21-Day Challenge
Growing Our God-Sized Vision of Love:
A Conversation About Race
WPC seeks to live out a God-sized vision of love in all that we do. In June 2020, we began a 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge to grow our God-sized vision of love. For 21 days, the amount of time it takes to build a new habit, a group of WPC members and friends took one action each day to intentionally engage with issues of race, power, oppression, privilege and equity.
Our original 21-Day Challenge is now over, but it is never too late to learn more about race. Since the challenge is self-directed, you can begin anytime. The list of resources we compiled, from 21-Day Challenge creator Dr. Eddie Moore, from our denomination, from Scripture, and from participants, will remain below as a guide for anyone who would like to undertake the challenge or keep learning.
The gospel of Jesus Christ compels us to examine our lives and our society so that we can love God wholeheartedly and truly love our neighbors as ourselves. Let us join God in the work of creating a more just and equitable world, one day at a time.
View WPC’s introductory discussion video
Click here to download the 21-Day Challenge tracking tool.
Original 21-Day Challenge
The 21 Day Challenge was originally devised by Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr. in 2014, with the goal of helping people create “effective social justice habits.” Here are Dr. Moore’s suggestions for readings, podcasts, videos, observations, and ways to form and deepen community connections.
Suggestions are in the following categories:
Families with Young Children
Children, we can do the 21-Day Challenge too! There are lots of great resources made just for us! Start with the church on June 21st, and any child who completes this tracking form by July 15th will get a prize! (Just print the form, take a pic of your completed form, and send to Charlotte.)
*Click here for a list of resources Charlotte created called “A Place to Start”.
For additional resources for children about racial equity, click on any of the links below:
http://www.childrenscommunityschool.org/social-justice-resources/
https://jsparkman7.wixsite.com/21daychallenge
Presbyterian Resources
Scripture
21 Day Challenge Scripture Passages
Take a moment to reflect on one or more of the scripture passages. How are we called to live with one another? What is God’s vision for our life together?
Love One Another
Matthew 22:34-40
When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Micah 6:8
He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Romans 12:9-21
9Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. 11Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. 14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. 17Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Our Unity in Christ
Galatians 3:27-29
27As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.
Ephesians 2:13-22
13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. 15He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, 16and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. 17So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, 20built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.
God’s Vision for Peace
Isaiah 2:1-4
The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. 3Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
