Have you ever wondered if your words or actions are racist? Are you sure they aren’t? Is claiming “I’m not racist!” enough? Can a person protect and promote systemic racism without even realizing it? Is ignorance a good excuse?
Recently, one of my friends inquired as to why I am suddenly so passionate about racism in America—she didn’t say “suddenly,” but it does feel that way. I’ve gone my entire adult life assuming I was an ally, but I’m not sure that’s true. The more I learn, the more I wonder if I’ve actually enabled and supported systems designed to hold back and oppress people of color.
I officially stepped into the conversation about white privilege in 2016 when I joined the Be the Bridge to Racial Reconciliation Facebook group. When a white person joins the group, s/he agrees to remain silent and listen for three months. Not only are you prohibited from posting in the group, you’re also prohibited from commenting on other folks’ posts. Violation of this rule gets you banned from the group. It’s a good and important rule.
Silence Forced Me to Listen and Learn
The silent rule forced me into the role of student, not teacher. It required me to keep my mouth shut (and my fingers off the keyboard) when my first inclination was to chime in and offer advice/feedback/input while unwittingly minimizing other members’ experiences.
Waking up to white privilege and systemic racism has been hard, and I would not have made it this far without the encouragement of friends and mentors who encouraged me to listen to people who are different than I am.
By expanding the circle of authors I read, speakers I listen to, and people I follow on social media, I’ve become much more aware of the ways I subconsciously participate in an inherited, stratified system which over-values whiteness, oppresses the poor, and dehumanizes the different.
Modern-Day Racism
Debating the existence and effects of racism in America is uncomfortable for many white folks like me, and it’s tempting to turn a blind eye to the problem. To change the channel. To click over to another page. To look away before making eye contact. To walk on the other side of the street.
But, if you’re able to ignore (or deny) the problem of racism, then—whether you realize it or not—you are exercising white privilege. People of color don’t have that option. They can’t ignore it or deny its existence. It’s in their face every day. All day.
With white privilege comes much responsibility.
So, I’m determined to learn about my own hidden biases despite how opening my eyes and looking in the mirror makes me feel. I want to be a woman who elevates the voices and lives of those who have struggled to be seen and heard for far too long. I will be a catalyst for difficult conversations between white adults who need to join me on this journey of waking up. I want to be an ally. And being an ally requires diligence and re-education..
In this compelling and insightful book, Tatum documents the experiences of people of color in public schools and many other public spaces. “People of Color” or POC is the term used to refer to African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinx Americans, Native Americans, Pacific Island Americans, and others of non-European descent.
The author shares the story of a young black student who is the target of a racist comment by one of her teachers. When the student shares her experience—the comment and how it affected her—with her best friend who is white, she is further-traumatized when her friend dismisses the comment by saying something like “Oh, he didn’t mean it that way. He’s not a racist.” THAT’S why Be the Bridge has the “3-months of silence” rule for new white members. It’s like they knew that we needed to spend some time listening without the opportunity to minimize and further traumatize brothers and sisters of color. Smart.
Learning to keep my mouth shut is probably going to be a lifelong process for me. The first month of silence was hard: I had not yet realized I was the stereotypical white girl who wanted to fix all the things. The second month of silence was a bit easier. By third month, I understood how very little I had to contribute to the conversation and how my words could easily have the opposite effect of what I was hoping to say. And I don’t post very much in that group at all. They have opened my eyes to what life is often like for people of color in this country.
I’m appalled at the ignorance and racism so many exhibit on a regular basis. I’m determined NOT to be a part of it.
How I am waking up…
Over the next few months, I’m going to detail my ongoing journey to “wokeness” (I have NOT arrived), because it’s just way too much to include in one blog post. I invite you to join me in conversation as I share my own personal experiences with people of color—both traumatic childhood experiences that shaped my view and adult friends and mentors who have helped—and are still helping—me figure out how to be an ally, not an adversary.
I will share websites, podcasts, books (and audiobooks), social media feeds, and other resources that are helping me understand white privilege in America and how that lines up (or not) with the good news of Jesus Christ.
