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I recently made a remark on Brother Ed Gilbreath’s blog that I want to enlarge upon here. This past week the topic of race has once again taken center stage, but not always to a warm welcome. The context of Brother Ed’s blog on Wednesday was a speech given by Eric Holder, the new Atty. General. Speaking to a group of employees at the Justice Department who were celebrating Black History Month, Mr. Holder set many hearers of his words at odds by labeling the average American as a coward in regard to race relations.
"Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and I believe continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards," Holder said.
Race issues continue to be a topic of political discussion, but "we, as average Americans, simply do not talk enough with each other about race."
(Photo and quoted text taken from Yahoo News.)
I think that Brother Ed does a great job of continually bringing issues like this to the attention of his readers and then engaging in lively conversation and dialogue. Surely here in cyberspace we can’t expect to change the heart of the Nation overnight, but I think we are seeing positive signs of progress, even though it may be painful at times. I highly recommend Mr. Gilbreath’s blog to everyone as he speaks ‘truth measured with grace.’ There are many voices addressing our current social situation, but all too few are able to offer words of hope and encouragement along the way. We need to understand not only what is wrong with our society and how we have strayed from the path towards the Celestial City, but is it possible to change our ways and make amends, and if so, how.
My dear wife and I recently had the pleasure of an hour of Brother Ed’s time for lunch. One hour was much too short a time, but hopefully, there will be other times in the near future. As I already knew from reading Reconciliation Blues , Mr. Gilbreath is a sensitive disciple of the LORD, and he always seeks to bring a message of healing and restoration when he speaks at various churches, colleges or other Christian events. I have featured Brother Ed here previously so I will simply say now that I pray his tribe will increase.
After I read the post and the initial few comments that followed it, I was immediately struck by two things. First of all, although Mr. Holder used a lot of inclusive language in his speech, it seems that one person felt that he was being divisive in referring to “…Black America and ‘this nation’ as in two separate entities.” Jonolan, as the author of this comment is known, described AG Holder as one who’s overall nuance is that of bigotry and separatism. I don’t think that Jonolan rightly understands either Mr. Holder or Black History. To consider America and her black inhabitants after the Civil War as separate entities was merely to follow the general sentiment of the country as was confirmed in 1896 when the Supreme Court handed down the landmark decision of Plessy vs Ferguson. Most Afro-Americans have felt a sense of otherness here in America, at one time of another, but during the era of Jim Crow segregation, legalized separation was the law of the land. I think Mr. Holder is correct to assert that in order to move forward and work together (social integration) for racial progress, we must become aware of the evils of our collective past which brought us to this awful place.
I don’t think that the view which Jonolan expressed is his alone. I fear that many others share the idea that somehow the race problem here in America was solved a long time ago and we need to stop focusing on it and just move on. An analogy that comes to my mind is that of the person who has a serious infection and yet refuses to seek professional help. Over time, the wounded area may appear to be healthy after new skin has grown in. The flesh may no longer be quite so sensitive to the touch and externally, all seems well. The truth of the matter however, is quite a different story. Under the surface, hidden from view, the old sore is still present and festering. By now a far more lethal threat has arisen and without some form of intervention, amputation or death may be unavoidable.
I believe our situation in regard to race, is serious, but not yet terminal. I think there is still hope that things can turn around and a brighter future is not out of the question. The crucial issue however, is, are we willing to make the kinds of changes required that would evidence a change of heart as a society. In this arena, I am skeptical at best, and generally pessimistic until proven wrong. My hope for the future lies within the parameters of the community of believers. The one essential item which the secular social engineers are missing is the ability to create new people. Only the power of GOD, which operates through the proclamation of the Good News, can produce changed lives and reformed communities. I don’t expect that we shall reform and repair all of our social ills, but I do believe we should expect to demonstrate a different atmosphere in our congregational life. Things here on earth should reflect the will of GOD, which is that His character would be demonstrated in the corporate life of His people.
When Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of the goals and achievements of the Montgomery bus boycott, he spoke first and foremost as a preacher of the Gospel and not as a social reformer. Writing in the Introduction of his book, The Beloved Community (How Faith Shapes Social Justice, From the Civil Rights Movement to Today) Charles Marsh says,
“Martin Luther King Jr. cast the achievements of the year in theological perspective. “It seems that God has decided to use Montgomery as the proving ground for the struggle,” he said; the “old order” is passing away, and “our church is becoming militant, stressing a social gospel as well as a gospel of personal salvation.”
Although a boycott was necessary in Montgomery to bring an end to discriminatory laws, King urged the church people in the movement to keep in mind that a boycott and its achievements do not in themselves represent the goal. “The end is reconciliation, the end is redemption,” he said, “the end is the creation of the beloved community.” P. 1
I believe that we would do well to follow the lead of Dr. King in seeking to embody the Good News in our actions as well as in our words. What we seek in our dialogue on the issue of race is not to revisit the past so as to foster guilt and shame on the part of our white brothers and sisters. Instead I believe that healing of our racial wounds is possible, but only if we are willing to face the past and repent. This repentance must include not only a confession for the evils of the ideology of white supremacy (slavery, Jim Crow segregation, the effects of cultural imperialism, the lingering benefits of white skin privilege, etc), but also forgiveness by those who were the victims.
Blessings,
Shlomo
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