Happy February folks! I began the month writing about God being the deliverer of his people. In the blog post, I paralleled the journey of African Americans deliverance from slavery to the Old Testament’s documentation of the Israelites exodus from enslavement in Egypt. I also acknowledged February being Black History Month. Black History is American history and we should celebrate the contributions of African Americans and other ethnicities throughout the entire year.
I intentionally feature guests from various ethnic backgrounds on the blog. This is evident in the interviews for the “Neglected Voices” portion of my Racial Reconciliation Series. I repeated and echo again the need for all of us to better understand those who are different than us. The changing demographics in America will require this of each of us, but more importantly, I believe God requires it of His Church. When we intentionally seek to better understand our neighbors, we are challenged, we grow in love and pursue racial reconciliation for the sake of the gospel.
My friend, Trillia Newbell, recently published an excellent piece, More Than a Month-Long, about why we should learn about Black History Month beyond the month of February. In doing so we: 1. Gain Perspective, 2. Open Doors for Evangelism, 3. Welcome Greater Diversity in Our Homes, and 4. Prepare for our Changing Demographic. Thanks, Trillia!
Therefore, I will be taking the month of February to provide education and raise awareness about the significant contributions of African Americans. It’s going to be an exciting and full month on all accounts, so I’m glad to get some help with sharing these messages with you. Here’s what you can expect in this mini-series:
Tuesdays – Natasha’s Study: I’ll be sharing from February’s Book of the Month
Reconciliation Blues: A Black Evangelical’s Inside View of White Christianity by Edward Gilbreath (You can also look for daily excerpts from the book via twitter @asistasjourney.)
Wednesdays – Leadership: I’ll be sharing content from Benjamin Lichtenwalner’s fabulous Servant Leadership Black History Month Abolitionists Series.
Hopefully, I’ll have more interesting and exciting information to share along the way.
Radio Spot: Trillia and I will be back on Moody’s Midday Connection this Tuesday, February 5 at noon central time to continue our racial reconciliation conversation with Anita Lustrea. Here’s information on how to listen in and find us online. To continue the social media conversation, use the hashtag #RacialRec.
Articles: I’ll be publishing a couple articles about Black History and Racial Reconciliation on UrbanFaith and Moody’s blogs, and will share those with you here.
At the end of the month, I will be attending The Justice Conference in Philadelphia, so hopefully I can share with you from the city of brotherly love.
Looking forward to dialoging with you. Blessings, Natasha
A SISTA'S JOURNEY 