Incidents of racial violence have been in the news lately: Ahmaud Arbery’s killing and the fatal shooting of Breona Taylor are both receiving national attention. In my city, tensions are high after the shooting of Dreasjon Reed which happened as he was using Facebook Live.

How can parents discuss these incidents with their children? At what age is it appropriate to talk about violence of this nature—and how? Even aside from the violence and death involved in these specific incidents, the topics of race and racism can be difficult for parents to navigate. For some parents, this involves talking candidly and directly about deeply painful realities from history as well as present realities of prejudice and injustice. Other parents feel uncomfortable and may not know what to say—or may be worried about saying the wrong thing—so they avoid the topic all together.

In this week’s featured article, Michelle Reyes argues that discussing race and ethnicity with our children is not only the right thing to do, it’s also the biblical thing to do. In this piece, Reyes explains why avoiding discussions of race or trying to teach children not to “see” racial or ethnic differences can actually be damaging to a child’s understanding of how to love their friends and neighbors well. It can distort the lens through which they view both history and current events. And, perhaps most importantly, it can skew how they understand and participate in God’s global and multiethnic kingdom.

In “How to Talk About Race with Your Kids,” Reyes provides practical and age-appropriate insights for how to broach this topic with your children and how to keep the conversation open for the long-run. May we have courage and wisdom as we talk with our children about difficult matters (like injustice and racism) and may we have joy and faith as we celebrate together the beautiful cultures, ethnic groups, and people whom God created and deeply loves.