When people deal with colour, class or culture in a negative way, that’s racism. But the answer is not to ignore differences as if they don’t matter. Instead, we can focus on diversity in a positive way. That’s gracism. Pastor David Anderson responds to prejudice and injustice with the principle of gracism: radical inclusion for the marginalized and excluded. Building on the apostle Paul’s exhortations in 1 Corinthians 12 to honour the weaker member, Anderson presen… More >>
Gracism, a word comprised of “racism” preceded by the letter “g” for God, encourages people to extend special favor to others based on their unique class, culture, ability or color and make that preference visible and apparent. In the preface the author writes [page 11]: “Gracism, unlike racism, doesn’t focus on race for negative purposes such as discrimination. Gracism focuses on race for the purpose of positive ministry and service.” However, race, gender and ethnicity form only a part of the gracism taxonomy, which also includes folks who are less educated, less physically or mentally able than some others, are lower income, less confident and/or posses anything else “different from.” On page 20 Pastor Anderson further explains, “The positive extension of favor toward certain people does not have to mean favoritism.” The liberation theology buzz-phrase of God’s “preferential option for the poor” long ago made it into mainstream vocabulary; gracism is an expression of that type of preference. In what for me is an unexpected twist, Pastor David Anderson describes his church consciously configuring church staff, worship leadership, music group membership (and everything else) to appear visibly diverse rather than uniform.
Like everywhere, in the town and in the venues where I usually hang out we’re encountering and potentially meeting lots of assorted ‘others’ and need to learn not to retreat into righteousness other than Christ’s and need to learn to make safe places and space for those unlike us.” (this may be old news?)
After his encounter with the Risen Christ, Paul, a Jerusalem-educated Roman citizen born in the Jewish Diaspora insisted no longer would people be defined by ethnicity, race, outward appearance, gender or such particular semi-accidentals (but hey, folks, this was not exactly emancipation proclamation…) can we, the church of Jesus Christ wherever circumstances have taken us live by not defining people as foreigner or native-born, green- or brown-eyed, straight or bi, military or civilian? Maybe in such an apparently gracist way so that our congregation and our community is visibly diverse and multi-everything? Can everyone be as equal to us as they are before God?
So how do we start gracist living in our communities and in our churches? How can we bring others into our center and also receive their gifts of hospitality when they choose to invite us closer to their centers rather than leaving us on the margins of their worlds? We need to begin prayerfully risking to live out God’s answers to those questions as we become Gracists and enable others to live Gracefully, as well!
Rating: 4 / 5
I believe David Anderson has created one of the most important books a follower of Jesus Christ could read.
Rating: 5 / 5
David Anderson’s little black book turns the war on racism on it’s head. Instead of focusing on talking about not being a racist, he advocates letting grace be our guide to including people of different races, abilities, cultures, and so forth.
Becoming a gracist is a matter of extending honor and dignity to others, particularly those who have been looked over before. Anderson cites scripture often, so this may not be a book that non-Christians are comfortable with.
Anderson, a pastor and writer, uses situations from his life in this short book. It’s a nice introductory resource for a quick group study at church or a Christian book group. Ideas for community action may also be derived from his book.
Listen. Learn. Love.
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Linda Leigh Hargrove is the author of two works of fiction: The Making of Isaac Hunt (2007) and Loving Cee Cee Johnson (2008). Her writings blend suspense, humor, and faith into compelling stories about race and class in America.
Rating: 3 / 5
Our adult education class studied this book this summer. Half of us raised in the South – half raised in the North. It was a great vehicle to begin the conversation even if we were all white. Gave us a new perspective to the 1 Corinthians 12 passage. We all benefited from this study. I would recommend the book to any group who needs a graceful way to begin talking about racism, inclusion and Christ centered community.
Rating: 5 / 5
Overall,you must have a willing heart to look for and include people in the margins. Concepts and precepts in the book are appropriate, but the examples are borderline in making the point. Not the best book out there for understanding multi-ethnicity, but a great book for generating group discussion since the end of each chapter has questions
Rating: 3 / 5