In a broken and fearful world
the Spirit gives us courage
to pray without ceasing,
to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior,
to unmask idolatries in Church and culture,
to hear the voices of peoples long silenced,
and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.
PC(USA) Brief Statement of Faith, 1983

There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

 

Beloved CSPC Family,

The week I came to CSPC, Alton Sterling and Philandro Castille were killed. In the four years I have been with you, we have witnessed the same scene unfold over and over again, with different names, in different cities, but with the same anguish. We have prayed for peace; we have prayed for justice. I hope you all are praying again this week. But prayer is only one of the tools in our spiritual tool kit. Some of you have reached out to ask what our response can be. For now, I offer these to you as spiritual practices for white people that I have been committing to this week, that have both challenged and nourished my faith.

1. Allow yourself Holy Discomfort.

“But now, Lord, you are our parent. We are the clay, and you are our potter. All of us are the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8

Has watching the news this week made you uncomfortable? Good! Discomfort can be how God shapes us into vessels of God’s love, justice, and truth. Scripture reminds us that we are clay in God’s hands. Making a jar out of clay requires pinching, stretching, even whirling the clay around on a wheel. It’s not meant to be a comfortable process for the clay.

Seeing Black people murdered and hearing stories of Black fear, anguish, anger, and grief should make us uncomfortable. Do not rush to soothe yourself too quickly, either by ignoring the problem or by seeking quick fixes. Recognizing racism in ourselves and our society targets some of our dearest beliefs about ourselves: that we are not racist because we don’t actively choose hate; that America is a land of liberty and equality for all; that we have nothing to do with those stories on the news. When God begins to hollow out those untruths, God makes a space for more empathy, compassion, and truth-seeking to thrive.  Let the discomfort guide you towards what God may be doing in your soul.

This stuff is big, and it’s hard. That’s okay. Let it be hard. Sit in the discomfort.

2. Practice Xenophilia (Love of Strangers).

“Don’t forget to love strangers, for by doing so some have received angels as guests unawares.” Hebrews 13:2

Most of us are wired to love our families and dear friends. The Golden Rule famously exhorts us to love our neighbors, which is a bit tougher. But scripture also asks us to love strangers, people we do not know, who do not belong to any of our circles.

I trust that you are nice to your Black co-worker, friend, cashier, next-door neighbor. These protests aren’t actually about being nice to the Black people we personally know. These protests are about the ways white people quickly escalate aggression towards Black people they do not know. They are about how much more quickly police turn to violence against Black suspects than white ones. They are about how much more frequently white people call the police against black strangers than white ones. They are about how often Black people have to prove that they are “safe Black people” at work, in church, at the gym, how Black people have to navigate the constant and exhausting mental gymnastics about how to move safely through the world. As white Christians, we have to train ourselves to look at Black strangers with love if things are to change.

3. Speak imperfectly.

“But Moses said to the Lord, “My Lord, I’ve never been able to speak well, not yesterday, not the day before, and certainly not now since you’ve been talking to your servant. I have a slow mouth and a thick tongue.” Exodus 4:10

George Floyd was suffocated to death ten days ago. Apart from a sermon on Sunday, this is my first public commentary. Part of that is my desire to do no harm by an inapt word, either the harm of further damaging the Black people in my life or the harm of sending up defenses among the white ones. Part of it is my own slowness to process, and commitment to listening before I speak. Part of it, sickeningly, is my own desire to be thought well of by white people, especially the white people who employ me. But silence is complicity, and what I have heard over and over and over again from Black people is that they’d rather we speak imperfectly than not speak at all.

Racism escalates to violence when it knows no one will hold it accountable for its actions.

Speaking up does not mean the same thing for all of us. Some of will protest. Some will post on social media. Some will donate. Some will have difficult conversations with friends and family. Some will bring their confessions to God.

There are no magic words that will fix this. But, as a friend reminded me today, there are two lies that we tell each other: “First, that you can’t change the world, and second, that you’re the only one who can.” Lend your voice, in whatever sphere it is most effective, to working towards a world where Black people are seen instinctively as bearers of God’s face. Trust that together, with the Spirit to give us courage, we can bring the world closer to God’s heavenly kingdom.

With love,
Pastor Carol