Dear
Christians, Stop Judging The #BlackLivesMatter Movement And Start Defending The
Oppressed
#BlackLivesMatter isn’t perfect, but neither
is Christianity.
If Christians reject Black Lives Matter because the movement is
filled with flaws, they must also reject Christianity for the very same reason.
Because Jesus himself was perfect, but the people and institutions that claimed
his namesake’s faith certainly weren’t — and aren’t.
History is filled
with Christians committing numerous atrocities under the guise of Christianity.
Events like the Crusades, the Inquisition and other countless examples of
misuse — including modern evils such as child abuse, bigotry, xenophobia,
exclusivity, and hateful rhetoric — reveal that the religion of Christianity
has routinely fallen short of Jesus’ example.
Despite this, I
can still look beyond the countless shortcomings and see the foundational truth
of Jesus. Yet many Christians refuse to give the Black Lives Matter cause the
same benefit of the doubt. Just as Christians don’t judge Christianity by its
worst moments, we also shouldn’t do the same for this movement.
For many
Christians, it’s hard now to imagine that Jesus was hated and judged by the
religious leaders of his day, being unfairly criticized throughout his ministry,
and routinely facing a wide variety of vitriolic accusations.
A movement
that’s pursuing equality, justice, dignity, respect and accountability should
be supported, because these are virtues that the gospel of Jesus is all about.
But Jesus
and his followers had a horrible reputation, and he was accused of being a
blasphemer and deceiver. He hung out with sinners, prostitutes, the “unclean,”
the demon-possessed, the Romans, foreigners and those on the fringes of
society. His disciples consisted of a tax collector, a zealot, a sword-wielding
attacker, and a traitor. Jesus started riotous mobs, and even created havoc the
most sacred of places — the temple.
So to denounce a
movement because of immoral associations, or contrary beliefs, or unlawful
incidents, or because of its notoriety is ironic, especially for Christians who
base their faith on a man who encapsulated all of those things.
Jesus, who came
from a people that often suffered under the Roman ruling class, was eventually
unfairly arrested, abused, tortured by government authorities, mocked amid a
jeering mob, and humiliatingly executed on cross.
He angered too
many leaders, confronted too powerful a government, and enraged too many people
— so they eventually murdered him.
The life of Jesus
is always the best example for Christians to follow, and anything that is
anti-Jesus (violence, hate, shame, racism, bigotry, and apathy) should be
rejected, while everything Christ-like (seeking justice, revealing truth,
serving, protecting, uplifting, encouraging, healing, caring, sacrificing,
empathizing, empowering, freeing, reconciling, restoring, forgiving, and
loving) should be honored and pursued.
The reality is
that the Black Lives Matter movement, like most things in this world — including
you and me — is an imperfect and complex entity consisting of both good and bad
elements. But a movement that’s pursuing equality, justice, dignity, respect
and accountability should be supported, because these are virtues that the
gospel of Jesus is all about.
This doesn’t mean
Christians should excuse sin, condone violence, or dismiss hurtful actions. And
it doesn’t mean you can’t support cops, or be a Republican, or disagree with
anything being done, said, and communicated. The danger is when Christians
downplay, disregard, or completely throw out the truth that people of color
have been — and are being — oppressed by a broken system that’s infected with
inequality, discrimination, lack of accountability, and racism.
Unfortunately,
some Christians — especially white, conservative Christians (but not all of
them) — are using the imperfect aspects of the movement as an excuse to support
rhetoric that denies the existence of racism, inequality, white privilege, and
works on the assumption that the cause is some sort of made-up overreaction,
misunderstanding, or liberal agenda.
It’s not.
If Christians
have nothing to do or say to support the lives of the marginalized and abused,
what good is Christianity at all?
For
Christians who deny that Black Lives Matter, the sin is failing to realize that
people who are loved by God, and made in God’s image and likeness, aren’t being
treated like it.
Black Lives Matter
is a civil rights movement, a human rights movement, and deeply spiritual cause
that requires followers of Christ to imitate the example of Jesus: to help,
stand up, speak out, and sacrifice for those in need.
According to
Jesus, Christians are called to:
Defend the
oppressed, not smear their image.
Empower the
maligned, not deny their cause.
Stop corruption,
not rationalize it.
Seek justice, not
ignore injustice.
Stop persecution,
not blame the persecuted.
Historically, our
nation’s most tragic civil and human rights victims have either been “not
Christian enough” for mainstream churches and denominations to support, or
there was simply too much passivity and apathy to do anything.
During the Indian
Removal Act, Native Americans weren’t Christian enough to defend. During times
of nativism, the Catholics and immigrants weren’t Christian enough to defend.
Throughout the segregation era black Christians didn’t have the support of many
white Christians, and when the U.S. put its Japanese citizens in internment
camps during WWII, mainstream Christianity was largely silent.
In every modern
opportunity to be a radical countercultural force for good in the U.S., many
white Christians blew it by conjuring up excuses, looking the other way, and
even being directly complicit in the subjugation of other human beings.
So here we are
again, facing a historic crisis, where people are fighting for their rights and
dignity, and once again many Christians will have to choose whether or not to
act. Which begs the question: If Christians have nothing to do or say to
support the lives of the marginalized and abused, what good is Christianity at
all?
Many white
Christians will be afraid to say #blacklivesmatter because they think it’s too
political, or too progressive, or too liberal, or too unfair, or too
controversial. But saying #blacklivesmatter isn’t denying one particular group’s
worth at the expense of another. Rather, it’s affirming that people of color
are to be loved as divine creations made in the image of God, and they aren’t
being treated like it. Instead they’re being dehumanized by a society that has
consistently devalued and exploited their lives.
In a previous article I wrote these words, and I think
they’re more important now than ever:
The Bible tells us
that Jesus cared deeply about the social causes around him.
Instead of saying
all lives matter, Jesus said, “Samaritan lives matter.”
Instead of saying
all lives matter, Jesus said, “Children’s lives matter.”
Instead of saying
all lives matter, Jesus said, “Gentile lives matter.”
Instead of saying
all lives matter, Jesus said, “Jewish lives matter.”
Instead of saying
all lives matter, Jesus said, “Women’s lives matter.”
Instead of saying
all lives matter, Jesus said, “Lepers’ lives matter.”
Even though Jesus
loves everyone, even to the point of dying for their sins, he went out of his
way to intentionally help specific groups of people — the alienated,
mistreated, and those facing injustice.
So saying “Black Lives Matter” and participating in a movement
seeking justice, positive reform, and empowerment is one of the most
Christ-like things we can do.
God help us.
No comments:
Post a Comment