I am not an expert on racial reconciliation, and I have no solutions to offer. All I can do is invite you to join me on the journey. Your job, should you choose to accept it, is not to evaluate my journey but to humbly examine your own. The challenge is to take a long, hard look at your words, actions, and attitudes with an open mind, and if you see something that needs to be changed, you commit to changing it.
The goal: Be more like Jesus.
Are you in? Comment below if you’re up for the challenge.
As part of my ongoing effort to educate myself about the problem of systemic racism in the U.S., I followed a number of activists on Twitter who share my faith*.
North Carolina author, activist, minister, and nonprofit founder Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove is relatively new on my radar thanks to retweets from author, speaker, and activist Lisa Sharon Harper. Both of them, in conjunction with a handful of other theologians, have contributed to a book published by IVP entitled “Still Evangelical?: Insiders Reconsider Political, Social, and Theological Meaning.” When I saw this book cover flutter across my Twitter feed, I knew it was a book I’d want to read and review on my blog. [Review coming soon!]
When I reached out to the generous folks at IVP, they not only agreed to send a review copy of “Still Evangelical?” but offered to send a copy of Wilson-Hargrove’s new book Reconstructing the Gospel: Finding Freedom from Slaveholder Religion as well. Each of these books is helping me to better understand the problem of systemic racism and the moral responsibility I have as a follower of Jesus Christ advocate for essential change in our country.
Reconstructing the Gospel
I ended up reading Wilson-Hartgrove’s book first thanks to an online book club opportunity, and the book rocked my world. Reconstructing the Gospel is divided in two parts: Part One details the relatively brief history of what the author describes as “slaveholder religion”; Part Two reminds the reader what the Scripture says is good news and what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
“The gospel that was twisted to accommodate America’s original sin must also be reconstructed if we are to experience the healing that Jesus wants to bring. Otherwise, evangelism is violence and those of us who spend our time in church meetings are perpetuating a death-dealing culture without even realizing it” (p. 17).
It is the author’s conviction that we Americans inherited—and ignorantly perpetuated—a “divided gospel.” Wilson-Hartgrove is convinced that if you were to dig down to the root of our political divisions and class disparities, you would find a sick gospel that was twisted and manipulated to justify owning, using, and abusing fellow human beings created in the image of God.
Do not doubt his conviction. It is based on FACT.
When my family and I visited the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. last November, we saw first-hand a copy of a “Slave Bible.” I had never even heard of such a thing, but there it was right before my very eyes!
Around 3 minutes into this video (left) which I was live-streaming from the Museum of the Bible, you can see the display for yourself. I’m reading the description card.This was the first time I ever knew there was such a thing as an edited version of the Bible solely intended for slaves! ?
What made the slave Bible so different from that of the slave holder? Passages that talked about freedom for the captives had been cut out.
The book of Exodus? Not there.
Why?
The slave holders did not want slaves getting any ideas about freedom from the Bible.
I can’t even imagine how someone justified this bastardization of the Holy Word of God, but they did. This was a printed and bound copy. There are more. Somewhere.
Frederick Douglass Portrait
In time, many men and women who had been brought to this country against their will, sold as chattel, and treated like animals regained a sense of human dignity. They learned to read and write the American language. They learned about God. And eventually, they learned the stories that had been cut out of the slave Bibles—including the story of the Hebrews being delivered out of bondage in Egypt by Moses. And these stories gave them hope and a vision for the future.
Frederick Douglass, though born into slavery, escaped his bondage and became an accomplished orator, a gifted writer, and a political activist. He became the leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York1. He embraced the true gospel of freedom and equality and grace.
He wrote, “I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slave-holding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land” (quoted on page 35 of Wilson-Hartrove’s book).
Slave-Holder Religion is Alive and Well
What’s crazy to me is that, although Douglass penned his observations in the mid-1800s, slave-holder religion is still alive and well in the 21st century. In fact, it has gained a second wind thanks in part to the overtly racist comments and dehumanizing tweets about people of color from the current President of the United States who not only claims to be a Christian but also garnered 80% of the white evangelical vote in the 2016 presidential election (see one tweet below; many others can be found on his Twitter feed here).
When you give a crazed, crying lowlife a break, and give her a job at the White House, I guess it just didn’t work out. Good work by General Kelly for quickly firing that dog!
