Amid unrest, love your neighbor and focus on those who unite us
A former parishioner asked for my “opinion from a Christian viewpoint” on Black Lives Matter, #Walkaway, and Blexit. As far as I can tell, these are all reactions that resist society’s stereotypes. BLM is protesting our nation’s devaluing of Black lives. The other two are new organizations proclaiming independent thinking from the Democratic Party but who also seem interested in bashing it.
The parishioner, Anna, wrote that she had “so much unrest and anxiety about the future” and the current racial and political conflicts are a part of her fear. This is what I told her:
Compared to the civil-rights movement in the 1960s, I can tell you that what is happening presently is less scary. In the ’60s we were assassinating our leaders — a president, leaders of the civil-rights movement, a presidential candidate. Many were afraid our nation would be destroyed from within. But the leadership and morality of non-violence prevailed. We came out with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. What gives me even more hope today is that in the ’60s we had only a small percentage of whites involved in the protests for racial justice and fairness. In the past month, according to Pew Research, the percentage of white protesters was nearly three times the percentage of Black protesters.
As the solution to our problems goes beyond politics or social reform, I was asked to relate these times to the Book of Revelation or the end times. In the best of religions, indeed of all humanity, the values of equality and love and togetherness are promoted. In our faith, equality is established at creation, where all people are made in the image of God, fulfilled in the life of Jesus whose mission it was to give his life for those who had been left out, and then pictured in the glimpse of heavenly worship that John sees: “…a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne…” (Revelation 7:9) For all time, our differences are valued equally in a great harmony of love.
We were taught to pray, “…thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” What does that mean for our current national and cultural situation? It means the voices that would divide us, and would degrade those not like us, must be ignored in favor of those who would unite us, promoting mutual respect.
It means those of us who have power must use it for those who don’t have power, because in their wellbeing will be our wellbeing (Jeremiah 27:9). It means that white supremacy (me/mine first and my neighbors are less important), so long promoted and protected in this country, surprisingly by persons and traditions in the church, is not only harmful but heresy.
I am ashamed that I was not more explicit that maintaining white advantage over our neighbors’ growing disadvantage is wrong. You shouldn’t have to wonder or feel threatened about the continuing struggle for equality. The pursuit of equality is God’s mission even though it is anxiety-producing. I’m doing my best now to be a renewed voice and vote for justice. I want, inasmuch as is in my power, to repent and repair the wrongs that have benefited me and disadvantaged others.
So don’t lose any more sleep over “what’s to come for our children and grandchildren.” Do what you can to keep loving your neighbor as you love yourself, in prayer and in action. If you will do that, you will be doing the best you can for coming generations. Joel C. Hunter is chairman of the Community Resource Network and retired pastor of Northland, A Church Distributed.