That Don’t Fit

Highlights of JT’s teaching and panel discussion on the Imago Dei and race/ethnicity.

In this episode, JT and Andy practice awkward conversations. The goal was originally to talk about structures and spaces and how our experience shapes our perspective of them. But it turned into a deeper conversation about law enforcement, which the hosts had never discussed before. 

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[3:28] - Big Barriers

[4:19] - Structures

[5:39] - Law Enforcement

[8:17] - Difference in experience

[9:34] - Structures are made by flawed people

[11:15] - Corruption shouldn't surprise us

[12:20] - People are nuanced

[13:13] - Difference in being a problem vs being bad

[13:52] - Being black isn't a bad thing but it can be a problem

[14:42] - Speeding as a black man

[16:40] - Teaching children how to interact with police

[18:00] - Jealousy

[19:39] - How do we talk about this?

[21:36] - Vetting process

[22:16] - Trigger 1: Bringing up the rap-sheet of the victim

[24:37] - Trigger 2: Lack of lament

[25:24] - Additional triggers

[25:55] - Trigger 3: Taking the system and applying it to individuals

[27:40] - Let's acknowledge the brokenness throughout

[28:41] - Both sides should have a category that there are good officers

[29:20] - Trigger 4: Minimizing personal experience because it wasn't the worst case scenario

[31:00] - Trigger 5: Being expert empathizers but only for one side

[32:00] - Where do we go with these conversations?

[32:58] - Theology tells us we need to respect structures

[33:40] - Conversation, not controversy

Last episode, Andy and JT were talking about how personal experience plays conversations about race. This episode highlights one uncomfortable interaction in their exchange and they dig int why it was uncomfortable.----more----

[9:15] - Everyday empathy

[10:37] - Empathy is uncomfortable

[12:04] - Being empathetic is not a quick thing

[12:47] - The first thing out of our mouths is not the right thing

[13:21] - Empathy is like gratefulness

[13:47] - Bridges

[14:35] - Easy empathy

[16:20] - Cultural appropriation

[18:44] - What would happen if we started with empathy?

[20:08] - I want you to care

[22:51] - Everyone has something to offer

[25:12] - Count others more significant than yourself

Our experience shapes our perception when coming into conversations about race. JT and Andy dive into why this is and how it can be a good thing. 

[5:00] - We can't get away from where we came from

[7:43] - Realizing we are different

[9:50] - No one talked about the Civil War in the South

[12:54] - Difference between the South and the North today

[14:02] - Trying to make people feel comfortable

[14:44] - My presence causes fear

[21:09] - Personal is too personal

[24:42] - What do you want to your son to see in the future?

[26:36] - Listening is a two-way street

In this episode we are talking about Race and Theology. JT and Andy dig into the biblical principles we need to consider when approaching weighty topics like race. We hope to model productive discourse on real life and real issues starting with our biblical foundation.----more----

[2:56] - The world doesn't have the answers

[5:40] - JT on BLM

[7:36] - Everyone is a theologian

[9:10] - The gospel is the point

[10:12] - You're always getting discipled

[12:37] - Talking about race leads to the gospel (funny moment)

[14:18] - Gentle and lowly

[16:08] - Made in God's image

[18:33] - We are not the same

[20:46] - We are not the key

[22:50] - It takes too long to run to the Bible

[24:40] - Have a long term perspective in conversations

[27:52] - Voice vs mouth

[35:59] - Two ways to read the Bible

[38:47] - We need discernment

In this episode, Andy and JT introduce themselves and introduce the purpose of this podcast. They detail how the next episodes will go and share how they plan to navigate the difficult terrain of racial reconciliation.