Dehumanization is often used to groom unsuspecting people to tolerate what would otherwise be unacceptable treatment of another human being. In her May 2017 article “Dehumanizing Always Starts With Language” Dr. Brené Brown warns:
We must never tolerate dehumanization—the primary instrument of violence that has been used in every genocide recorded throughout history. When we engage in dehumanizing rhetoric or promote dehumanizing images, we diminish our own humanity in the process.” (emphasis mine)
Wilson-Hartgrove would agree. His personal journey out of racial blindness happened over a period of time through a number of enlightening encounters with people of color. As he recounts the time he was talking to a group of teens at a youth camp about the virtues of biblical love and faithfulness only to be called out for his ignorance:
I not only assumed that the good life I imagined as a white man in America was what God wants for everyone, but I also naively suggested that these young people had the freedom to choose biblical faithfulness in all the same ways I did. Truth was, I didn’t have a clue” (p. 43).
When the Reverend Dr. William J. Barber II courageously agreed to speak at his church in Klan country, Wilson-Hartgrove was no longer examining his faith alone. He had a mentor, and this man would help lead him from racial blindness to sight, from ignorance to knowledge, and from white independence to multi-racial interdependence in the “beloved community” of Christ followers.
Ignorant No More
Proximity, humility, and an open heart—each of these is necessary for a life free from the shackles of slave-holder religion and the bad theology of white supremacy which has wormed its way into the church.
As the author builds his case against slave-holder religion, he argues that when we accept without question the religious traditions handed down to us, we often through ignorance make things worse. In other words, there is a white American “Christian” culture that blinds us to what is happening in the world around us. When we are blinded by racism, we limit the gospel to changing individual hearts or the culture of families. Jesus came to change more than that. He came to change the world (p. 132).
Racial inequality is rampant, complex, and systemic. As followers of Jesus Christ, we have been called to engage politically: To change our country. To change the world.
For those not blinded by racism, Jesus came to change more than individuals’ hearts or the culture of families. Jesus came to change the world. He did it by gathering together a fusion coalition of the poor and the sick, tax collectors and zealots, religious defectors like Nicodemus, and lepers who had been written off as unclean. Preaching the good news that God’s politics made room for all of them together in a new social order…the political threat of this popular movement got Jesus arrested and killed” (pp. 132-133, emphasis mine).
To say that Reconstructing the Gospel opened my eyes would be an understatement, for that implies that only my eyes and brain were affected. The truth is that my entire body was affected by this book, because for the first time in my life, I have begun to viscerally understand what it means to live in skin. “White” skin. I get it.
Living in White Skin
Now, when I am out, I try to stay mindful of the privilege automatically afforded me and the responsibility I have as a follower of Jesus Christ to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with my God (cf. Micah 6:8). Not to solve problems, but to observe and listen. To “see” people for who they are and affirm the imago dei in each person.
Wilson-Hartgrove calls us back to the unadulterated gospel of Jesus Christ: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, touching the untouchable, embracing the marginalized, and setting the oppressed free. It’s a social gospel, for sure. “By endeavoring to live as Christ lived in the world, the church helps everyday people see and remember that another way is possible” (p. 143). This gospel message does not neglect the soul; it touches the whole person: body, mind, and spirit.
And here’s where we must slow down and take a good, hard look inside. Before we rush out to fix the problems of the world, we must first face the facts that—as much as we try to interpret and apply the Scriptures faithfully and accurately—most of us have inherited a broken gospel. Each of us needs to take a hard look at what we’ve been taught as right and good, and humbly hold the doctrines, attitudes, and practices of our faith up to the entirety of Scripture. Wilson-Hartgrove continues,
Reconstructing the gospel can never only be about the individual. This is why so many noble efforts at reconciliation fail. They pretend that broken people with the best of motives can simply opt out of hundreds of years of history through individual choices and relationships…But if we stop short of the personal work…then we carry the germ of white supremacy with us into our most noble efforts to rid this world’s systems of racism. Nothing is uglier than the inevitable explosion when white people try to participate in anti-racist work without addressing their own hidden wound. Each of us has to do our own soul work” (p. 156).
