I'm not suspicious about claims of racism. I believe it is real. I believe it exists in individuals, in structures, in juries, in employment, in churches, and all over.

I'm pretty suspicious, though, about most of the proposed solutions. Except for the gospel.

I don't mind when people propose sociological solutions, economic solutions, etc. I'm suspicious, not angry. Bravo to people who try to make the world (or even just our corner of it) a better place.

But it's one of the truly sad realities in life: People determined to make the world worse have a much better batting average than do people determined to make it better. The missions book "When Helping Hurts" helps us to understand that.

So, count me out on defunding the police, redistributing vast sums of wealth, and some of the other proposed solutions. Those things have already been tried. It's not just that they didn't make things better; they made things worse. Others can chase utopia if they like.

All the bad evidence to the contrary notwithstanding, I'm much more optimistic about what can be accomplished in churches. It is the nature of the gospel and of the indwelling Holy Spirit to tear down barriers. I think we're no more than a generation away from seeing it.