To show solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement, I wanted to find a way to show my displeasure with the ongoing racism and violence against Black persons in America.

I wanted to do something, so I ran 2.23 miles for #RunWithAhmaud and here’s what happened.

I went running this morning and nothing happened. No one bothered me. One person waved hello. I am a white man in America with white privilege. This is what privilege looks like. It looks like going for a run and never once having it cross my mind that someone would threaten me, confront me, kill me.

The same is not true for Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who decided to go running on a Sunday afternoon. Ahmaud Arbery was chased down by armed white men, confronted, shot, and killed, simply for being a black man running in Georgia.

And then, as if to hammer home the point that racism does exist and that black lives do not matter, the police arrived, listened to the armed white men talk about how they stood their ground, and did absolutely nothing.

Jesus Christ.

Lord have mercy.

We mourn the senseless and violent death of Ahmaud Arbery. It's rage inducing, exhausting, and reminds us that we still don't see all lives as made perfectly in the kingdom of God.

We stand in solidarity with our Black siblings.

We grieve with our Black siblings.

We listen, we see, and we support our Black siblings.

And here's what I recognize. I recognize that those words sound hollow. I recognize that the offer of support sounds hollow. I recognize that we've said all of this before and nothing changes. Another black man is dead.

To my white identifying siblings, we must do more. It's not enough to acknowledge the deep pain we have caused our Black siblings, Indigenous siblings, and all People of Color (BIPOC). The lynching of Ahmaud Arbery is not an anomaly, it's a constant reality and we need to do better. There never was an "other side" or "more to the story" and frankly, we have zero time or patience for anyone who refuses to acknowledge the demon of white supremacy.

To my white progressive Christians, just because we believe that we're "woke" doesn't mean we're not blind to the fact that we continuously contribute to the hurt of our BIPOC siblings.

White siblings, we need to step up and recognize our privilege. We need to step up and learn about the systems that contribute to the hurt of our BIPOC siblings. We need to stand up, take action, and proclaim that we're not just allies, but accomplices who are working at the direction of our hurt and oppressed siblings to bring equity. This isn't for a little while, or until this news story passes over, this is the constant and continuous work of ushering in God's kin-dom.

Start by signing this petition to bring justice for Ahmaud Arbery.

Our church community offers a white identifying, anti-racist small group. We offer this group as a way for white folks to learn from one another about our privilege, our microaggressions, and the way we contribute to systems that target our BIPOC siblings.

Our church community is committed to being held accountable to the way that we consciously and unconsciously colonize our faith. For this reason, we offer a decolonization group dedicated to being a safe space for our BIPOC siblings. Email us to be a part of our decolonization group. 

And for the love of God, fill out your census! This simple act provides equitable resources for all of us, especially our BIPOC siblings. It means that we'll continue to have progressive voices in our government to advocate on behalf of those who are hurting. That matters more than ever.

Our church community will continue to proclaim that #BlackLivesMatter. Not just when a black person is senselessly murdered, but until absolutely everyone acknowledges that each of us are perfectly created in the image of God.

Forefront Church is an interdenominational and progressive Christian church dedicated to cultivating a just and generous expression of the Christian faith.

Please consider joining us or perhaps supporting our social justice efforts and community outreach as we work to usher in the next 500 years of Christianity.

Jonathan Williams, Lead Pastor, Forefront Church