George Floyd and a modern parable of the church

The scene was horrific and painful to watch for 8 plus minutes, especially after the words "I cannot breathe" faded into quietness. One officer on George's neck and three more looking on as life slipped away till there was nothing. 

As I watched the scene I thought to myself, "what does it take to wake up the American church to oppression and injustice? Will we wake up this time - in this case to latent racism in our nation?

Yes, the obvious signs of racism of Martin Luther King's day are gone: separate entrances, water fountains, seats and schools, zoning and voting laws that exclude, but still, invisible to many, but not to people of color, the experience of growing up in this country is very different. Often painful, and sometimes fatal.

Is the American church like the three men who looked on as injustice was done? We ask, "How can these men not rescue a dying man at the hands of another officer?" "Why did they not act?" Yet for how many years has the white evangelical church in America watched but not acted as racism existed around us and more to the point among us? Bystanders cried out to the police to let George breath but the police ignored them. Is this like the majority church in America that has largely ignored the pleas to wake up to the reality and evils of racism? 

We have denied there is a problem. We have said we are colorblind and have no racist bones in our body. We have said the gospel changes everything (and it should) and all we need is Jesus all the while denying what is so obvious to so many. We have ignored the underlying causes and then cried for law and order in our streets. We have blamed it all on politics and political agendas and many other issues of which there are many. But we have not listened to our friends of color to hear their reality or their experience. Like the three officers we have stood silently by. 

Will we wake up now as churches are grappling to explain the chaos of our current world? Will we call racism where it exists sin! Will we recognize that many of us are culpable by not speaking up out of fear that we will be criticized and maybe marginalized by people we know in this divided world. Divided by race, by politics, by life experience and by (may I say) our own ignorance or indifference? 

This is a sin problem, not a political problem. As Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote in The Gulag Archipelago: "If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"

None of us are exempt. Not me. Not you. We cannot raise this issue without implicating ourselves. We have not lived up to the Law of Christ that we love one another as He has loved us. That we would go so far as to die for one another as He gave His life for us. And so, too often, we stand and watch, careful not to ruffle the feathers of the powers that be - often those with influence and money - or challenge a status quo that is often driven more by political affiliation than Jesus. In fact, most discussions of racism quickly revert to political leanings and rarely to the Law of Jesus.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35).

• When it comes to the issue of racism we have violated this command.

• When it comes to the issue of life we have violated this command focusing primarily on abortion but not on all the other issues of life that affect people like poverty, racism, oppression, hunger, injustice and those who do not have the standing or power to defend themselves. 

• When it comes to the issue of Christian unity, we have allowed ourselves to be divided by politics, race, socio-economic status at the expense of Jesus and the Gospel He preached. 

• When it comes to generosity we have often chosen to fund our lifestyles and ministries but to ignore those who are in need. Like the Corinthians we have enjoyed our success and wealth (2 Corinthians 9) and have not given out generously like the Macedonians did (2 Corinthians 8).

• When it comes to justice we have stood up for our rights but have often not taken up the cause of the powerless. We have ignored the command of God to care for the widow, orphan and alien - standing for all those who are without standing in society.

In these and many other ways we have stood and watched because it was dangerous to our reputation, friendships, politics or convenience to speak up and act! That would mean that we had to consider the line dividing good and evil that cuts through our very own hearts. And that would be too painful, too personal and involve genuine repentance - something that rarely happens anymore.

In the case of George Floyd there was no Good Samaritan among those who could have helped him. In the case of the American church  there have been far too few Good Samaritan's. We passed by on the other side, busy with our own affairs. We saw but didn't act. Sometimes we never even saw. Yet we were certain in our theology and righteousness while we failed to act against unrighteousness. 

Is God speaking to us through the prophet Isaiah when he writes: "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I." (Isaiah 58:6-9).

If we will say "Here am I" and show up to those things that concern God, He will say to us "Here am I."

I for one repent. I ask you to join me.

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One critical issue for new leaders: The speed of change is directly related to the speed of trust

Coming into an organization as a new leader is an event that will test the ability of even the best leader to manage the transition well. This is because change is an inevitable part of the process. Each leader has unique gifts and skills and they are hired because their gifts match the organizations needs at that time. So change is a given. Yet, that very change although needed, and even endorsed by those who hired the leader can be a difficult process. There are three reasons for this. 

One. Regardless of your resume or accomplishments which may bring great hope to the organization, you as an individual do not yet have the trust of the staff. This is even more important if the previous leader had violated trust with the staff as you may be seen through their lens.

