Racism

Ham’s Sin Against Noah & the Curse of Canaan (Genesis 9:18–29) | Chad Bird

Kirk E. Miller

Immediately after the flood, Noah gets drunk, and Ham sins against him by “seeing” his “nakedness.” Noah responds by cursing Ham’s son, Canaan. But what exactly did Ham do against Noah, and why does Noah curse his son instead of Ham himself?

Additionally, this passage was infamously used to justify racism against and the enslavement of black Africans. Appeal was made to the so-called “curse of Ham.”

So how should we understand this passage? Dr. Chad Bird joins me on What in the Word? to discuss.

Check it out!

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How to Talk about Race (with Isaac Adams)

Kirk E. Miller

Bring up race and people tense up and dig their heals in. Why is this? Why is talking about race is so difficult, and no less in the church? In this episode, Isaac Adams sits down with Kirk to talk about talking: how can we have better conversations about race? Or even more fundamentally, why do we need to have better conversations about race? Based on Adam’s recent book, Talking about Race: Gospel Hope for Hard Conversations (Zondervan, January 2022).

Access the episode here. (Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and more.)

A Christian Vision for Racial Solidarity: An Alternative to Hostility, Hysteria, and Apathy

Kirk E. Miller

A Christian Vision for Racial Solidarity: An Alternative to Hostility, Hysteria, and Apathy
Christian Camp and Conference Association
Wisconsin Sectional Annual Conference
March 15th, 2022

Podcast link.

Lately, our society has witnessed increased attention and concern for matters of racial justice. Of course, as Christians, the equitable treatment of others aligns with our deepest moral convictions. However, many in society, including some Christians, have raised an alarm around this racial reckoning. Other Christians experience frustration or despair, interpreting this reaction as an attempt to hijack and derail progress on race. Where are Christians to begin when so many are given over to hysteria, hostility, and apathy? And how might the Bible and a Christian worldview lead us to a better alternative–namely, racial solidarity?

George Floyd – Biblical & Theological Reflections

Kirk E. Miller 1 Comment

A statement from this morning’s service at CrossWay Community Church regarding the recent tragic events concerning Goerge Floyd as well as many others.

OUR MISSION (MISSIOLOGY) – “to make maturing followers of Jesus by the power of the gospel…” (CrossWay MKE). We are called therefore to…

  • Embody the transforming effects of the gospel.
  • To uniquely demonstrate these things to our surrounding society in the precise moments they long and grasp for these things themselves (=witness).
  • Also, inasmuch as we are able, to see the transforming effects of the gospel to pervade and impact our surrounding society.
    • to obey all that Christ commanded (Mt 28), carrying these things even into the realms of our society.
    • to seek the good of our city in which we are exiles, inasmuch as we have opportunity (Jer 29:7).

DOCTRINE OF HUMANITY (ANTHROPOLOGY) – Every person is made in the image of God; every life is valuable; every person and every people is worthy of dignity and just treatment (there are no “lesser” people).

DOCTRINE OF GOD’S LAW – God commands us to love him with all our heart, mind, and strength (=the greatest commandment); and the second is a necessary corollary of the first–that we love our fellow neighbors who bear his image.

DOCTRINE OF GOD (THEOLOGY) – A God of justice, who is righteously furious and wrathful with injustice; who puts himself on the side of those subjected to mistreatment and oppression. And as those who are his, we are called to reflect his character (“to be holy as he is holy”), to care about what he cares about.

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