Sharing Our Stories: Be the Bridge (book review)

Roseanna M. White's Review of Latasha Morrison's book, 

Be the Bridge: Pursuing God's Heart for Racial Reconciliation

There is a racial divide in this nation—that’s beyond dispute. There are sides that fail to see each other’s point of view. Frankly, there are even those who don’t realize there is another point of view. But if we’re going to learn one thing from the past, it should perhaps be this: the Church cannot achieve unity, understanding, and Jesus Christ’s vision for us if we fail to love one another and grant each other the right to perceive, understand, and experience life in the way He made each of us to do. So then the question is clear. How do we come together?

In Be the Bridge, Latasha Morrison examines this question with love, grace, and a clear desire to help each of us not just reach out across the divide, but to be a bridge that lets others walk toward understanding. Throughout the book, she sheds light on some history that is never spoken of in White circles, but which we need to know about. She takes readers, no matter their ethnicity, through the invention of race and how our society has been stacked to give advantage to the majority White culture. She helps us to understand not only how our nation has arrived at this place, but how we—whether we’re White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, or any other background—have either knowingly or unwittingly participated in this system.

But she doesn’t stop with education. Morrison then takes that crucial next step and walks us through what to do about it—not on national, government levels, but individually. She explains what we as individuals can do to acknowledge the past, heal the present, and change the future.

I think the thing that most impressed me about this book wasn’t just the loving approach, the patient explanations, or the fair-minded advice; it’s the fact that she’s put wheels on her words. There are Be the Bridge groups in every state, not started by the author, but simply organized by like-minded people like you and me. People who don’t pretend to have all the answers but who just want to listen. Who want to learn what life is like for others. Who want to love their neighbors, even when that means going out of our way—because shouldn’t it always mean that?

Be the Bridge is already a bestseller, so many of you have probably already heard about it and read it yourself. It’s my prayer that many more do the same, and that it leads to more conversations, more open eyes, and more open hearts. It’s my prayer that more Be the Bridge groups spring up around this country, and that the Church can lead the way toward racial reconciliation by our sheer, overpowering love for each other and those around us.

Let’s not be content to stand on one side of the divide and look across to those on the other side. 

Let’s be the bridge to true unity.

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Author Bio:

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. 

When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing for WhiteFire Publishing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself.

Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books … to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.

You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

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Blurb for Latasha Morrison's book 

Be the Bridge: Pursuing God's Heart for Racial Reconciliation

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • ECPA BESTSELLER • “When it comes to the intersection of race, privilege, justice, and the church, Tasha is without question my best teacher. Be the Bridge is THE tool I wish to put in every set of hands.”

—Jen Hatmaker 

Winner of the Christianity Today Book Award • A leading advocate for racial reconciliation calls Christians to move toward deeper understanding in the midst of a divisive culture.

In an era where we seem to be increasingly divided along racial lines, many are hesitant to step into the gap, fearful of saying or doing the wrong thing. At times the silence, particularly within the church, seems deafening.

But change begins with an honest conversation among a group of Christians willing to give a voice to unspoken hurts, hidden fears, and mounting tensions. These ongoing dialogues have formed the foundation of a global movement called Be the Bridge—a nonprofit organization whose goal is to equip the church to have a distinctive and transformative response to racism and racial division.

In this perspective-shifting book, founder Latasha Morrison shows how you can participate in this incredible work and replicate it in your own community. With conviction and grace, she examines the historical complexities of racism. She expertly applies biblical principles, such as lamentation, confession, and forgiveness, to lay the framework for restoration.

Along with prayers, discussion questions, and other resources to enhance group engagement, Be the Bridge presents a compelling vision of what it means for every follower of Jesus to become a bridge builder—committed to pursuing justice and racial unity in light of the gospel.

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Author Bio: 

LATASHA MORRISON is a bridge-builder, reconciler, and a compelling voice in the fight for racial justice. In 2016, she founded Be the Bridge, a non-profit organization equipping more than 1,000 sub-groups across five countries to serve as ambassadors of racial reconciliation. 

Numerous organizations have recognized her as a leading social justice advocate, including Facebook's Community Leadership Program, Forbes, and EBONY magazine. A native of North Carolina, Tasha earned degrees in human development and business leadership. She resides in Atlanta, Georgia.