“The truth is that each ethnicity reflects a unique aspect of God’s image. No one tribe or group of people can adequately display the fullness of God. The truth is that it takes every tribe, tongue, and nation to reflect the image of God in his fullness.”

This book was on my ‘want to read’ list for quite some time. As the granddaughter of a Cuban immigrant while also benefiting from the white privilege that comes from my Irish heritage, I have made it a goal of mine to learn more about racial reconciliation. What does it look like for whites and non-whites to sit down together and reconcile past and present hurts and prejudices?

I am SOLD on Be the Bridge. Be the Bridge was started by Latasha to teach people of all colors what it looks like to gain awareness of the truth behind racial injustice, lament, confess and forgive, and ultimately move to a place of restoration and reconciliation. This is all done while sitting around a table of those who are both alike and different from ourselves. This book is such a beautiful representation of what that looks like. I was drawn by the personal stories of members of Be the Bridge and also the stories of injustice throughout time - both those that have been reconciled and also the examples where we can do better.


It doesn’t matter if you work in church ministry, if you’re a teacher, if you live in a diverse or not-so-diverse neighborhood... if you are a human being designed by our Lord, this means something to everyone. This is important - crucial - for everyone to be a part of.

I highly recommend grabbing yourself a copy of this book while also looking into Be the Bridge groups near you. And if there isn’t one, maybe you can be the one that starts building that bridge.

Thank you for your honesty and vulnerability, Latasha.

Latasha Morrison is a force to be reckoned with, and the modern faith community would do well to read this well thought out and powerful book. I am proud to recommend this.

If you want to be a part of healing the racial divide and moving toward reconciliation, this book is a fabulous resource.

If you are white, be prepared. You will be convicted. No matter how far along the road you are in terms of self awareness and understanding systemic racism, there are some pages that will sting. Rather than becoming defensive, I recommend putting the book down in those places and taking time with God to let him minster to your heart and review truth to you. The experience’s of others are true even if they don’t reaffirm your own do experiences.

This work is painful and stretching, but it is worth it.

I don’t know if there is a better reconciliation teacher out there then Latisha Morrison, but if you are expecting a gentle, sugar sweet teacher you will be caught of guard. She is open, vulnerable, honest and direct. This is the tea her who prepares you for the world, of one who cares if your classroom is fun and comfortable.

I cannot Recommend this book higher,

I received a copy of the book from the publisher Via NetGalley for the purpose of reviewing it. The opinions I have expressed are my own honest review.

“You don’t have to do it all, of course. But you can identify racial wrongs in the world around you and take one step toward making them right. That’s the work of reparation. That’s the work of the gospel.”

I have been slowly working my way through this book with my mentor (who in full discretion is also a white woman). It has led to many lengthy discussions in a number of restaurants as we have really pondered the questions in this book and considered experiences and feelings that are not our own. The biggest thing I have learned from this book is that I cannot fix the whole broken system, but I can ask Jesus to help fix me, and I can be a voice of truth when I experience brokenness around me.

Be the Bridge is a tough book to read as the author pours her heart out - I have and will continue to recommend this to anyone who wants to read about racial reconciliation. It is a great debut and I can't wait to see what God will do through this work.

I heard about Latasha from Jennie Allen's podcast, and I was delighted to get the chance to read and review this book. Latasha has some excellent points, with lots of encouragement and Truth throughout. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to review this book!

In her debut book, LaTasha Morrison seamlessly weaves together history, her personal story, and Scripture. It's honest, to the point, and one of the few titles of which I can truly say "everyone needs to read this."

Read this book and be encouraged. Read this book and be challenged. Read this book and be the bridge. Five stars.

There were a few times in this book that it felt like the tie in with the Bible verses was almost an after thought, like "oh this is a Christian book, better put in some Biblical verses for racial reconciliation" and that bothered me a bit. Overall, I do think it is a great book and an important book.

We truly need more books about race relations in the church, and this book is such an amazing start. I'm glad there are people that are willing to admit there is such a thing as white privilege and are actively looking at ways to even the bar. This was such an amazing book, and I enjoyed every bit of reading it.

“The truth is that each ethnicity reflects a unique aspect of God’s image. No one tribe or group of people can adequately display the fullness of God.“ - From Be The Bridge by Latasha Morrison

Latasha Morrison, in her book Be The Book, shares her journey with racism highlighting key steps she’s taken to find forgiveness and reconciliation. She reflects back on the trauma, discusses the present struggles and then tackles how we can work together going forward, in unity, all from Biblical perspective.

