Grace Guidelines for Race Conversations
Prepare for the Discussion
Updated March 2023
“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought,
but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each
of you.” Romans 12:3
Practice Grace (to be read at the start of each discussion):
- Recognize that we all come from different backgrounds and have diverse perspectives. As a result, we all have good intentions, but we also have blind spots.
- We all are doing the best we can, given our current state of awareness.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help you speak with love and grace.
- Speak only for yourself (“I feel/think…”), not on behalf of a group (“we feel/think” or “they feel/think").
- Please don’t dominate the conversation or interrupt others. Remember that everyone deserves a chance to speak and be heard.
- Listen to hear and understand and not so that you can respond or give advice. Take time to digest and process without rushing to judgement.
- Be open to feeling uncomfortable - all growth comes with some discomfort.
- Stay engaged. When we feel frustrated or misunderstood, we often want to withdraw and drop out of the conversation but resist this urge. It will be worth it.
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