Christians and Race

Christian Discussion and Response:
Race Issues in America

 By Professor Thomas Hunter DMLC ’75, Director of International Services

People are talking about, or at least thinking about, recent events in our country. Some have questions; some have strongly held opinions; some aren’t sure what to think or say or do.

I’d been approached by a variety of people—current students, past students, faculty, staff, community members—wanting to talk about race concerns after the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, after the protests and the riots, after the intense tension and uncertainty.

 So it seemed that now was an opportune time to engage people around us in this discussion. And concerned leaders from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm felt the same way. They had an idea, and they put their idea into action. Let’s talk!

They invited five members of the MLC family to lead a panel discussion titled Christian Discussion and Response: Race Issues in America. The live audience of about 100 people (masked and socially-distanced) proved the church’s leaders were right: people want to talk about the issues.

Prof. Ben Clemons, the moderator of the event, rightly reminded us: Race has been an issue we’ve struggled with in our country since its founding. While much progress has been made over time, there’s still work to do, and progress happens best when Christian citizens engage with each other in civil and meaningful discussion guided by what God tells us in his Word.

 NOW is a great time for discussion and understanding. But why HERE? Why in New Ulm?

The moderator and all the panelists (student Kenton Fabian, International Services Coordinator Megan Kassuelke, Prof. Tom Hunter, and Prof. Tingting Schwartz) are all part of Martin Luther College, the WELS College of Ministry. Not only is now a great time for us to talk, but this is a great place to enter into a dialogue that focuses on a Christian discussion and response to race issues in America!

Watch the Race Issues in America panel discussion at mlc-wels.edu/race-panel.

And, as one would expect, each participant not only shared information and first-hand experiences, but, more important, they applied select biblical references to help guide the discussion.

Megan Kassuelke referenced the Parable of the Good Samaritan. In it we are not only reminded to recognize who our neighbors are, but we are also challenged to show love to all of them, even though it might be difficult. It might be difficult to check our initial reactions and to be thoughtful and humble enough to recognize our own biases. But talking, listening, and striving for understanding is an important way Christians can reach out.

But are there people hurting in New Ulm? At MLC? Of course there are.

We might not see it; we might not understand it; we might not want to believe it; but there certainly are people who are hurting. And race can play a big part.

Prof. Schwartz explained what it feels like to be a Chinese immigrant this way: a fish swimming in water doesn’t think much about water, but a fish out of water immediately knows things are different! At times, she has felt like a fish out of water.

Kenton Fabian shared that, as a young African-American man, he often finds himself looking over his shoulder and often wakes up feeling anxious, wondering what might happen today. He’s not the only MLC student of color who has expressed such feelings. Nor is he the only student of color at MLC to have been subjected to disparaging racial comments. Sometimes these are unintentional, sometimes not; some have come from fellow students, some from the community, some from opposing fans at sporting events.

Having worked with international students from at least a dozen different countries, Megan Kassuelke and I can attest to the fact that race—more than nationality—does indeed impact lives.

So why provide a Christian Discussion and Response to Race Issues in America now? And why here? Well, talking and listening help us grow in understanding. And people are ready to talk. Our church leaders wanted to do it here to reach out to people around us in Christian love.

The 90 minutes on October 1 were not enough. The plan now is to take the 15 unanswered questions submitted by the live audience and answer them through a series of video podcasts sponsored by St. Paul-New Ulm. Watch for details!