It’s easy to lull ourselves into thinking we have eradicated certain brands of evil from our society. The truth is that evil will never truly be wiped out until Christ returns. Because of this, we must denounce it at every chance. When we do, we have a chance to declare gospel truth to a world that needs it. Racial healing is one way to gain that opportunity.

In addition to denouncing racism wherever it appears, we should prayerfully work toward reconciliation in this area. As believers, it’s up to us to set the example of unity we want to see in our nation. Here are three ways to start that process.

1. Ask God to Expose Your Own Blind Spots

You need not worry — I’m not parroting the extremist lie that everyone is racist by default. I don’t believe that. That doesn’t mean that we don’t all have blind spots.

We may not be harboring conscious hate toward another ethnic group. But we do all have different life experiences, different worldviews — and sinful natures. So it’s likely there are injustices we’ve never personally encountered that are everyday experiences for someone else.

We should ask God to reveal these blind spots. In doing so, we follow Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 7:5 to “first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

It’s easier to pat ourselves on the back for not being a racist than to ask God to unveil any sin that may be lurking in our souls. After all, asking God to reveal sin is always scary. But it’s key if we want to grow as Christians and advocates of reconciliation.

2. Listen

This is a huge one. 

We’ve all seen — or been — the person so consumed with making their next point that they don’t listen to the person talking. Social media makes that trap even easier to succumb to. And it’s something Proverbs 18:2 warns us against: “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.” 

“A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.” 

Don’t be that fool. When someone says something that challenges your own perspective, listen. Even if your mind doesn’t change, your understanding of the other person just might. And that is a significant step on the road to reconciliation.

Personal conversations are always best. But another way to actively listen is to follow people you don’t agree with on social media. Do all the people in your Twitter feed look like you? Do all your Facebook friends share the exact same ideology? Do you only read bloggers whose backgrounds and upbringings are similar to yours? If so, maybe it’s time to seek out some perspectives that will challenge and broaden your own.

3. Ask

We’ll have many more opportunities to listen if we are first willing to ask.

Recently I was reading an article Jasmine Holmes wrote about her experience as a single black woman in evangelical circles. She listed several ways she had been stereotyped, even discriminated against, in church. The article was not a condemnation; rather an invitation to listen, understand and be aware.

Still, it bothered me to think that a sister in Christ had dealt with that much hurt in church, just because of her skin color, even if it wasn’t intentional. Judging from the response on her Facebook page, her experience was common.

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

So I sent the article to my best friend since childhood, who is also black. I asked her if she had ever felt the same way. Her answer? The article was spot on.

Right then, I was able to recognize a blind spot in my own life. We had been close our whole lives. But I’d never taken the time to specifically ask my friend about how her experience in certain areas, like church, had differed from mine. 

What resulted was a great, honest conversation. She invited me to ask any other questions I had, and I invited her to call me out if I ever said or did something hurtful. It made me wish I’d asked her about experiences more often. Isn’t that what good friends do? 

Talking about race makes many people uncomfortable. But if we truly want to pursue reconciliation, we have to be OK with talking about it. So if there is something you don’t understand, ask. And sincerely listen to the response. 

Do Not Grow Weary

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that racism has been duly dealt with in our nation, and that all complaints are simply a product manufactured outrage. While manufactured outrage and false racism alarms certainly exist, so does real racial tension. So does real injustice. While we’ve made major strides, we still have a long ways to go.

What’s worse, many Christians are feeling misunderstood, ignored, abandoned and divided along racial lines. This is great news for Satan. He will use whatever tools he can to foil our effectiveness as the body of Christ.

We must remember Galatians 6:9: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”