As an African-American pastor of a large and racially diverse congregation in Mountain View, I feel compelled to address the violence, racial strife and confusion resting upon our nation. My personal life is filled with memories that shape the lens through which I view the most recent events. That lens gives me insight into the current racial tensions. It also gives me hope.
I remember how it felt for my wife and me, after returning from church in San Francisco, to suddenly be surrounded by police with weapons drawn! Why? Because they mistook my identity.
Additionally, I and many of the African-American parents I know have deemed it necessary to train our sons on how to behave when stopped by the police. This is an unfortunate necessity due to the higher statistical likelihood that an African-American male may be pulled over and that violence may ensue. And I carry many more memories like these.
But I also remember the white third-grade teacher who fought with school officials to mainstream me from special education; the white English teacher who invested four years trying to turn my life around in high school; and the many white religious and community leaders who joined with me in Boston to fight for social justice across issues from health care to education.
Both sets of memories shape my life in America and my perception of the recent tragedies. The first set is shaped by the absence of relationships and the presence of profound fear. The second set is shaped by the absence of fear and the presence of remarkable relationships across race and ethnicities.
When police killed two African-American men last week, fear and the absence of real relationships, more than anything else, pulled the trigger. When the five police officers were murdered in Dallas, fear and the absence of relationships pulled the trigger.
The only antidote to fear is love. And love comes through relationships. So while the solution is not easy or quick, the path forward is clear. We need to risk making ourselves vulnerable and build genuine relationships across races!
What can we do?
My challenge to you is this: Over the next several weeks, stop listening to the stalemate conversations on the media, and instead hold conversations that become a part of the solution. Find three people from another race, and ask each one of them, “In the context of the current racial tensions in our nation, would you share your story? And would you allow me to share my story?” Then — withholding judgment and the need to persuade — listen and really try to learn from one another.
This is a small step. But if each of us will take this step, together we can reshape the environment. The ancient biblical command, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” can produce fresh hope for America — one relationship at a time.
Pastor Hurmon Hamilton is the founding and senior pastor of New Beginnings Community Church, 1425 Springer Road, Mountain View. For more information, visit NBCCbayarea.com.
