Most of the time when men of good will disagree it stems from competing strategies. We agree on where we want to go. We disagree about how to get there. In this instance, however, while we surely agree where we want to go, we not only disagree about how to get there, but perhaps more important, we disagree about where we are.
The Bible is abundantly clear that all men bear the image of God, are of equal value and dignity, and that we have a duty to treat one another as we would want to be treated. History is abundantly clear that in the west, for centuries, many white people failed in that biblical calling in how they treated people of African descent. The evangelical church was no exception. All sides are still in agreement. Our forefathers did poorly and we want to do well.
There are some in the church whose perspective on change has been deeply influenced by ideologies that are incompatible with the Bible. (Keeping in mind that the same was true for centuries from the other side.) The core of those ideologies is identity politics, defining who we are by our victim status, and others by their victimizer status. There are also, on the other hand, some in the church that have inherited the errors of our fathers, who really are racist and either don’t know it or hide it.
The vast majority in the church, however, are well between those two extremes. But because of those extremes they find themselves needing to yell at the other side, and taking offense at being yelled at by the other side. Throw in the sweet, soothing power to bring forth the blessings of peace that is social media and the heavenly chorus of angels sings. No, that’s not what happens.
Here is how it plays out. Institutional racism and privilege are ineffable crimes that carry immediate conviction with the simple act of accusation. To plead innocence is the one sure sign of guilt. There’s only one thing for the guilty to do- embrace the concept of invisible, immeasurable racist guilt, confess personal guilt over it, and join the raucous crowd that is silent no longer, denouncing this invisible, immeasurable, wickedness that is whiteness.
On the other side we have those whose perspective is equally skewed. These are we conservatives who have never used the n word, much less burned a cross in anyone’s yard. Why, some of our best friends are black. So, if we’ve never committed real racism, and never seen real racism, surely there must be no real racism. Because it is invisible, or at least in hiding, racism can’t be real.
When people who have no animus whatsoever against people of another culture or ethnic background are convicted of racism, it’s hard for them to take seriously the claim that we’re all guilty. When people who have experienced racism talk to white people who seem to suggest it doesn’t exist, they find it hard to believe that even the ones they are talking to are innocent. The truth of the matter is that racism is real. It exists. It is not a phantom. The truth of the matter is that racism isn’t hiding in everyone’s heart. There are people who don’t struggle with racism. We are, as a culture, somewhere in between these extremes.
What do we do? Agree we’re somewhere between these extremes. Agree that it is both better than it has been and not as good as it could be, that the progress is commendable and the lack of progress deplorable. Agree that we all bear God’s image, we all struggle with sin, and in the church, all our sins are covered by the blood of Christ. Black and white matter not a lick. What matters is the red that covers us all.
