Towards Anti-Racism

Most, if not all, of my blog posts focus on the internal. Generally, I do not write about society or politics. I think these topics are best reserved for in-person conversation so there is less possibility to misconstrue and so that you can see that there is a human on the other end of the conversation.

At this moment, I think it would be irresponsible to not address the current social moment.

I have friends and family who think I'm too conservative and friends and family who think I'm too liberal. My hope is that all of my friends and family will continue to engage with me in respectful and loving conversation. My hope is that you will challenge me to think deeper, reconsider my assumptions, and offer me your experiences and perspectives.

I believe that spirituality is not completely separated from how we see and engage with society. I believe that no actions by a person of faith are secular. Jesus challenged social norms (speaking with and lifting up tax collectors, prostitutes, and Samaritans, flipping over tables in the temple courts, inviting disciples to learn from him, etc). Jesus gives examples for how to engage with society, with the world around us. Engaging in this social moment is a spiritual discipline.

He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.' You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions."

Mark 7:6-8

Jesus spoke truth to the Pharisees. He spoke truth to power. This angered the Pharisees, which led to them plotting to and succeeding in getting Him murdered (in a legal way, I'll point out). Following Jesus' example means that we are also called to speak truth to powerful institutions in society.

In this moment, it is imperative for people to recognize that racism still exists in the U.S. today and to condemn it.

Racism is bad. We all know that racism is bad. What is harmful is when we (speaking to other white people) ignore the ways we benefit from and contribute to a racist society. It is dangerous to think that because we do not hate black people that we have done the necessary work, checked the appropriate box, and can get on with our lives.

I have said things that are harmful to my Black friends. I have done things that are harmful to my Black friends.

A beautiful thing (and a difficult thing) about anti-racism work is that it is never done. There is a chance for me to repent and learn from my mistake and ask for forgiveness and to get something right.

Isn't that what God calls us to in life? To repent continually and constantly be turning away from sin?

When our sins (especially the unintentional and shameful ones) are exposed, it's easy to want to hide and become defensive. During the mid-term evaluations at Eden House this past spring, one of the Black interns spoke up, writing that the way we assign tasks is "discriminatory." My first instinct was to be defensive and to justify every decision I had made. But, instead of invalidating or ignoring her feedback, I implored my supervisor to follow up with that student. I embraced humility because her voice and experiences are more important than my pride.

My chaplain in college told me once that being an ally to the oppressed means being willing to mess up and still try again.

I try. I mess up. I try again.

Anti-racism work is spiritual work.

Black lives matter.