What it seems like from the outside isn’t always what it’s like on the inside. Most conversational breakdown comes from a person’s own struggle. People from all walks of life struggle. Most don’t want to admit it. But when you are struggling internally, it’s hard to even attempt to understand the other sides perspective.
Over the past two months, our conversation on racism has intensified. As a country, we have been dealing with this issue for over 50 years. By now, we should know better. Compassion should cause us to do better, and faith should compel us to be better. “People often define racism as disliking or mistreating others based on race. That definition is wrong,” said Stephen Roberts, Professor at Stanford. “Racism is a system of advantage based on race. It is a hierarchy.”
It’s 2021; we’ve made some progress, but we’re not there yet. Reasonable people can see things differently, yet we seem to be devoid of the Holy Spirit’s animating movement in and through us in this hour. America is forced to face a reality and conversation some would prefer to ignore – that racism is not only alive and well, but that it is widespread. Bishop Reverdy Ransom wrote that, “despite being faithful Christians and loyal Americans, Blacks have never gotten much justice out of White Christian America. Not even Jesus has been able to break the color line.”
Pastors are in a prime position from which to shape how their congregation view race because there isn’t a Black heaven and a White heaven. A proper church will one day eschew the label of Black or White Church and be a Universal Church. The dark, divisive nature of politics perpetuates the socialization process by which some pastors transmit their beliefs about race to their congregation, through implicit,explicit, intentional, or accidental means. They can minimize the humanization of people by focusing on protest, policing, property, prosperity, polls, and the most insidious passivism.
Passivism is overlooking or denying the existence of racism to obscure reality, encouraging others to do the same and allowing racism to fester and persist; exploiting and widening the fissures that might separate us. As Phyllis Katz states, “They tend to adopt a colorblind ideology (i.e., believing that race does not matter and that conversations about race should be avoided), which leaves the observations and myths learned from the broader society unchallenged and reinforces the legitimacy of racial hierarchy.”
A large part of White America views racism as “your problem, not mine. I don’t have to deal with it if I don’t want to. Stop trying to make it my problem.”
We hear,
- “At this point, the whole race thing is over. We’ve transcended it. We had a Black president, so clearly, we are not a racist country.
- “All that stuff is ancient history; things have changed.”
- “It’s time to get past this race thing and move on. We need to talk about more important things like the Gospel.”
For Black Americans, faith and racial justice have long intersected and as long as there is racism, there will be a need for the Black Church.
We hear,
- “Polarization of national politics in recent years has led Black people who previously worshipped at multiracial churches to decide they belong in predominantly Black churches.”
- “As long as the country continues to, on the one hand, say: ‘There’s no such thing as race and we’re all one,’ but on the other hand effectively live as if that is not the case, as if it doesn’t matter, then we will always seek out a separate faith-based place to express who we are.”
- “Some are leaving those churches because they’re disillusioned with the fact that those leaders either avoid altogether or don’t speak adequately to the issues with their congregations.”
According to Glenn Singleton, these conversations are difficult because people have very different communication styles and desired outcomes. For many people of color, a productive conversation about race is, in and of itself, healing, whereas for many White people, the conversation is often viewed as threatening, especially when it appears to have no concrete resolution, focused action, or determined result. And especially if it requires personal accountability to a solution.
The country has become split into camps that don’t just disagree on politics, policing, polls, policy, and treatment of people; they see each other as immoral and threatening. They dangerously will kill or attack members of another group, focusing less on triumphs of ideas than dominating the opposing party’s abhorrent supporters.
Social tribalism playing out in our political affiliations, religion, place of residence, and social status. As humans, we have an evolutionary drive to form cohesive social groups, self-identify, then stick to those groups. Most times, staying in your own group or area, hardens perceptions, preferences, and beliefs through the denial of intergroup contact.
This sense of tribalism affects our social health and adds to growing divisiveness among Christians. Eliminating any effort to talk to people outside your bubble; people who don’t look like you or worship like you or watch the same news channel as you as a way to bridge the divide.
“Groups have become bonded by faith that their side is morally superior to the other — echoing the ties that sometimes bind the religiously faithful,” according to Federal government communications strategist Clark Merrefield. Something has happened in this country that has fostered a zero-tolerance for meaningful distinctions turning minor disagreements into a cause for demonization.
The enemy understands our weak spots and patterns of behavior. He gets that human things will sway humans. Division based on racial differences are easy targets. Even though race is a social construct not a biological difference.
So, how do you engage in a conversation that is viewed as a “problem”? A conversation in which engagement is optional at best, some are reluctant to developing an understanding, and in the words of Oprah Winfred, “racism is the day-the-day wearing down of the spirit.”
In the next issue, we will go to the balcony to see how we can make progress through better understanding the contextual influences, psychological processes, and developmental mechanisms that can facilitate courageous cultural conversations.
In the meantime, stay prayerful, God is up to something. We’re almost there, but not quite yet . . .