This is where I am right now: I’m doing my own soul work. It’s hard, and it’s taking way longer than I had hoped it would. The fact is, it might take the rest of my life to fully comprehend how hidden biases have affected my attitudes and actions, and how much damage I’ve unconsciously done thanks to ignorance and the slave-holder religion I inherited from my parents who inherited it from their parents who inherited it from theirs and so on.
Deconstruction is a Messy, but Necessary Process
Even though no one in my family tree ever owned a slave, we were still impacted by the false teachings and immoral compass of slave-holding theologians and leaders in our country. Thank God for grace, mercy, and enlightenment!!!
Before the reconstruction of one’s faith comes deconstruction. Teachings based on poor hermeneutics steeped in white supremacy must be torn down. Slave-holder theology enmeshed in traditions, hymns, and “Christian” books must be must be ripped out. Ignorance and arrogance must be taken to the dumpster. Deconstruction is a time-consuming, messy process, but it is absolutely necessary for anyone who hopes to become more like Christ.
This “soul work” involves more than proximity to people who are different than me. It requires humility and compassion and a willingness to listen and learn from people who I’ve never. “For healing to begin, we must learn to listen with our hearts” (p. 166). When we listen in humility and with our hearts, we are open to hearing the message as it is given, not as we think it should be.
I highly recommend Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove’s 2018 book: Reconstructing the Gospel. It is eye-opening, convicting, and, most of all, extremely helpful in promoting a type of racial reconciliation that could turn this nation, and the world, toward the God who sees, hears, and loves everyone.
* BTW, I rarely use the word “Christian” to describe myself any longer because it no longer means what it used to mean. When the adjectival label “Christian” is routinely applied to people who so blatantly speak and act in a manner completely opposite of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the term can no longer be used to describe me or my faith.
For many years now, I have preferred the term “Christ follower” or “follower of Jesus Christ” to the term “Christian.” That’s the truth. I believe what the Scriptures say about Him, and I try to follow His teachings. More than anything, I want to live like He lived: Advocating for the oppressed. Embracing the marginalized. Confronting the hypocrites. When I say someone “shares my faith,” that’s what I mean. They follow the same Jesus I do, and you can tell it by what they say and what they do. You know the tree by its fruit.
1 Wikipedia contributors. “Frederick Douglass.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 20 Aug. 2018. Web. 22 Aug. 2018.
Photo credits: “Frederick Douglass Portrait” is in the public domain in the United States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1, 1923. See this page for further explanation.
“Cracked Cream Walls” photo by Nolan Issac (@nolanissac) on Unsplash
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Are you open-minded enough to entertain a thought without accepting it? What if the thought has merit? Would you consider changing a deeply-held conviction? Or is it impossible to change your mind on certain issues no matter what?!
State Capitol, Topeka, Kansas
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m an INTJ. Learning my personality type back in 2013 was one of the most liberating experiences of my life! Without delving into a diatribe declaring the importance of understanding your personality, I want to share ONE aspect of mine about which I am particularly proud: My beliefs run deep, and I am not easily swayed.
I love learning, and I truly enjoy exploring issues from all sides (which can be annoying for people who don’t like answering all my questions). And, truth be told, even after intense debate and scrutiny of various positions, I rarely change my opinion mainly because it took a lot of time and consideration for me to arrive at it in the first place.
However, when I am presented with logical arguments based on facts that run contrary to my convictions, I am willing to re-evaluate and update my views when necessary. I’ll be the first to admit that it doesn’t happen very often, but it happened recently, and I’d like to share my journey with you.
A Crisis of Biblical Importance
The purpose of this article is primarily to help conservative white evangelicals think through a biblical response to the possible removal of Confederate monuments across the United States.
Let’s begin with a Haiku. Because. I just felt like writing one. ?
Life is History. Study it. Grasp it. Teach it. Learn from it. Make it.
Archaeology and history are two of my favorite subjects. I have a deep appreciation of the past and a passion for historical preservation.
Over the past few years, my family has been blessed to visit many of the monuments and memorials in Washington D.C.; Mount Rushmore in Keystone, South Dakota (or as OnStar called it, “Moun Trushmore”); the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri; the Veterans Memorial Park in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; and the beautiful West Virginia Veterans Memorial in Charleston.
