May 23, 2008

• Sacred Dialogue on Race Follow-up

  B"H

  Here's a short version of my presentation at Grace Lutheran Church of Evanston. As most of my dear friends already know, when I speak I seldom have or use many notes. Yes, on a few occasions I have, but it is far from the norm. Why do I mention this? Since the event was not recorded and I don't have any notes to look back on, the only thing that remains is my memory and that of the others who were also there.

  Although I posted a brief outline that I intended to follow, only two of those points were addressed though I spoke on a few others which I didn't mention here.

  There were 24 persons in attendance for this event. We started at 9:20 with a few preliminary remarks and introductions by Pastor Dan and then I spoke for about 30 minutes. At 10 AM, Anne Laurence took over and led a general discussion which lasted until 10:40, just before the regular Sunday service began.

  1. The Fallacy of Color Blindness – Allowing our vision of the future to function as a guide for the present. Rev. 7: 9-10.
  2. “Race Fatigue” – The frustration on the part of many Whites in this conversation on race which leads some to conclude that race problems are perpetuated by continual discussion. “If we/they would only stop talking about it (race), it (the problem of race) would go away.”
  3. Moving Beyond ‘blame and shame’ – Recognizing our true enemy and the nature of the war we are waging. Eph 6: 12 “… not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers …”
  4. Deconstructing 'Whiteness' – Challenging those who are ‘white’ to reconnect with their European ethnic backgrounds.

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  1. I can’t count the number of times I have heard people quote Martin Luther King Jr. out of context and seek to use his dream of a beloved community as a model for amalgamation via assimilation. Whereas MLK spoke of “seeing his children one day not being judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character,” this in no way indicated that he hoped they would take on the values and aspirations of the dominate culture and lose their own sense of identity and self esteem. America has often been referred to as ‘a great melting pot,’ but I have also heard it more accuractely described as a sort of ‘salad bowl.’ Here we can still recognize the lettuce, the tomatoes, the carrots, and etc. The salad has an overall flavor and taste, but each of its ingredients retains its unique contribution. When Whiteness is left unchallenged as “the given norm to which one should aspire,” then it continues to function as a sort of cultural imperialism and it fosters attitudes of paternalism and condescension in those who are ‘white’ and feelings of ineptness and frustration in those who are ‘non-white.’

   

  Even if we were somehow able to construct an environment in our churches or communities where color was not seen, this would only hold true until we encountered the outside world. It is for certain that in the experience of nearly all people of color, being seen as black, brown, yellow, red or etc. is an everyday reality. If we set our expectations within our faith communities on this notion of color blindness, where skin color is disregarded, then we are devaluing and discounting the present realities which the non-whites in our midst live with. Consider the example of the young black executive driving a late model car in an upscale neighborhood. Why is this individual stopped by the police, except for the infraction of DWB, driving while black. Note also the case of the Puerto Rican mechanic who is followed around the auto parts store by a clerk supposedly dusting or taking inventory, when in truth they are ‘watching’ lest this non-white individual be a shoplifter and not a customer.

   

  The passage of Scripture cited above reads as follows,

   

  “after this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.”  Rev 7: 9-10

   

  Here we see that in GOD’s future plan for us, people from all nations, tribes, and cultures are gathered together to worship the LORD. GOD made no mistake in creating us with our various ethnic differences, but rather, He delights in our diversity and so also should we.

   

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  I will write more on the other points in several separate posts. Any thought or reactions?

   

  Shlomo

   

  • 8:04 am
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