Two. You are coming with a vision for the future but there is often a DNA and a culture that will stand in your way until it is changed - if it needs to be changed. In other words, if culture needs to shift, that is perhaps your most important work because culture trumps everything (even the best leadership), Until you have a culture that will allow you to move forward without a drag on the organization, many of your efforts will prove futile.

Three. In most organizations you have two primary staff constituencies: those who represent the past and will cling to the ideals of the past and those who represent the future and want to move forward. How one deals with this will vary but a new leader needs to recognize that both groups exist and until there is alignment, some things will have to wait.

The key to navigating these three realities is to build as much trust with staff as quickly as possible. Trust is the most important coinage a new leader has so developing that bond of trust is the most important and pressing job. 

Trust comes before most actions although taking some actions can actually build needed trust.  This will be counter-intuitive for many leaders because leadership is all about action. New leaders come in with a vision and an outside perspective that allows them to see what others don't see and they are ready to move! What they don't understand is that those they lead can either make their life easier or harder depending on the degree of trust that exists. Trust can be built quickly if you have a strategy for doing so.

Here are proven ways to get to where we desire to go.

First: Honor the past but build for the future. Too many leaders act as if nothing done before their arrival has any significance, forgetting that the present staff was all part of the past to one degree or another. It is not necessary to criticize the past if one has a vision for the future.  Honoring the past while you build for the future does not disenfranchise staff who were part of the past.

Second: Listen - a lot. Trust happens when individuals feel that their story and opinion counts. A new leader usually comes into their position with a well formed direction they intend to lead the organization. This a time to listen before revealing all that is on their mind. There is a large upside to this. In listening carefully to key staff, one can also make judgments as to whether they will fit in your preferred future. Listening builds trust in a significant way.

Third: Ask a lot of questions rather than making statements. Dialogue trumps telling every time and dialogue is nurtured by good questions. The answers to your questions also tell you a great deal about the thinking ability of staff, the vision and dreams that they have and the thoughtful nature of their responses. 

I have realized on a number of occasions that if I had not taken the time to get to know staff I would have made poor decisions. I would have let people go I actually needed and I would have kept those who did not actually fit. Our first impressions may not be accurate and until there is dialogue one will not know.

As you listen, you are making judgments regarding people and strategies. Where there are things you strongly disagree with, keep your own counsel or speak only to those who can help you make necessary changes. Careless words to others will cost one needed trust. 

Fourth, affirm everything and everybody that you can. You may not be able to affirm everything but you can affirm some things. The same is true with people. And remember, if there is a significant need for organizational change, it is because of a prior leader who allowed the organization to atrophy. There are staff who probably knew what was happening but their hands were tied. Don't blame them for what they were not responsible for. Be generous with your praise even if you intend to change many things. Criticism elicits no coinage. Affirm what you can and where you cannot, be light on criticism.

Fifth: be gracious even with those who won't be with you in the future. Graciousness costs you nothing. It is easy to be critical but the best leaders practice graciousness even when making needed changes. This means that we watch our words, our criticisms and our attitudes. 

Sixth: Share your vision for the future but cast it in "wet cement" so that staff can dialogue with you on that vision. In order for your vision to become a shared vision you need to engage people in significant dialogue. One cannot just pronounce vision. And a new leader's vision will not prevail anytime soon unless he/she can bring staff along with them. Find multiple ways and venues to share a new vision for the future and engage in dialogue. Again, listen carefully. Staff may know things you don't know and will either be able to help you or hinder you.

Seventh: As new leaders we come in with our plans but we need to realize that an organization can change only as fast as people can react to the speed of change. The speed of change is directly connected to the speed of trust. The higher the trust level of staff the faster the change. The lower the level of trust the slower the change. What this means is that the speed of change we are proposing is only possible if we are paying equal attention to the speed of trust. 

I have watched new leaders this transition because they believe that leadership is simply making the right calls. They made what they thought were the right calls but didn't listen to the wisdom of others, nor did they develop the level of trust they needed to bring staff with them. Eventually staff rebelled or constituents pushed back and it was over - especially true in nonprofits and churches.

Remember the speed of change is directly related to the speed of trust. Change always requires trust if you desire to being people with you.

So what is the most important job of a new leader who desires to bring change to an organization? It is the building of trust because trust is the coinage that allows them to lead in new directions and in new ways. The faster that trust can be developed, the faster the change can be implimented.