Fear Factor: Fear of Talking with Our Children About Race with Dr. Michelle Reyes

In this important episode, Cameron and Anna talk with Michelle Reyes about the excellent new book she coauthored with Helen Lee: The Race-Wise Family: Ten Postures to Becoming Households of Healing Hope. The authors write: "When we are talking about an area as complex and challenging as race, our underlying inclinations combined with our uncertainties and hesitations often result in inertia, ignorance, and apathy, even for the most well-intentioned Christians" (123). Reyes discusses how being race-wise stems from a right fear of the Lord. She also shares the particular fears of Black and Brown- skinned parents, and why they chose the word "postures" for the practices they advocate in the book. Michelle challenges us to see the vision Scripture casts for us: "... behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb" (Rev. 7:9), a vision where race and ethnicity are not erased but united in worship of our common, diversity-loving Creator. She encourages us that posturing our families to move toward that heavenly vision is what we mean when we pray "your kingdom come, your will be done," and this is the very heart of God for all his people.