One of the most important lessons I learned in seminary was to imagine all of the people that I ideally hope will be present on a Sunday, then consider if my message might offer something of sustenance for all, and most importantly, not create harm for any of those gathered. This lesson was beautifully reinforced when I was invited to guest preach at a small Fellowship in a coastal village that I knew from experience to be privileged and almost exclusively white. Right before the service began, a black woman walked in and sat down in the middle of the front row. As soon as the service concluded, she walked up to me and said, “When I heard what you were preaching on, I came prepared to challenge you because I’ve never heard a white man speak in a way that made me feel like he understood the struggle. But it’s clear that you get it. Thank you for doing the work it takes to become an ally in more than just name.” And with that, she turned and walked out the door. My words mattered to at least one person in the room that day, and it is that one person that I strive to never forget.