We’ve visited George Washington’s home at Mt. Vernon, Thomas Jefferson’s home at Monticello, and the Arlington House/Robert E. Lee Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.
Mt. Vernon
Arlington House
In the summer of 2016, we drove from California to North Carolina through the middle of the United States on Highways 50 & 70. This was our first time on that particular route, and within the course of a week, we were able to visit seven national parks, six state capitols, and one historical building that witnessed the beginning of the end of slavery in this country.
Nationwide Memorials to the Civil War
Every state capitol we visited featured some type of war memorial with authentic, battle-worn cannons, long guns, sculptures, statues, and/or monuments—each one created to honor those who lost their lives fighting for our freedom. And nearly every state capitol we visited had some type of memorial of the Civil War—even Denver, Colorado!
While driving through Kansas, in between two major storm systems (That was fun! Not!), we unexpectedly stumbled upon a town I had not previously heard of: Lecompton, Kansas. It’s branded as “The Birthplace of the Civil War,” and since we were in the middle of studying the Civil War, we decided to stop and check it out. And much to our benefit, we arrived on a local history day. Middle-school children from neighboring communities enjoyed a dramatic presentation at the theater, a visit to the local museum, a dramatic recitation of an important speech, and a visit with a 19th-century trader at his trading post.
Civil War Era Trader with His Wares
Dramatic Monologue at Constitution Hall
We were invited to participate in all activities, and we sat in on the re-enactment of an anti-slavery speech which was given in the exact same 160-year-old building where it had been given in the 1800s! It was inside this building, Constitution Hall, that a pro-slavery constitution was drafted and rejected—affecting the upcoming election and igniting what would eventually explode into the Civil War.
Gone, but Not Forgotten
That trip across the country was both beautiful and educational, but it was good to be home. We live in North Carolina, and our own state capitol building in Raleigh is surrounded by memorials to at least six wars. Here are some of the photos we took a couple years ago when we walked around Union Square. The craftsmanship on these statues is truly breathtaking—especially the detail of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Why am I sharing all this?
When I hear the arguments for and against removal of certain memorials, I take them seriously because I’ve stopped. I’ve learned. I’ve listened. I’ve touched. I’ve photographed. I’ve remembered. I’ve held my breath in gratitude.
However, I have come to believe that while monuments and memorials are powerful reminders of our shared history, our shared future is more important.
In 2015 when a young white supremacist killed nine African American men and women at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, the cry for the removal of Confederate symbols hit an all-time high. It began with a debate over flying the Confederate flag on state property, and it soon spiraled out to include the removal of Confederate monuments. I was wholeheartedly against that decision.
My reasoning sounded something like this:
The statues are preserving our history and honoring those who fought in the War between the States. Removing them is like erasing history, and I’m against that. We need to learn from our mistakes, and showing our kids historical monuments is memorable and important. Besides, they honor real people who lost their lives fighting for what they believed in, and their sacrifice deserves to be honored.
This rationale is based on three wobbly pillars: outdated information, “white-titlement,” and idolatry.
Outdated Information
In ancient times,an enemy could influence the historical record simply by defacing monuments (e.g., the Sphinx) or destroying documents and artifacts (e.g., the library at Alexandria). As Winston Churchill so profoundly remarked: “History is written by the victors.” Well, that was then. This is now.
The point is this: We live, eat, and breathe in the twenty-first century. To think that relocating a few hundred statues and memorials will somehow change the historical record is pure nonsense. Removing monuments from the public square will no more erase history than removing Nixon from the White House erased Watergate or removing Donald Trump’s Twitter account will erase his tweets.
Thanks to advanced technology, high-speed internet, and physical storage of data, preserving information has never been easier. Add to this the wide availability of access to audio and video recording devices and software, erasing history or modifying it for personal gain has become—for all intents and purposes—impossible. In other words, crowd-sourced history is here to stay, and it is instantly accessible 24/7/365 from your smart watch.
