Be the Bridge

I like to read, a lot. And sometimes I come across a book that should be on pretty much everyone’s “must read” list. Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation by Latasha Morrison (Waterbrook, 2019) is one of those books.  If you haven’t done so yet, preorder it so that it will be in your mailbox when it releases this fall (expected to release on Oct 15).

                This book is the very personal journey, the very personal story of the author. Ms Morrison grew up hearing a version of history that didn’t seem fair, but it was history. And then came the day when, in a college class, she heard the unredacted version of what had really happened to her ancestors, and thousands of others who were bought and sold as slaves. The story of how people had looked down on them and tried to strip their humanity from them. But beyond that, she heard the story of proud civilizations, of kings and queens, and prospering cultures and communities. And the discomfort that she felt that day propelled her into a place where she could share the truth of what happened, and then put it into perspective: what does God think, and how can we get back to what it was supposed to be like.

                This book is the story of how the organization Be the Bridge came to be, of how a small group who met to discuss reconciliation has branched out and is now over 1000 groups across 5 countries. Groups of people who serve as ambassadors for racial reconciliation.

                Morrison writes from the heart about the lessons she has learned, and how they have impacted her. She shares episodes from her life, and she leads the reader into a new understanding of the story of slavery in this country, and hopefully how the age-old custom of “the victor writes the history books” is not, nor has it ever been, fair to subsequent generations.

                At level it seems that Morrison understands that the past is the past and can’t be changed. But she also knows that there is work to be done today so that the injustices of the past don’t have to be carried any further into the future.  If I can put into practice even a small part of what I have learned from this book, I will be a better person, and the world will be a brighter place for all of humanity—people created in the image of God, and really what more can we ask for than to be listening to and obeying God as he tells us how to show that we love Him: by loving others.

                I received an uncorrected proof copy of this book as a member of the launch team.

                5/5