God’s vision for the world is too wide to have one way of worship or understanding be the only way, said Tyler Burns. There must be space and respect for the black Christian perspective.
Burns, executive pastor of New Dimensions Christian Center in Pensacola, Florida, and vice president of The Witness, spent two days last week at Lee University meeting students and participating in worship services.
His visit included an hourlong lecture in front of dozens of students on “The Fierce Urgency of Black Christianity.” Throughout the talk, which alternated strands of theology with history and current events, Burns emphasized how the black Christian experience allows believers to fully live out the greatest commandment in Christianity, loving God with body, soul and mind.
“I believe the black Christian perspective has a unique way of interpreting this greatest commandment,” Burns said.
The styles of worship often found in black churches – call and response, dancing and the “whoop” to finish a sermon – allow believers to embody the word of God, Burns said. However, white Christians often view these styles as inferior simply because they are different, just as black Christians are often criticized by whites for not being true believers when their faith motivates them to take social action, he said.