s calling to respond to racism and racial injustice and some first steps we’ll be taking to respond in action.

God’s Vision for Cultural Reconciliation. A lecture from Corey Widmer about the big picture biblical vision for cultural reconciliation

A Deeper, Richer Theology of Sin: Article in which Corey unpacks why the concepts of unconscious, structural and historic sin are biblical concepts. Keep reading…

Ben Campbell on Richmond’s Unhealed History. At Third’s local missions conference, Ben explores the history of Richmond and how it connects with the sordid history of racism in America. Keep reading…

 

Other resources to Watch

Roundtable on Racial Justice: A webinar for pastors and Christian leaders on racial justice sponsored by the Compass Center, with Corey Widmer, Don Coleman, Matt Lorish and Stanley Morton as panelists.

Racism and Corporate America: A White Guy’s Perspective. Tim Keller argues for the existence of corporate, or systemic evil of racial injustice and the need of a corporate response, grounded in scripture.

A Short History of Race in America, by Phil Vischer (Veggie Tales Creator)

Grace, Justice, and Mercy: An Evening with Bryan Stevenson and Tim Keller

 

Other resources to Read

 

For Families

Parents, we know this is a difficult thing to talk about with your children. Here are some resources that we pray will help guide age-appropriate conversations in your home.