Book Review - Be The Bridge, by Latasha Morrison

Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation, by Latasha Morrison, is an attempt to meld the concepts of Critical Justice Theory and group identity with Christianity, to produce racial reconciliation and social harmony within the Body of Christ. Since these doctrines are contradictory, the book fails in its purpose. I was also disappointed to find several falsehoods stated as facts1. Rating – Thought provoking but misguided; don’t bother buying it, but you might want to check it out from the library.

The main premise of the book is that racial reconciliation, within the church, can only be realized through a series of works-based liturgies that are to be performed by those guilty of the sin of racism.

• A Posture of Humility – “Listen and learn”, “valuing other’s lived experiences.”

• Awareness of “Truth” – a personal acknowledgement of the history of the evil of racism.

• Acknowledgment and Lament – feelings of guilt and recognition of the privileges of oppressor groups that are a result of that evil.

• Free from Shame and Guilt – unburdening of our personal responsibility for acts of racism.

• Confession – verbal expression of taking responsibility for abusing our privileges.

• Seeking and Extending Forgiveness

• Repentance – making a commitment to “do the work.”

• Making Amends – acts that elevate oppressed groups above oppressor groups, and payment in time or treasure to make up for our racism.

• Reconciliation and Restoration – The act of the oppressed to forgive the oppressor.

• Reproduction – the evangelism of the movement to replicate itself.

These are obviously solid, biblically based principles, but the book is completely off base in their application. There are four foundational problems with Be the Bridge.

First, the book proclaims that ALL white people (those of European descent) are guilty of the sin of racism, including the past sins of our forefathers, regardless of their “lived experiences”, while “black bodies” and “brown bodies” (her terms) are victims of racism, regardless of their “lived experiences”. Group identity is the sole determining factor of whether you are stained by this particular sin, and if your skin is lacking in melanin, you stand condemned. In contrast, the Bible tells us that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. As Christians, our identity is in Christ, in whom there is no condemnation. There is no guilt assigned by our race or ethnicity.

Second, Be the Bridge implies that the United States is uniquely evil because of our history of slavery, racism, Jim Crow laws, and segregation. While I absolutely agree that we should recognize our true history as a nation, both good and bad, and make every effort to guarantee liberty and equality for all, the idea that the US is uniquely evil is ridiculous. The vast majority of human history involves people-groups, tribes, and nations finding all kinds of creative and evil ways to abuse and destroy one another. In fact, despite our flaws as a nation, people from every corner of the Earth continue to clamber to escape where they are so that they can live in the US. Ironically, the primary reason that race relations have deteriorated during the past year is because of the unhealthy focus on racial identity.

Third, as part of the “Making Amends”, Be the Bridge advocates for reparations to black Americans for the sins that our white ancestors committed in the past. This concept is unbiblical, unpractical, and ahistorical. Dividing people by racial identity, taking from one group for sins committed in our ancestral past, and giving to another group whose ancestors may have been victims is unjust. And that assumes that some formula can be determined to assess the respective value of our oppressor and victim status. Additionally, if the concept were to be applied fairly, should it not be applied across all races throughout history? Should Italians be compensating Western Europe and the Middle East for the oppression of the Roman empire? Should Danes be required to fork over a portion of their treasure for their atrocities committed against the Britons in their Viking raids? Where does it end?

Finally, by requiring these works in order to fulfill this journey toward racial reconciliation, the book attempts to replace and diminish the power of the Gospel. In Critical Social Justice terms, the journey to reconciliation can never be completed because past oppression can never be overcome without some type of enforced rebalancing of our societal power structures. Jesus’ final words on the cross were, “It is finished.” The work has been completed and salvation from our sins is available to all through faith in Jesus Christ. We are reconciled as new creations through His grace, not through a steps-based program of reconciliation through our own power.

True reconciliation, racial and otherwise, is readily available if we simply love God, abide in His will, and love one another. The Gospel is sufficient!

1 One example, the author references “the murder of Michael Brown.” Murder is a crime defined as unlawfully killing a person, with malice. Michael Brown was shot and killed while attacking a police officer. Local investigators in Ferguson, MO, and the US Department of Justice determined that the killing of Michael Brown was a justified use of force by a law enforcement officer in the act of defending himself.