As I write this, I mourn with the nation over the events this week. In the midst of all this tragedy, I think it is important to recognize that the events that have occurred in Dallas should not overshadow the seed of racism that has been present in out country since it’s birth. This seed has resulted in countless murders of African Americans at the hands of law enforcement. It’s safe to say that there is still work to be done and these things must be addressed. This post was birthed out of multiple conversations with friends.
All Lives Matter?
For centuries, African American’s have fought for dignity and just because rights are equal doesn’t mean the systemic issue is solved. Saying All Lives Matter as a response is a poor remedy for our problems. It portrays a dismissal of an issue that has affected many people and it does not reflect the needs of this movement. Of course, all lives matter, but the historically oppressed in our country are black lives.
“It’s like if there is a subdivision and a house is on fire. The Fire Department wouldn’t show up and start putting water on all the houses because all houses matter. They would show up and spray the house that is burning because that’s the house that needs help the most.”
Black Lives Matter isn’t a new slogan. The British Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade created a seal showing a slave kneeling that read “Am I not a man and a brother?” When black sanitation workers in Memphis were fed up with their wages, they went on strike and protested to be treated as men fully deserving of the adequate wages their white coworkers received. Their signs read “I Am A Man.” Their lives weren’t considered valuable. Recently, we have seen a new iteration of “I Am A Man” when George Zimmerman was let off the hook in 2013 for the murder of Trayvon Martin.
Pro-Black Doesn’t Mean Anti-Cop or Anti-White
After the Dallas shooting, former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh tweeted, “3 cops killed. 7 wounded. This is now war. Watch out Obama. Watch out black lives matter punks. Real America is coming after you.” Let’s hope this man doesn’t get back to Washington because he is completely missing the point of what America needs right now.
When someone says Black Lives Matter, it doesn’t mean they hate cops or white people. I have friends who are both white and cops. I’ve legitimately lived life, in weddings and mournings, with my white friends. I am not only Pro-Black, but I am Pro-Life with our Father. Therefore, where lives are dispensed carelessly, inside and outside of the womb, I will stand with them. I am them. Therefore, I will stand with my brothers and sisters, because injustice still exists no matter how much we try to pretend it doesn’t.
Some ask “What about the violent and angry men and women? You want cops killed?”
That’s the equivalent of people knocking Christianity because of a pastor’s adultery or hating white people because some are in the Ku Klux Klan. It’s as if I received Joe Walsh’s tweet as if every republican said those words. There is a Judas in every movement.
Black on Black Crime
As an apologetic to combat those who support #BlackLivesMatter, many half-heartedly go to the statistics. This is seen as many are quick present “blacks kill blacks more than cops kill blacks”. Sadly, while this statistic is true it doesn’t negate the current events and to believe it does can be heartbreaking, shameful and can be a defense mechanism. I’ve seen it used as an attempt to abruptly end a necessary conversation. I am not ignorant to that reality, I grew up in the heart of black on black violence, it’s historic America.
Here’s a drive-by history lesson: Black people came to America by force. When freed from slavery, we were forced to divisions of cities separated and segregated from whites; we became the poor and low-income communities and were denied rights to vote to make a change. We began our own businesses, churches, schools, and entertainment. Men were led to commit crimes to feed their families, which led to incarceration. When these communities began to go to hell, no one cared. Black communities didn’t matter to America, but the conversation has seemingly remained stuck on one point: the fault belongs to the black community. It is the perfect example of the sin of omission; America (at the time, most of white America) didn’t bat an eye. The glass ceilings are real and we must not continue to pretend they don’t exist if we strive to achieve lasting change.
In Conclusion
As we mourn, it’s important to work through this problem. We must take heart while not letting the tragedies of this week distract us from the crisis that has been going on for centuries–especially if we want reconciliation. We can no longer deny that racism exists. We have historically run over others, killed our fellow man, and dehumanized people made in the image of God in our sin. The only difference now is technology is being used to tell the stories and fuel the wrong fires.
We all see it, there are people living in fear due to the escalation on both sides. My hope is that we remember the most anchoring truth that there is. Jesus was the ultimate victim of injustice; beaten, mocked, and slain for the sins of an ungodly people. He knew how it felt to live in a system where it seemed all hope was lost. He knew what it was like to be murdered unjustly. Somehow, the Father who’s Son took our impending wrath, saw worth in us. We know that God values us, so He sent His Son to die on our behalf. The least of us mattered. If God clearly displays the value to all people and we proclaim to love Him, how can we go forward in indifference or neglect? There is no room to be apathetic towards those who matter to our God.
So what now? Instead of being reactive, be proactive. Proactive in praying for racial reconciliation, proactive in building diverse relationships and in learning about the theological urgency. We must be proactive to knowing how God views race, justice, and people. If you have diverse friends, I encourage you to exchange stories. It’s hard to empathize with people we don’t care to know deeply. The church should passionately pursue reconciliation on all fronts and this year we have been reminded that racial reconciliation is imperative.
“The call of the church is to not just tolerate one another, or simply understand one another, but it is to mourn with one another.” – Mike Edmondson, Gospel Coalition 2016
Helpful Resources
Talk: Is Black Lives Matter The New Civil Rights Movement?
Books: The New Jim Crow, Right Color Wrong Culture, The Rich Get Richer and The Poor Get Prison, Letter From Birmingham Jail, Letters To A Birmingham Jail, Divided By Faith
Websites: The Gospel Coalition, Reformed African American Network
Voices: Ray Ortlund, Eric Mason, Matt Chandler
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