“The changes in our life must come from the impossibility to live otherwise than according to the demands of our conscience not from our mental resolution to try a new form of life.” ~ Leo Tolstoy

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.  Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus had made me his own.  Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 3.12-14, NRSV

I confess that the race-less life is the only one that I can live.  It is the only life that makes sense to me; the only road worth traveling as I know where the paths of cultural pride, xenophobia, hatred, prejudice and segregation lead.  I live each day in the hope that I experience a deeper awareness of unconditional love for my God, my neighbor and myself, that I am bound tighter to my conviction to see persons without stereotypes and be drawn closer to the reality of peace with all of humankind.  Thus, I resolve that with every new year of my life, I will:

1.  Regularly examine myself and the motives of my heart as it relates to the fellowships and friendships that I choose;

2.  Expand the reach of my love, its depth and commitment to others, myself and God;

3.  Work to make the race-less life a continuous reality in my life and in the lives of others;

4.  Fully develop a theology of race-lessness, a race-less gospel and a pre- racial theology;

5.  Serve the Lord with my mind, recommitting my thoughts daily to the ministry and message of Jesus Christ, proclaiming his faith without race;

6. Die daily to race (I Corinthians 15.31);

7.  Live more deeply into the truth of a race-less holy community: God, Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit;

8.  Forgive and be ready to reconcile with myself and my neighbor;

9.  Accept responsibility for my words and actions, their contribution to my ignorance and hatred of others; and,

10.  Boldly declare God’s judgment against race and its progeny, God’s desire that we live peaceably with each other (Romans 12.18) and the freeing power of a race-less life lived in Jesus Christ.