“White-titlement” is a term I’ve coined to refer to the sense of entitlement some white people feel when confronted with a request (or even a demand) from people of color that makes them feel uncomfortable. It comes out in phrases like, “What’s the big deal?” and “It doesn’t bother me!” and “Why can’t they just get over it? Nobody I know has ever owned slaves.”
White citizens of the United States will never have the same experience that African Americans have when viewing Confederate memorials and statues, BUT we can try by using our imaginations. So, imagine this:
You are an African American citizen of the United States of America, and though you were born and raised here, there is slavery in your family tree.
Your great, great grandparents were kidnapped from their homes/friends/family/culture, transported in horrific conditions across the ocean, and then sold to the highest bidder for a lifetime of servitude.
They lost everything while being denied any opportunity for gain. Many years later, when some lobbied to abolish slavery, others fought against it.
And when you see monuments on public display honoring those who fought to defend the right to own slaves—whether they owned slaves or not—is worse than pouring lemon juice on a paper cut.
It’s a constant reminder that your origins in this country began with kidnapping, humiliation, and enslavement and that some of your fellow citizens will never accept you as equals.
When it all comes down, there is no way a white person can experience a Confederate monument the same way an African American person does: It’s impossible. Our recent ancestors were not enslaved!
Are you still reading?
I hope so, because at this point, all I’ve done is stir the pot, right? My arguments are probably less than convincing, and you’d like to counter each observation—plus make a few more points of your own which I haven’t addressed.
I am aware.
You want me to do some research so that I understand the “real” cause of the Civil War and how it was about taxes and other issues. You want me to appreciate the fact that these were realpeople who gave their lives, and believe they should be honored for their sacrifice. You want to point out that Yankees also owned slaves, and that slavery was not the main reason for the War. Oh, wait, I already said that.
You want to point out that tearing down statues is anarchy, and we cannot acquiesce to mob rule. Destroying monuments is a crime and they should be punished. So, we should leave the monuments there to prove a point.
I know.
What if I told you that NONE of what I’ve written so far addresses the root cause of this emotionally-charged, extremely divisive dilemma?
What if I told you that as FOLLOWERS of JESUS CHRIST, we should have NO issue with the removal of Confederate statues, memorials, or monuments?
What if I told you that UNDERNEATH the rhetoric and racism lurks a different, more SINISTER problem as old as the world itself?
It’s true.
The problem is idolatry, plain and simple. It’s the third wobbly pillar and the most damning of all: idolatry.
Idolatry
Although no one believes the statue of Stonewall Jackson is representative of a god, and nobody was worshiping the Robert E. Lee statue prior to the events in Charlottesville, idolatry exists just the same.
According to Merriam-Webster, idolatry is “immoderate attachment or devotion to something,” and Random House defines it as “excessive or blind adoration, reverence, devotion, etc.” Just let that sink in for a moment.
There’s no denying the fact that there exists “immoderate attachment and devotion” to our Confederate memorials—even among Christians—and this “excessive reverence” for works of bronze, metal, clay, and stone is, in fact, idolatry.
The fruit of idolatry is conflict, pride, self-reliance, and division—all undeniable qualities of this monumental conflict.
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
Do not be deceived: The fight over monuments is nothing more than one of satan’s tactics to divide and conquer.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12
As long as our eyes are fixed on each other and not on the Lord, we risk turning people away from hope and salvation that can only be found in Him.
The Christian Response
What’s our mission here? What have we been called to? To fight the relocation of historical artifacts, because we don’t want them moved? Or is our mission to win people over to the saving grace of Jesus Christ? Jesus said,
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20
What are we, as Christians, to be known for?
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” 1 Peter 3:8
Are we willing to sacrifice our own handiwork for the sake of unity and peace?
The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” James 3:17-18
Are we willing to step out of our comfort zones in order to reach those who otherwise might not be reached?
I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” 1 Corinthians 9:22b-23
Have we placed the love of things above the love of people?
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17
I’d like to leave you with a few questions to ponder as you examine your own heart and evaluate your response to this monumental crisis:
If I knew that my attitude against removing Confederate monuments was a stumbling block to another person’s coming to know the Lord, would I be willing to stand down?
Is preservation of a temporal monument more important than an eternal soul?
Is the adversary using my words and/or actions to make another person feel oppressed, unheard, and hostile to the gospel message?
