Race is an issue in America, but the Church can help. Here's how

Economic justice is a major factor in racial justice.

Once again, racism is back in the headlines. Organizations like Black Lives Matter and the Alt-Right have Americans talking about racism in America. What many have learned is that racism is alive and well, but there is also a curious commonality between the various factions, and it's something the Church can help fix.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -- Racism hasn't been a front page topic for some time in America. Although racially motivated crimes and shootings by police where race have captured attention, the sheer magnitude of the racial divide in America has been lost. Many Americans, especially the young, have adopted the mistaken belief that America has moved on from centuries of racism. Now everyone knows we haven't.

Black Lives Matter opened the dialogue by staging large-scale public protests. Their contention was simple, blacks face extraordinary persecution and danger, and they would like people to stop being blase about it. Leaders of the black community have requested better training for police, more consideration by the public at large, and an acknowledgement that the black experience in America is uniquely challenging.

However, protests staged by Black Lives Matter and other allied organizations have not always been peaceful. They have blocked roads, sparked riots and vandalism. Upon investigation, most of these incidents have been started by militants, not organizers.

Some allies have taken a different approach, like Colin Kaepernick who quietly knelt during the national anthem. While some were offended by the gesture, others praised Kaepernick's peaceful approach and defended him under the First Amendment.

The response to this activism is the development of the Alt-Right. Also termed white nationalism, the Alt-Right is a loose affiliation that is largely conservative and contains racist elements. However, not all people who self-identify as Alt-Right are racists.

The Alt-Right has fielded Nazis and the Klu Klux Klan among others and these groups have captured the public spotlight. Worse, they have clashed with radial leftists particularly from Antifa, which is an anti-fascist, leftist organization that borders on communist.

The tragedy is that both sides have genuine problems and concerns, but they are taking the wrong approach to solve them. That's because propaganda and the media have convinced these people that this is a race issue when it is, at its heart, an economic issue.

It would be wrong to dismiss race as an issue, especially when it comes to blacks who face a verifiable, disproportionate challenge in American society. Blacks are more likely to come from broken homes, to fare poorly in schools, to become parents as teenagers, to be violently killed, incarcerated, and to earn less money and fewer promotions than their peers. This is an issue that is beyond question.

The Alt-Right, made mostly of Caucasians, is also fueled by disaffection and economic stagnation. The common solution therefore is common prosperity. Stable, well off, middle and upper-class people rarely protest anything or start violence.

Economic justice, in which all people have an equal and fair opportunity to find work and enjoy adequate wages regardless of all considerations outside of productivity, also helps the cause for racial justice.

But we cannot talk about economics when we are clashing. You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. This is where the Church is essential.

The Church is the moral voice of the world. When people like Pope Francis speak, the world listens. Christian leaders from all denominations wield influence, so now is the time to remind all people of the greatest commandment: "I give you a new commandment: love one another; you must love one another just as I have loved you." (John 13:34)

When we stop fighting over skin tone, shake hands, and realize our common problem is largely an economic one, we can work together for economic justice. And economic justice provides the wealth and the clout to achieve racial justice. Why else do affirmative action policies exist? Why do some talk of reparations for the descendants of slaves? Because we all know the economic problems faced by the black community are at the heart of many other problems.

But the white community also struggles with economic issues. Despite inherent privileges, many whites are poor and struggling too. This does not justify hate, but it does warrant action.

We cannot trust our politicians or our media to advocate for justice. Some leaders who emphasize race seem to have fixated on the wrong issue. Love, solidarity, and a common call for economic and racial justice are the way forward. And it is the Church that ought to carry the banner forward because that is its duty and its ability.

Let us love one another and march together under a Christian banner in the cause of justice for all.