“In fact, Paul emphasized that unity can be found in diversity. We all have been given different gifts; we all are different parts of the same body. In the love of the family of God, we must become color brave, color caring, color honoring, and not color blind. We have to recognize the image of God in one another. We have to love despite, and even because of, our differences.” - From Be The Bridge by Latasha Morrison

The book is broken into three parts and ten chapters. Part one, The Bridge to Lament, tackles the history of racism particularly focusing on America. Through the stories of those who lived through the slave trade, Latasha corrects perspectives on what happened, invites the reader to empathize with the suffering and then calls on us all to lament. To mourn, as fellow humans, the pain we inflicted on one another, asking God for His forgiveness. The stories are heartbreaking and hard to read, that such atrocities were a part of life is chilling. Latasha doesn’t try and beat the reader with it but carefully illustrate a point. Using the Biblical stories to show how to lament on behalf of a community, of a people, she offers a way to grieve the past to bring healing whilst admitting the truth of what happened.

“Bridge builders don’t deny hurt. They experience it. Sit in it. Feel it. But they don’t stay in that pain. They don’t allow those who’ve wounded them to control them or constantly drive them back to anger and resentment. Instead, they allow that pain to continually push them into forgiveness.” - From Be The Bridge by Latasha Morrison

Part two, The Bridge to Confession and Forgiveness, discusses what roadblocks stop reconciliation, namely shame and guilt. The healing process is complex enough when it’s in the present day but working through pain inflicted over centuries, indoctrinated into culture and used by those involved to continue the division of people feels overwhelming and bewildering. By giving voice to the struggles of all the sides of the problem, Latasha shines light, hope and understanding. Drawing on her own experiences, the discussions held in her Be The Bridge sessions, and the Bible, she walks the reader through how to work through these emotions to allow healing to begin. She continues onto forgiveness, how to receive it and give it.

Part three, The Bridge to Restorative Restoration, encourages the reader to action, to repentance, making amends and reconciliation. The suggestions made are practical, small and not intimidating. Latasha shares the positive changes she’s seeing and instills hope in what can be acheived.

“But you can identify racial wrongs in the world around you and take one step toward making them right.” - From Be The Bridge by Latasha Morrison

It is not an easy read, but in picking up Be The Bridge, I didn’t expect it would be. Racism is so harmful, so dark, so divisive, my temptation is to hide from it and focus on the good in the world. Latasha’s book reminded me why that isn’t how we bring the light into the world, it isn’t how we make things better.

“If this book serves to highlight just one truth, I hope it’s that real beauty can come from the ashes of our country’s history with racism.” - From Be The Bridge by Latasha Morrison

Working through conflict, pursuing healing and truth, giving space to the stories of hurt and empathetically dealing with one another is part of the Christian life and Be The Bridge helped equip me to do this better, Jesus is referenced frequently to highlight how to live this out. I highly recommend it and it’s a five out of five on the en-JOY-ment scale.

“Jesus can make beauty from ashes, but the family of God must first see and acknowledge the ashes.”(from uncorrected proof)

This book is another vital addition to the canon of Christian literature encouraging and admonishing the church to follow Christ into racial reconciliation and restorative relationships. Highly recommend.

Be the Bridge
Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation

by Latasha Morrison

WaterBrook & Multnomah

WaterBrook

Christian , Multicultural Interest

Pub Date 15 Oct 2019

I am reviewing a copy of Be the Bridge through WaterBrook & Multnomah and Netgalley:

Latasha Morrison points out in Be the Bridge that when racial tensions are so high both outside the church and within it, it is important that we as Christians become the leaders in Reconciliation.

Be the Bridge is a power packed guide that helps readers deepen their understanding of historical factors and present realities, that help to equip them to participate in the ongoing dialogue and to serve as catalysts for righteousness, justice, healing, transformation, and reconciliation.

I give Be the Bridge five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

“Be the Bridge” by Latasha Morrison is a combination history and self-help book.

“Be the Bridge” is also the name of her organization, and the key to her vision of how to improve relationships between Blacks and Whites and other nationalities.

The history she outlines in the book is Black history in the U.S. She points out the issues with White culture and attitudes toward Blacks.

The self-help part of the book is learning about each other so we can have better relationships.

The author suggests education through books or movies to better understand Black history in the U.S. Then the next step is small discussion groups to share experiences and feelings to improve our attitudes about each other, so we can be friends. She points out that churches or schools would be a good place to start these groups.

Latasha is very honest about what she sees as problems, and how to change that dynamic. It was enlightening to read her point of view. I appreciated learning about the attitudes she sees as a Black woman. I liked reading about her personal thoughts and attitudes to compare it to my perceptions.

Although the discussion groups sound interesting, she did not give much information to actually start a group. If you are interested in joining a group —

–>check out the information at her Be the Bridge website.

The author does include Scripture references and prayers that can help us improve relationships between Blacks and Whites, and give us the right attitude toward each other.

