When it comes to racial reconciliation, the church is quick to educate its congregants about the power of forgiveness. Pastors often jump to the solution without acknowledging the full extent of the problem. What do we do when we’re enraged by the things we’ve seen or experienced? How do we make a conscious, faithful choice to practice Christianity even when it seems harder than we can bear?

In his new book, Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope, Dr. Esau McCaulley aims not to answer questions the church is asking, but to answer questions that Black Christians are asking. A New Testament scholar, Anglican Priest, and theologian, McCaulley understands that the way we interpret the Bible often depends on our communities and context. He invites listeners to take an unfiltered look into the Black experience and to ponder how all of us can interpret the Bible as an exercise in hope.

He joins Eddie and Chris to discuss how Christians can have open dialogue about riots and protests, and how white Christians can interpret the truth behind the phrase “Black Lives Matter.” They talk about specific passages in the Bible that point to the grief and rage Black Americans feel and where the cross of Christ fits into the scope of human emotion.

You can order Esau’s book “Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope” here

Learn more about Esau’s podcast “The Disrupters” here: https://esaumccaulley.com/the-disrupters-podcast/

Read Esau’s articles in The New York Times here: https://www.nytimes.com/by/esau-mccaulley

Follow Esau on the web: https://esaumccaulley.com

Follow Esau on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialEsauMcCaulley

https://www.instagram.com/esaumccaulley/

https://twitter.com/esaumccaulley

December 15 Daily Devotion: Third Sunday of Advent