Leadership Thought: Changing our Racial Attitudes.

Dear Friends,

I am currently at our summer cottage in northern New York, and last night my children and one of my grandchildren were conversing  about the recent racial unrest in our country. During the conversation we all acknowledged how difficult it is to change our thinking about certain things. We all agreed with the need to look within to see if there was any  racial bias hidden in our hearts. It was encouraging to hear the self-reflection taking place. Until now, most of them admitted they had not thought they harbored any racial bias.  It was only through reading and  talking with others about the issue that they came to discover that they too, needed to make some changes in their way of thinking. 

Several of them shared their frustrations with people they knew who were “so set in their” ways” that they refused to even entertain the need to address  their racial attitudes. It was clear to them that they were right in their thinking, and the racial problem was all about “them” and not “us”. If “they” would change, the problem would all go away.

Changing one’s way of thinking is not always easy, but sometimes it is necessary for one’s survival.   The older I get, the harder it is for me to change. Some of you may know what I am talking about. We resist change. If it is something we have grown up with, something that we are comfortable with, we generally prefer to preserve the status quo. We like routine, the familiar, and we often avoid new challenges because they involve new learning. Someone once wrote the only people that like change are wet babies.

But change is necessary. Without change we stagnate, we shrivel, we won’t survive. We live in a world where we must learn to welcome it, and learn from it, even if we don’t like it.  If we are not willing to change and try new things, the world will pass us by. As one business consultant has written, “we need to accept change even though it may be disruptive. And even if it is uncomfortable or disruptive, you ‘gotta’ do it anyway.” Yes, we are living in an era where, literally, to learn to love change is a matter of survival.

A night watchman on a huge battleship alerted the captain that their ship was headed directly toward a light in the distance. The captain immediately sent the message, “Change your course 10 degrees south.” A few minutes later came the reply, “Change your course 10 degrees north.” Perturbed, the captain signaled back, “I am a captain. Change your course to the south.”  Five minutes later came the reply, “I am seamen first class. Change your course to the north.” Fuming, the captain sent one final message: “I demand you change your course.  I am on a battleship, and I strongly recommend you change your course.   And the response of the seaman was “I am in a lighthouse, and you are heading for a disaster if you don’t change your direction.” You Can’t Steal Second with Your Foot on First, Burke Hedges, pp 31-32.

When Paul and Barnabas visited Antioch, the Gentiles gladly heard the message and their lives were changed. We are told that almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord, but when the Jewish leaders saw the crowds, they were jealous, so they slandered Paul and argued against whatever he said. When the Gentiles heard that the message of Paul was for them, as well as the Jews, they were glad and thanked the Lord for His message; and all who were appointed to eternal life became believers. So, the Lord’s message spread throughout that region. The Jewish leaders stirred up both the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town.” Acts 13:44;48-50

The Jewish believers refused to accept the truth, for they knew it meant change. Change in their rituals, change in their routines, change in their attitudes and change in their religious way of thinking. When confronted with truth, people often respond the same way. It is easier to resist a new idea than to receive it when receiving it may mean the need to change one’s actions or way of thinking. But when God points to something in our life that needs to change, we had better listen else we run the risk of “pushing the truth so far away that it no longer affects us.” Life Application Study Bible, p 1724

Is there something that you need to change in your life? A habit, a behavior, attitude? Why not do it today. Give it over to the Lord and let him provide you the power to make that change. I can honestly promise you that you will be glad you did. And yes, remember you “cannot become what you need to be by remaining what you are.” Max Dupree quoted from 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork, John Maxwell, p 141.

Yours in faith and friendship,
Pastor Tom

P.S. For those of you who are open to considering a change in attitude, I would encourage you to google Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black man Emmanuel Acho. He has done some very informative interviews with people like Chip and Joanna Gaines and family and Matthew McConaughey