Jun 23, 2020
By Pastor Phil Lawton
I write today with a heavy heart. Not just because we all witnessed a man murdered on video. Not just because our country is divided and our cities burn. But because the divisions that plague our country are at work in my own church. This is not the place for me to get into details, but I say this because I want you to realize that no place is free of hatred, anger, or malice. I say this because I want you to understand that your experience is not the same as your neighbor’s. I say this because even though many in our denomination, and even my own church, say they are against racism, bigotry, and hatred, their actions do not always line up with that.
This article will be a few stories from my time in Chicago followed by an analysis of Micah 6:8 and I Corinthians 12:26. The stories are important because they illustrate that experiences differ across our country. Though anecdotal evidence may not have the same weight as statistics when it comes to policy, it has more weight when it comes to caring for our brothers and sisters in Christ. The scripture is important because as Seventh Day Baptists we hold it as our guide for faith and practice. Brothers and sisters, we are not living up to that standard.
Walking While Black
I did my student teaching just outside Chicago in a town called Maywood. Proviso East had historically been a mob school. In the 20s and 30s it was one of the richest schools in the state. When the mob moved out it became one of the poorest. The school was 70% black and 30% Hispanic…oh, and one token white kid who got made fun of for listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd.
The football team at the high school had a policy that the players all had to wear suit and tie on game day. I had a few of the players in my 1st period class. One of the students came to me one morning in his suit and tie. This student was usually silent in class, but still got decent grades. He told me that on his walk into school that morning he had been stopped and frisked by the police. They told him that they were looking for a shoplifter in a hoodie. Let that sink in.
I Got Your Back Mr. L
My first day at Proviso East I had a rather interesting interaction with a student. She sat in the front row, had short blue hair and a nose ring. Almost the first thing she said to me was “I’m a lesbian.” I’m not exactly sure what my response was, but I don’t remember responding in a way that she would assume I was shocked. I found out later from my cooperating teacher that she was testing me. Apparently, I passed.
A few weeks later she stayed after class. “I like you Mr. L. I just want you to know that if anyone tries to jump you, me and my crew got your back.” When I asked my cooperating teacher about it, she told me that I should take it as a compliment. It was news to me that I should be cautious walking to my car after school. The need for a crew to back you up was not something I had experienced, but to this girl it was her whole world.
Not a Brute or a Crazy Man
In the Fall of 2018, I attended a symposium at North Park Theological Seminary on human violence. There were many papers presented there, but I want to talk about one paper in particular: Liberating Barabbas. In it, Drew G. I. Hart argued that the common understanding of Barabbas was flawed. He argued that Barabbas was not a brute or a crazy man. Rather, Barabbas was interested in ending the systemic oppression of Rome. Hart went on to draw similarities between Barabbas and Jesus, saying that Jesus came to end oppression as well—just not in the way Barabbas was trying.
As part of the conclusion Hart says this:
“Jesus is liberation and is the way of liberation. And his way includes empathetic solidarity that joins oppressed and vulnerable people in intimate struggle against that which comes to steal, kill, and destroy life. We are all invited to participate in the liberative things that make for peace.”
When I asked Hart about what that looks like, he responded with a story. He told me that the night before, he came home to his neighborhood and saw a black neighbor arguing with a police officer. Hart felt that the neighbor was being unwise and causing more problems than he was solving. Even so, Hart said that he understood the reason why the neighbor was acting that way. As a black man himself, Hart knew his neighbor’s anger. Hart stepped in to defend the neighbor and diffuse the tense situation. He went on to say that part of participating in liberative things was standing with those who have been oppressed.
Nerve Damage
These are just a few of the stories that I could share about my time in Chicago. Perhaps these are an all-too-familiar reminder of what life is like for you. If that is the case, I’m sorry. This article is really not for you. If these stories seem like a completely different America than you know, then this is for you.
In I Corinthians 12, Paul talks about diversity and unity in the body of Christ. He says that not every part of the body is the same (1 Corinthians 12:14-24a). This also means that the experience of the differing parts of the body of Christ are not the same. He also declares that the body should be united (vs. 12-13; 24-25)—going as far as saying that if one part suffers the whole body suffers (v. 26).
Brothers and sisters, our body is suffering. Most of the arguments right now are about the statistical reality of that suffering. Even if the pain in our body is acute and not chronic, it is still pain. If a part of your body is in pain, but the rest of the body doesn’t know it, then you have nerve damage. You end up with two problems. When we ignore suffering, we say to those members of the body that their pain is not important and, in this case in particular, reinforce ideas of systemic racism.
Humble Justice that Loves Kindness
This past week I have been meditating on Micah 6:8. What I discovered is that the context of it is sacrifice. Micah 6:6-7 goes so far as to suggest that offering “the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul” will not solve the problem. The solution is to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. These solutions are not chosen at random.
It occurs to me that there are two common responses to conflict and problems. One response is to seek justice and punish the wrongdoer. The other is to show mercy and sweep the problem under the rug. Neither of these is the correct response. Justice that does not love kindness is revenge. Kindness that does not seek justice is placation. Neither can be done effectively by the proud.
What I have seen in response to the problems facing our nation are these same two responses. One side seems to seek justice with no regard for kindness—the other values kindness so much that they would rather ignore a problem than rock the boat. This cannot be the response of the church to these problems.
We have brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering. You may not think their suffering is typical or common, but they sure do. And that in itself is enough reason to listen. I admit that in any crisis my first response is to solve the problem. But I think that in this case the first step is to have conversations. Those of us in the church who do not have experiences like mentioned above need to listen to those who do. Not because in doing so we will be making some kind of penance for years of oppression, but because being heard is the first step toward healing.
The reality is that the body of Christ is damaged. We have not listened to each other for decades, if not longer. Our nerves don’t communicate. If we are going to heal the problems, we need to have conversations about those problems. It will be uncomfortable, but Jesus didn’t call us to comfort. He called us to relationship. He called us to reconciliation. He called us to bring life.
May you realize that there are experiences other than your own. May you spend time listening to those experiences. May you seek humble justice that loves kindness. And may God bring healing to our nation.