Living In Color By Randy Woodley Summary

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Since reading, “Living in Color” by Randy Woodley my eyes have been opened to different types of racism, both systematic and personal. These forms of racism may manifest in different ways but they are equally as malignant. Woodley expresses that segregated churches do not serve God, we as Christian’s must no longer remain comfortable in our fortress’s that have no cultural expression. God made us diverse intentionally so that his truths could be revealed through every portion of the earth. Woodley claimed in the opening of his book that, “We need a plethora of perspectives and cultural worldviews if we are able to see a clearer picture of the immense grandeur of our creator God” (Woodley, 2004, p.17). Integrating our church will not be easy, …show more content…

This cannot be done without confessing our sins and attempting to be forgiven. Some of the main steps that Woodley addresses that will begin to heal cultures who Euro-American’s have oppressed are listening, confession, restitution, and renewing relationships between the parties involved (Woodley, 2004). Woodley says on the topic of listening that we must “listen to the guilt. Listen to the years of shame and oppression. And when it is necessary someone will speak” (Woodley, 2004, p. 163). However, the person who speaks first should not be the oppressor but the oppressed. We must not seek to move to quickly past the pain that our white ancestors have caused, forgiveness must happen on the terms of those who were afflicted. If we listen without understanding, we put ourselves at risk of making the same mistakes that have caused great sufferings to certain cultural groups for hundreds of years. After the oppressed are given the time and freedom to express their pain, the culture who was in the wrong must confess their sins and admit their shortcomings. A quote from Woodley text reads “the gift remains at the altar until the wound is taken care of; only then does God accept our act of worship” (Woodley, 2004, p. 166). This confession of sins must be genuine and it must not seek to undermine the pain of the hurt. This apology must not be given just to receive forgiveness, forgiveness is a gift, the apology should be mainly given to help ease the pain of the hurt and help ensure that the atrocity will not happen again. In some way we owe the oppressed restitution or payment for their sufferings. The Lord said to Moses in Leviticus 6: 3-5, “when he thus sins and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to him, or

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