Micah 6:8

NASB	NLT	VOICE
8 He has told you, mortal one, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?	8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.	8 No. He has told you, mortals, what is good in His sight. What else does the Eternal ask of you. But to live justly and to love kindness and to walk with your True God in all humility?

The “good” that is being talked about here refers to the moral and standards that align with who God is. In the context of Micah, the prophet is addressing the Israelites, who were familiar with the Law given through Moses. The good is required of us, and is very straightforward. This would have been a struggle for the Israelites because they were accustomed to the complex sacrificial system. Micah gave the Israelites, and is giving us, three requirements of God: act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly. Acting justly involves fairness, honesty, and integrity when interacting with each other. Loving mercy goes beyond mere acts of kindness; it involves a heartfelt commitment to show compassion. Walking humbly denotes a lifestyle of humility and submission to God’s will. 

Acting justly encourages transparency between people. When I led youth ministry, this was something I drove home into our volunteers and into our youth. Today, people don’t want some fake story or some roundabout lesson – just honestly. Not brutal honesty – although that is sometimes necessary. It’s honesty with love. It’s being able to tell someone, “I’m concerned about… or I support you in…” It’s being able to have a trustworthy relationship to convey these things without judgment. Today, people struggle to share compassion. Compassion has almost turned into a weakness in society. It’s not saying that nobody does it, because there are still a lot of people that treat people with compassion, but it’s not as present as we want it to be. The more we prioritize compassion towards each other, the more love and kindness can spread to all parts of the world. It doesn’t mean that there won’t be disagreements, but it does mean we can separate ourselves from the conversation, agree to disagree, but still treat each other in the way God created us. Removing ourselves out of the way and allowing God to take over is how that humility comes in. For us, we’re problem solvers and toxic positive people. We don’t want anyone to ever feel any other than happiness at all times and we will go out of our ways to make it happen, to the point where it can cause more harm than good. We force people to do or say something that doesn’t actually help. We ignore the problem and try and treat the effect. When we put God in the middle, we stop solving and just listen. We become a vessel for what God is needing us to do for them. It may be helping to solve a problem or cheering them up, but it may just be listening. The more we can pause and listen, the more we can make God’s will become a reality. 

The effect of racism is widely felt today. Many non-white ethnicities in the US are struggling as a result of racism, to the point where it affects their well-being and furthering opportunities for an equal right to life. Listen to these points: 

• Black Americans are three times more likely to be killed by police than white Americans, with police violence being one of the top causes of death for young Black men. 
• Workplace discrimination persists with nearly 59% of Black Americans reporting unfair treatment at work; similar trends affect Hispanic and Asian populations. 
• Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders report experiencing discrimination or unfair treatment when accessing medical services. 
• Racially exclusionary zoning, redlining, and reduced access to affordable housing disproportionately impact Black, Hispanic, and Native American families. 
• Voter suppression, gerrymandering (actively happening) and undercounting in census efforts reduce representation for Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic communities. 

Now there are a lot more points I could list, but this is a great starting point. When we – or at least I – thought of racism when I was younger, I thought it was mainly against the Black community. That’s what we hear on the news, right? As I grew up, I learned about the racism happening towards the Latine community. When COVID came around, we learned about the racism happening towards the Asian American community. The Native American community has felt it starting all the way back when Christopher Columbus came to their lands. Racism has existed for centuries, if not millenia. So, what do we do about it? 

For me, we need to start by defining it. There are some people who will say racist things or phrases or do racist acts without realizing it. We must have an idea of what it is first and foremost. According to Cornell, Merriam-Webster, and Wikipedia (we listen, and we don’t judge), racism is defined as: the belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority or inferiority of a particular group, reflected in attitudes, actions, or systemic inequalities. Racism is understanding that our human traits and abilities come from our race, and that some races are better or worse than others shown through our attitudes, actions, and society. From a Christian perspective, God created us all equally. We are all a reflection of who God truly is. There is not one of us that is superior over the other. We are all equal in God’s eyes, and it’s time for us to show compassion to each other about it. How can we do that? 

We can engage in honest dialogue and listening. We can create space for open and respectful conversations about race, and genuinely listen to the experiences and perspectives of people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds as a way to build understanding and empathy. We can acknowledge and learn from history. We can educate ourselves about the history of racial injustice and its current impact, including recognizing local and national histories of racism to build greater sensitivity and responsibility. We can diversity relationships and communities through intentionally broadening our social circles to include people from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds to build authentic connections and shared experiences. We can speak out against racism through challenging racist comments, behaviors, and policies when encountered in everyday life, becoming an ally and helping to create a culture of accountability. We can support racial justice initiatives by actively participating in or supporting organizations, events, and programs aiming to address and repair racial injustices. This is just the tip of the iceberg. These are acts of racial reconciliation that you can do each and every day. Be in prayer every day about the racial tensions and injustices that are happening in your life, in your community, and in the world and see where God will guide you to help overcome them. 

I encourage you to check out the Presbyterian Church (USA) Anti-Racism Ministry Cohort. THey focus on discovering and addressing systemic and individual racism through education, repentance, and specific outreach programs like the “Freedom Rising” initiative to support African American males in several US cities. I challenge you to learn about them, support them, and take one action to be the hands and feet of God in this battle. You can learn more about them here: https://www.presbyofcharlotte.org/ministry-teams/anti-racism/

Check out the next part: Serving Up Justice #3

Links

• https://tminstituteldf.org/what-project-2025-means-for-black-communities/
• https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-resolution/67/text
• https://naacp.org/resources/addressing-disastrous-impacts-project-2025-black-community
• https://news.gallup.com/poll/693893/steady-say-racism-against-black-people-widespread.aspx
• https://naacp.org/issues/race-justice
• https://tminstituteldf.org/equality-under-fire-threats-to-civil-rights-protections-and-equal-opportunity/
• https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/119/text
• https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/health-policy-101-race-inequality-and-health/?entry=table-of-contents-what-factors-drive-racial-and-ethnic-health-disparities
• https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2025/01/07/majorities-across-race-and-ethnicity-support-policies-to-allow-more-housing
• https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01394
• https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2025/05/20/views-of-how-much-discrimination-racial-and-ethnic-groups-in-the-u-s-face/
• https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2025/05/20/how-much-discrimination-do-americans-say-groups-face-in-the-u-s/
• https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/united-states
• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/31/new-poll-finds-americans-perceive-less-racial-discrimination-in-us
• https://www.epi.org/blog/reparations-in-2025/
• https://www.americanprogress.org/article/project-2025s-distortion-of-civil-rights-law-threatens-americans-with-legalized-discrimination/
• https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/americans-views-on-racial-discrimination-have-shifted-substantially-in-4-years-poll-shows
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2215036623003619
• https://amnestyusa.mystagingwebsite.com/issues/racial-justice/
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024048540
• https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/racism
• https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racism
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism
• https://www.publicdeliberation.net/truth-and-reconciliation-through-dialogue-and-deliberation-reflections-from-a-racially-divided-america/
• https://menshealthfoundation.ca/events/truth-and-reconciliation-day/
• https://mem.intervarsity.org/resources/4-steps-white-people-can-take-towards-racial-reconciliation
• https://www.racialequitytools.org/resources/act/strategies/racial-reconciliation
• https://www.yourchurch.com/how-to-reinforce-racial-reconciliation-as-a-family/
• https://everydaypeacebuilding.com/truth-and-reconciliation/
• https://redletterchallenge.com/6-biblical-steps-in-order-to-pursue-racial-reconciliation/
• https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/help-others-grow/digitalministry/engaging-in-racial-reconciliation-leaders-guide.html