Good morning…
Many of us had strong reactions to the opinions expressed in a polarizing post from this week, A Mother’s Perspective. Some were very “for” the expression of this mother’s truth, agreeing wholeheartedly with the thoughts bravely shared. Some were very “against” the powerful post, appalled by the judgement that an “inebriated ‘lost soul'” father with black skin might somehow have a life that mattered less to God than a policeman father with white skin. And some subscribers could see both sides; they were grateful for the dynamic dance of discerning dialogue. One responsive reader wrote something that really made me reconsider my role as a daily writer during this time of accelerated learning.
“Sue, I love our time together when we get it,” she wrote. “Your coming into my life has been a gift and such a blessing. You are one of the most loving people I know and your Christian wisdom is beautiful. That being said and so true, I have had a really hard time with this post (A Mother’s Perspective). I understand presenting other’s viewpoints, but I feel it is time to quit shrouding prejudice and biases in scripture.”
She went on to explain: “I understand that this mother is concerned about the perception and the safety of her son as a police officer. I cannot imagine what it must be like to be a mom of an officer right now, much less an officer. However, I wonder if the police community is feeling some small inkling of what black people have felt forever. All of this is so hard. Obviously, we all know the large majority of police officers try to do the right things and protect and serve all. I think police officers are heroes for putting their lives on the line for us every day. However, I think we all know (especially now as we are being enlightened) that the entire justice system, including police, have absolutely failed the black community.”
She began to ask hard questions: “Does this mom know what it feels like to be economically disadvantaged by a system you are born into? Does she know what it feels like to have to have a talk with her son about ‘just getting home’ at night because of his race, not his chosen profession? Does she know what it feels like to encounter racism frequently and across a myriad of situations? Does she know what if feels like to truly fear being killed because of the color of her skin? The problems in our country stem from generations of racial oppression, which have been laid bare by recent events. Now is the time for honest conversation, even though it is likely to hurt some feelings. It is incumbent upon each of us to look within ourselves, ask hard questions, examine our own prejudices, and do the hard work of creating a more just society for everyone. Jesus himself defended an imperfect woman surrounded by a powerful crowd of men: ‘When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her”‘ (John 8:7, NIV). Humbled each person went away silenced, experientially learning ‘We are all “with sin,” more alike than different.'”
She returned back to our polarizing post: “The word ILLEGAL was used in all caps as justification for what happened to Rayshard Brooks. Have you ever done something ILLEGAL? I certainly have. Have I driven home before when maybe I had more than I should have to drink? Ashamedly, the answer is yes. Have I ever parked illegally, made a turn I shouldn’t have, driven in excess of the speed limit (all ILLEGAL) … yes, I have. Have I ever been fearful and run from something? Of course … that is human nature! Telling someone to think clearly when the fear instinct kicks in is comical at best. To suggest that a black man not run when black men have been killed over and over when caught throughout history sounds even worse. One thing I have never done is fear for my life because of the color of my skin. Therefore, when this mom suggests that a cop who has a gun and is in the power position feared for his life versus an intoxicated black man with a taser and then uses scripture to further justify I want to scream. In addition, by now we have seen the footage of the policeman kicking Mr. Brooks after shooting to kill him and waiting for two full minutes before calling for an ambulance.”
She pivots our attention again: “What would Jesus do? Would he have shot a man IN THE BACK twice? I don’t think he would have stolen a taser either mind you. I don’t think Jesus would have ever let it escalate on either side. Let us please recall who was in the position of power though in this situation … Jesus would be with the downtrodden, the oppressed. More broadly, where would Jesus be in all this? At the marches? Or making sure there was law and order? Jesus hung out with the prostitutes (ILLEGAL), the hated and the sinners. He didn’t shoot them. He healed them with his words and his love. What love or compassion has been shown to our black brothers and sisters? If we are going to be the hands and feet of Jesus, we are going to have to stop the judgements, forget the focus on determining fault, and work on the pain that is clearly being suffered by a large part of our community. We are supposed to operate as one body in Christ. This will require listening to each other and learning new ways of being God’s healthy functioning body on earth.”
She concluded: “We are called to love God and love one another above all else. We each must ask ourselves, ‘Am I following Jesus’ single law that sums up all of scripture?” Love the LORD our God first and fully and love others as we love ourselves. Using scripture to justify killing another person, judging someone you don’t know, and justifying your biases is not the way for us to bring others to Christ. It is this kind of judgment from Christians that hurts God’s life-giving cause. I recognize this is likely one of your good friends, and I am sure she is a lovely person. However, the words she used made it an ‘us versus them’ type feel which is so incredibly hurtful right now.”
Then this subscriber’s email dropped down to touch my most sensitive nerve: “My point in all this is that the words of others you choose to share can lead to perceptions and judgements rightly or wrongly about what you yourself believe. Would a black student of yours feel comfortable talking to you about racism after reading this post? I don’t know the answer because I cannot understand being black in this country. I just know that words are incredibly important right now. Your voice as a strong Christian mentor, leader, and woman is more impactful than ever. I trust you are doing all of what you are doing through serious prayer and contemplation because that is who you are. I am just one more voice among I am sure many but felt I should let you know how this post hit me. Thanks for listening, and I hope this message comes to you with all my love and heartfelt admiration for you and your powerful love of Christ. Love you lots.’
Wrestling with God and with the core of my self, I wrote her back in the middle of the night: “Thank you so much for taking the time to unpack all of these important emotions with me. I am particularly touched by your question, ‘Would a black student of yours feel comfortable talking to you about racism after reading this post?’ It humbles me and makes me realize that one post of ours is all a person may ever read, so every morning message needs to be saturated with God’s unifying love for all of us. I have heard it said, “You may be the only Bible some people ever read,” so I promise to more urgently stay tightly tethered to God’s still small voice of love, which whispers in my flawed ear, morning after morning. You have said so many valuable things in your email, might I have your permission to share it anonymously, in part or in its entirety? Your words are helping to move my needle of awareness as I seek to build up the eclectic body of Christ. Our friendship is a great gift, a true mutual blessing from God.”
She wrote back: “Of course you can use our email exchange. And thank you so much for receiving these thoughts the way I meant them. I have so much respect for you. I love how you and God are navigating this difficult terrain, putting your blog and yourself right in the middle of our turmoil. We can only heal by prayerfully addressing the tensions in ourselves and having these types of hard conversations.”
When the Pharisees heard how Jesus had bested the Sadducees, they gathered their forces for an assault. One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: “Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?”
Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them” (Matthew 22:36-40, MSG).
…Sue…
P.S. Our bank is closing at 2 pm today to observe Juneteenth—the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of slavery ending in the United States. Juneteenth is a day of remembrance and an opportunity to commemorate African American freedom and celebrate Black culture. This year, it’s also an opportunity to speak up and create better dialogue in our communities. I am grateful to be part of a multi-racial community learning to celebrate life together in new ways.
P.S.S. Free photo courtesy of Unsplash.com.