Is my heart being hardened towards protesters? People of color? Liberals?
What does Scripture say about this type of conflict?
Based on what I know about Jesus, how do I think He would respond to this crisis?
And, finally, how would He have me respond to the crisis? To my neighbor? To those seeking light in a dark world?
As you do a little soul searching and self examen, I encourage you to open the Scriptures with a friend. Dig for the truth. Be teachable. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak truth into your soul. As Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans:
Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;for it is written,
‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,and every tongue shall confess to God.’
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.” Romans 14:10-13
After much consideration, I have come to agree that monuments honoring soldiers who fought for the Confederacy should be moved to museums or venues specifically designed to educate people about the Civil War. There really is no need to have them in the public square. It’s time to move on.
A black man with a gun died yesterday in Charlotte because another black man with a gun shot him. This is an emotionally-charged topic for which there is no easy solution, but I cannot remain silent. The more I process these issues, the more I am learning about myself and my core beliefs. Here’s one of them: It’s okay not to be perfect. We all make mistakes and stupid decisions from time to time. Some people make a lot more mistakes than others. Some learn. Some never do.
The question is this: Who or what circumstance determines that one’s mistake is his (or her) last? What gives one human the right to make that determination for another human? And, to quote my late friend Keith Chesterman, “Where do you draw the line?”
I really struggle with this, because I believe God can take the most messed-up life and flip it to something extraordinary. I’ve seen it—for real! I’ve seen drug sellers and addicts transform into law-abiding citizens who are making a positive difference in the world, who love their families, who have completely turned their lives around. In fact, one of them was my Sunday School teacher when I was a teenager. I knew him when he was coming out of the drug scene, and I watched God completely transform his life, his marriage, and the lives of his family. I know it can happen, and I hate to see someone robbed of that opportunity.
I wrote the following blog post last night while I was watching rioting live-streaming from Charlotte on Twitter. (The post has since been updated.)
I had a WONDERFUL group of amazing and hard-working women over to my house tonight (September 20, 2016). Moms with children of all ages who have taken the road less-traveled to home educate at least one of them. I’m so blessed to know them, to learn from them, and to be able to encourage them now that I’m in my eighth year of this journey.
Sadly, while we were busy swapping homeschooling stories, another AFRICAN-AMERICAN CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES was shot and killed by police in #Charlotte. What the heck is going on?! This is ridiculous! We have a JUSTICE SYSTEM for a reason! According to the Charlotte Observer:
Police said they approached the man [Keith Lamont Scott] after he got back into the vehicle. The man got out again armed with a firearm “and posed an imminent deadly threat to the officers, who subsequently fired their weapon striking the subject,” police said in a statement. “The officers immediately requested Medic and began performing CPR.”
Scott was not the person officers were searching for to arrest on the outstanding warrants, CMPD Chief Kerr Putney told reporters at the scene.
This man, now D.E.A.D., was NOT even the man they were looking for! And apparently, there are questions being raised about whether or not he was armed in the first place.
Police said they recovered the firearm Scott was holding when police shot him shortly before 4 p.m. Police were also interviewing witnesses. [HOWEVER,] a woman who said she is Scott’s daughter claimed that the man was unarmed when he was shot. (Charlotte Observer)
While I join the rest of the world waiting for official details and body camera video—and I hope they release it soon—I wonder how I would have felt as a black man being approached by police today: the day after Terence Crutcher was shot and killed in Tulsa with his hands in the air near his broken down vehicle.
News Update September 21, 2016:
Police are confirming that Keith Thomas Scott was in possession of a firearm, and he did not comply with repeated requests to drop the gun.
Blog Update September 21, 2016: Again. We wait for further details regarding the Keith Lamont Scott story, but my conviction remains: LEOs should not shoot-to-kill.
“We need to create a ‘Think Tank’ to strategize new solutions and a new protocol for the innocent.”
I UNDERSTAND that police have a really tough job, and I SUPPORT and RESPECT law enforcement. I’m GRATEFUL for protection. BUT, I do NOT support the shoot-to-kill response.