This book is not radical. It is very middle-class normal. The book can be useful for any age 16 and up, men or women, church goers or not, and any political affiliation.

–->Go to your favorite bookstore to get a copy!

"Be The Bridge Pursing God's Heart for Racial Reconciliation" by Latasha Morrison is an important book for our world. We live in a world within and outside the church with racial divisions. I commend Latasha for starting the nonprofit organization that addresses the racial divisions in our church and world. Latasha speaks all over the US to address the need for reconciliation. Be The Bridge involves small groups that address racial reconciliation by using this book and developing discussions within the group. It is important that we move from racial divisions to racial reconciliation. Will you be the bridge to our world? This book was given to me by the publisher and netgalley to read and review. I am thankful for the opportunity to read and review this book. I am sending my review to Amazon, Goodreads, facebook, my blog, CBD.com . I hope the book is successful.

A very practical and helpful guide for people interested in becoming more involved in racial reconciliation. Each chapter focuses on a specific aspect of becoming a bridge builder, sharing Latasha's personal experiences as well as the history of discrimination and abuse in the U.S. The end of each chapter had questions to make the material more personal and spur the reader to action as well as a prayer relevant to the chapter's content.

I have never in my life understood the racial divide in our country. I was always asking questions about why there was clearly a spot of town where black people lived. It was on the other side of the tracks, down where the river floods. The houses were different from the houses on our side of the tracks. I would hear people say words and be worried about how it might look to mix races in any way. There has always been a part of me that wanted to fix this. That is why I was drawn to read this book. I want everyone to feel fully human.

I will admit, some of this was hard to read. I cannot wrap my head around torture and murder. I most definitely cannot understand it when it is done with the blessing of the church. It has made me sick to read these stories recounted. It goes beyond ignorance. How on earth is there so much willful hate inside of us and how do we get it out of the collective us.

Repentance.

Latasha has done an amazing job breaking down and explaining things that we might not understand. She lays it on the line. Family does not leave family in bondage. If there are things that cause divide in the body of Christ, we in the body should labor to fix them. We do not have to personally have done them to repent and pray for healing. We can get to know one person. We can ask questions and we can be the bridge to healing. Going through this book with a few people would be an excellent way to begin learning. There were several things that I was not aware of that people find hurtful or offensive. There are ways that we can advocate for others. There are prayers we can pray and actions we can take. This is a great place to begin being educated and take the first step toward healing the great racial divide in our nation and world.

Be the Bridge is an absolutely necessary book for the Christian church at this point in its history. Unless congregations come together to address the issue of systemic racism, nothing will change. And this work is both gentle and pointed in how it calls the church to a higher place, not shying away from difficult things but presenting both problems and solutions in accessible ways for those willing to listen. Highly recommended.

Latasha Morrison is a gift to our world. I was first introduced to her through If:Gathering and I eagerly awaited this book once I knew she was putting her ideas into writing. Be the Bridge is a helpful resource to navigate racial reconciliation in our churches and in our neighborhoods. Grateful for her voice!

This book brings you to worship God, the great reconciler. It is beautifully structured in ten chapters each ending in a prayer relevant to the chapter and these ten chapters are divided into three parts, which end a liturgy. The prayers and liturgies are express truths that lead to an emotional response and a call to action.

Eight stages, (please forgive me if I forgot, conflated, or added one), are presented:

1) acknowledging racial injustice
2) lamenting racial injustice
3) freeing ourselves from the shame and guilt associated with it
4) confessing your own part in the injustices
5) extending forgiveness
6) repenting
7) making the wrongs right, and
8) seeking restorative reconciliation.

I have read many books on racial injustice, all being very informative, but lacking in how Christians should be go about being active "bridge builders". This book informs as well as laying the foundations for action, having gone to Seminary myself, I found it theologically sound in presentation.

The narratives spread throughout are illuminating, and Latasha Morrison writes with, humility, confession, and in a way that emerses you into the act of bridge building. She acknowledges that in community her efforts where enhanced as where the efforts of others. To often in the United States we are driven by rugged individualism at the expense of community, this book brings us back to a communal resonse to individual and systemic sin.

I loved reading this book and highly recommend it be read and acted upon, as faith without works is dead. My thanks to Latesha and to all who have supported and worked with her as you are demonstrating the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. When it is officially published I will be purchasing several copies to distribute to friends and family.

A very timely book that will appeal to Christian churchgoers concerned with Sunday-morning segregation and the worsening racial discourse in America. It contains beautiful, powerful liturgies and prayers designed to elicit a strong call to action. Highly recommended reading for American Christians, especially those who find themselves surrounded by people the same color as them on Sunday mornings.