Racism is in the Eyes

Last Monday, my roommate Jared and I went to hear Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners magazine, speak at Calvin College about Racism as America's original sin. He explained that  we have never as a country repented of the valuing of the black person at 3/5s and justifying the crimes committed against African and indigenous people in the construction of this nation. We are still relationally divided. He quoted some statistics: 72% of whites believe that the police shootings of young black men are individual events. 82% of blacks believe that these shootings are part of a cultural pattern which affect their lived reality. Do whites just not trust African Americans? Wallis wondered if this means that 72% of white Christians do not have a single significant relationship with an African American.

You can watch a short video about this here: Sojourners article on WATCH survey

One of my neighbors--we'll call him Robert--used to be a member of the Wealthy St. Boys in the 1980s. I met him walking to the store. Robert is a Christian, who spent most of our conversations telling me Bible stories and preaching to me. He's clearly spent a lot of time in the book. This 40 year old man also spoke to me about the police, describing them as an invading force: "They are out to kill us." He told me a story about the police shooting a three year old, which I couldn't verify. He talked about having the right to defend himself and his family. 

A lot of parties happened in front of his family's house last summer--parties with gambling, fist fights, excessive drinking--and many of the neighbors were suspicious of them and a little bit afraid. We would often call the police when things got out of hand. When the police showed up, everyone would scatter--into cars, backyards, and dark porches. One night, I heard Robert's family on their porch have a shouting match with the police. The police had search lights on them and were questioning them. They were cussing the police out and shouting that they had nothing to do with it. 

Later that summer, I went to talk with them in the middle of a quiet afternoon to ask about what had been going on. Robert's mom explained to me that they had nothing to do with the parties. The parties were based in the lot next door. She was as frustrated as anyone because whenever the police came, the guys on the street would try to come up on her porch to hide.  She locked her gate and wouldn't let them. They cussed her out and threatened to burn her house down. We had suspected Robert's family--and even called the police on them--while we really shared a problem. 

These are the situations in which young black men are getting killed. Thank God that did not happen to us. How we see each other determines whether we talk through issues or call in armed men. Fear exists on both sides, but when we act out of fear, we hurt one another and disparage the hope we have in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Mika Edmondson, pastor of New City Fellowship OPC here in Grand Rapids, spoke after Jim Wallis about how segregation is a challenge to our baptism. If we are truly one in Christ, neither black nor white, living out the reconciliation of the Gospel is of the utmost importance in proclaiming the Gospel. 

Jim Wallis proclaimed that the Church could provide the social space in which racial divisions are overcome if we repent from the sin of racism. This means turning from the social narratives on which our nation was built towards the social narratives we are given by the Gospel: "So in Christ, you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26-28). 

Who do we have dinner with? Who enters our homes? Who do we worship with? Who do we speak with at social engagements or on the street? Who do we give leadership opportunities? Who do we seek out when we need help? All of these are important questions for living out the message of reconciliation in our lives and practical ways to learn to see each other differently. As Paul says, "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love" (Galatians 5:6). 

And what is love? I was sitting with an elderly man on his porch one evening, a man who had lived through the times in this neighborhood when there were drug dealers on every corner. He explained to me that love is not what people say it is. It doesn't always make you feel good and is not about romance. He told me that to love someone is to be willing to die for them. I believe Jesus told us the same thing (John 15:13). Until we can learn to do that--be willing to suffer risk and loss for our brothers and sisters--we have not yet attained the full measure of Christ.