Last week I got the chance to have lunch with a man named Dolphus Weary. Dr. Weary is an African American pastor from Mississippi who does a lot of work in the area of rural renewal - helping people (particularly African Americans) in rural areas receive the education, healthcare, and other tools they need to thrive in society. Most importantly, he stands tall for the Gospel. Dr. Weary is also very knowledgeable in the area of racial reconciliation within the church. As a pasty white, mid-western born whippersnapper, I had almost nothing in common with this larger-than-life African American pastor from the South. But we had what I think was (for me) a paradigm-shifting conversation.
Dolphus has written a book called "I Ain't Comin' Back," that chronicles his story growing up in rural Mississippi during a time of intense racial tension, and you need to read it.
Our country has come a long way in the past 50 years. Regardless of my political feelings, I'm proud to be a part of the generation that was instrumental in electing this country's first African American president. But we still have a long way to go. This book will remind you why.
The wounds of the past run deep in a culture, but there are people on both sides of the race barrier that have begun the process of reaching out to one another. It's a much more delicate process than just inviting white people to come to your black church, or vice-versa. It is a process that will take time. But we are making progress at a rapid pace, and I am excited to be a part of it.
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