THE RECAP
On Saturday, Oct 20th, a movement began at Crichton College as cultures collided through the power of music!

Crichton College and ReachLife Ministries partnered to challenge and ignite Christians to break down cultural barriers within the church and begin to see the world through the Lens of Christ, not black or white, but rather “Red” for the blood of Christ.

Adam Thomason, the visionary behind the movement, welcomed the crowd and explained the reasoning behind the night’s event which he said had “little to do with a great concert and more to do with viewing people the way that Jesus views them.”  He explained that ultimately we were there to worship Christ.”  And with that the night was kicked off with the an acapella hymn that exclaimed “I Love You Lord,” immediately followed by the crowd igniting drum cadence from the students of the Stax Drum-line.

The crowd was a mix of races, genders and generations of people from Memphis and as far as Texas, North Carolina and Georgia, but each found themselves on their feet to celebrate a magical night. The concert interwove rap, rock, powerful testimonies of multiracial and multi generational Memphis leaders sharing their experiences of racial tensions and victories in Memphis TN.

Many wonderful things happened at the Red Revolution, but the climax came when the rappers and rockers took the stage together to combine rock and rap to perform six powerful songs from Reach records’ “Amped” album.  This portrayal of the ‘amplification’ of Christ through different cultures uniting for a common purpose proved that not only is the music better when the two combine, but its the way the people of God should live. The night ended with concertgoers flooding to the walls of the auditorium where a graffiti wall had been set up.  People of every background, age and race colored the walls with testimonies of what it means to live “Red” and of their initiatives to make the night more than a concert but a movement.

Sunday wrapped up the weekend with a panel discussion of the artists sharing such issues of community, fellowship, the hardship of embracing differences, and the fight for unity within the body of Christ.

Here are 5 things we hope those in attendance walked away from this event with:

1. Seeing through the lens of Christ is not optional.

“So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
-Rom. 6:11

If only we would see ourselves as God sees us. He sees us in Christ. When we became Christians, we died to sin. We died to the “old lens” we used to live through. We became alive in Christ. We now are to see through a “new lens”. That new lens is through the eyes of Christ in all things-including race. Not seeing through this lens is not seeing at all. The world does not have the clear vision it needs to see how beautiful diversity is. We have no excuse.

2. A true Revolution must start with mind renewal.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
-Rom. 12:2

Sometimes we act before we think. This usually gets us in trouble. But if we can think before we act, we will be more equipped for the battle. Revolution involves battle. The battle is between the old and new way of thinking about race. How are we to change our thinking from the old to the new? It’s only by the Word of God. The world has fed our old way of thinking. The Word of God feeds our new way of thinking which allows us to be equipped in the fight.

3. Our true identity is found in Christ, not in our race.

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him…”
-Phil 3:7-9

Anything in this world can become an idol. Including our race. When we put the gift that God has given us before the giver of the gift (God), we become idolaters. When will we be able to say with Paul, “whatever gain I had, I counted as loss…”? We are to count everything as loss in comparison to knowing Christ. What hinders our knowledge of Christ? Sin. What the most discussed sin in the bible? Idolatry. Kill the sin of racial idolatry in your heart so you may gain Christ.

4. If you want to love your brother, fall more in love with Christ.

“Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven – for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
-Luke 7:47

Luke tells the story of Jesus and the woman who wiped His feet with her tears. The Pharisees couldn’t understand why Jesus would associate with such a sinner. He then tells them a parable, which explains why the one who has the greatest debt, loves the forgiver of that debt most. We all at one time had the greatest debt before God. It was our sin. We have been forgiven of that debt by it being paid for by Jesus. We are to love Him most. That love should overflow to our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we want to love our brothers and sisters more, look at the sin in your life, then look at your Savior. Fall more in love with the Savior than your sin, and you will not be able to withhold love from any person of a different color.

5. The only solution is the blood of Christ as He is revealed in the gospel.

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from on degree of glory to another.”
-2Cor. 3:18

As Christians, our veil has been removed. Although we have been freed from the penalty of our sin, the presence of it still remains. That’s why we need the gospel every day of our lives. No matter how much we try to kill the sin in our hearts, we need the blood of Christ. I must embrace Him and the gospel everyday until I die. As I “behold the glory of the Lord”, I am being transformed (sanctified), and becoming more like Him.

Let us all behold the glory of Christ in the gospel. Lord, forgive us of the idolatry of our hearts.

Lord, thank you for the blood of Christ.