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND how a suspected TERRORIST who KILLED people —and was trying to kill more—was taken ALIVE while these other men were shot dead for reasons TBD…like, really. I don’t get it. Is it just a difference in officer training? How are some restrained and others seemingly not?
I have almost been shamed into silence by my law enforcement friends. These are men I know in real life whom I love and respect. But when I posted on Facebook about the shooting of Philando Castile, my timeline exploded with debate, and at one point, I was told that rather than speak out against this type of violence—and it is violence—I should keep my uninformed opinion to myself and instead do a ride-along with a police officer just so I could personally experience what they go through on a nightly basis. I guess the idea is that I would be transformed by this experience and conclude that since they have a tough job, I should trust them implicitly. That will never happen, because it’s not who I am. I’m an INTJ Rational, and I don’t categorically endorse anything or anyone. Ever.
Aside: As an INTJ, it’s in my nature to be skeptical of authority figures—especially authority figures who expect to be treated a certain way just because of their position (even though they may have worked very hard to achieve that position). According to 16personalities.com, “Authority figures do not impress INTJs, nor do social conventions or tradition, and no matter how popular something is, if they have a better idea, INTJs will stand against anyone they have to in a bid to have it changed. Either an idea is the most rational or it’s wrong, and INTJs will apply this to their arguments as well as their own behavior, staying calm and detached from these sometimes emotionally charged conflicts.” And, yes, I realize that is as much a weakness as it is a strength.
The fact is: I am not a child. I’m a grown-up 48 year old woman, and a ride-along is not going to change my conviction that police should not be shooting-to-kill suspects. We have a justice system for a reason. Don’t get me wrong: I am grateful for the men and women who have taken an oath to protect us. I really am. I know they face a lot of CRAZY out there in the real world…in the ‘bad’ neighborhoods…but they are not immune to FEAR. Especially in dangerous, or perceived-dangerous, situations. And acting out of FEAR, while life-preserving for one could be life-ending for another.
Is there a solution? There has to be.
I would like to see a think-tank made up of people from different backgrounds and ethnicities work together and strategize a solution to this madness. I’d like to see them/us come up with a protocol for how to handle these unpredictable and quickly-escalated situations—one that yields an arrest (or not) without resulting in the permanent, physical, and irreversible death of the suspect.
OR …
If there is already a protocol in place, then re-educate the public.
“We need to create a ‘Think Tank’ to strategize new solutions and a new protocol for the innocent.”
My question is this: How should I respond when an officer starts out by treating me as a threat and assuming I’m a criminal when I know have done nothing wrong? But I also know that if I don’t comply, I could be injured. But if I do comply without speaking, am I agreeing with the false accusation? Am I allowed to question what is happening without being perceived as defiant? Do I comply with no opportunity to question the situation and/or defend myself? What about my personal integrity and sense of injustice that is rising up in my core? The desire to assert my innocence? What would be an acceptable way for me to present myself in such a way that the officer would give me the benefit of the doubt and lower his or her weapon versus assuming the absolute worst possibly resulting in my death? These are the questions we need to be addressing.
UPDATE: September 21, 2016 As facts about the Keith Lamont Scott case come to light, each side is seeking evidence to support their views. What happens if we learn that Scott was breaking the law by possessing a gun in the first place? What happens if we learn that he was waving it in the air? What happens if we learn that he was in cahoots with the guy they were looking for? Would any of those facts change my opinion that he should not have been killed? No.
I believe in a system of justice for citizens of the United States that involves arresting suspected criminals and bringing them to court for a hearing followed by a jury trial, if necessary. Taking a man’s life because he refuses to comply with orders is wrong. Shoot to injure. Shoot to maim. Do not shoot to kill for non-compliance, a bad attitude, or even a verbal threat.
I’m wearing all black all day on Friday because the only way we’re ever going to find a solution to this problem is to work together. #weneedasolution
I wish we had eyes to see the way God sees:
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Sam. 16:7)
Come, Lord Jesus! #Maranatha #BlackLivesMatter *
*Use of the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag does not indicate support of the Black Lives Matter organization.
as well. Each of these books is helping me to better understand the problem of systemic racism and the moral responsibility I have as a follower of Jesus Christ advocate for essential change in our country.
