Jesus & Justice

Here we are again.

Issues of racial injustice continue to plague our country and, for whatever reason, it remains an extremely divisive issue. In last few weeks we’ve seen Ahmaud Arbery gunned down in the street like a stray animal, Breonna Taylor murdered in her sleep, and George Floyd strangled to death by an officer and four of his complicit friends who were supposed to protect him. The unjust murder of black people in America continues to be a story that defines the nation.

Yet, the truth remains that there are many who do not see these killings as unjust or racially motivated. My opening paragraph may have even been offensive to you. So this blog is for you. My intent is never to offend unnecessarily. It is not to name-call, shame, open a witch hunt, or cause riots. My intent, by God’s grace, is to communicate what I believe to be the heart of Jesus Christ, in a spirit of love, so that understanding may be had, love may be upheld, and unity a reality.

There are many common objections I hear in regard to the outcry against the unjust killing of black people. I will do my best to address what I believe to be the most common ones:

Objection #1: Why proclaim #BlackLivesMatter - don’t all lives matter?

Of course ALL lives matter. Proclaiming that “Black Lives Matter” is not a promotion of black people and demotion of everybody else. Rather, in the moment of injustice, what we recognize is the value of the lives of Ahmaud, Breonna, and George - a value that was diminished by each of the murderers who took their lives. If a U.S. soldier dies in service to his service to his country and we proclaim that it is right to honor and value our soldiers, it would be pretty silly - a highly insensitive - to use a soldier’s death as an opportunity to proclaim that the lives of all employees matter. Of course they do. But that isn’t the point.

Again, upholding the value of black lives is not a slight against other races. Rather, it is an attempt to shine a light on the fact that the majority of America’s history has been one filled with laws and systems that pain the picture that black lives do not matter. Slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, lack of a right to vote, disproportionate prison numbers… this is the history and even current reality in America in many instances. Stating that Black Lives Matter is an effort to promote the value of an entire race of people who have been objectively treated as if they don’t matter as much as other races.

Objection #2: “Slavery and Segregation were a long time ago. I wasn’t even alive, so why keep bringing it up?”

There’s an illustration that Crawford Loritts (senior pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, GA) has used in the past that I think is helpful. It goes something like this:

Imagine if you were watching last year’s Super Bowl between the 49ers and the Chiefs. And in this version of the game it becomes objectively clear that the referees are calling the game in favor of the Chiefs. Phantom pass interference calls, roughing the passer, throwing guys out of the game for targeting… All of the calls are in favor of one team and the other gets nothing. At halftime, the Chiefs lead 50-0. At that point, the NFL commissioner has had enough. The game is rigged; it is unfair to the entire 49er team. So he replaces the wicked, unjust referees with ones who vow to call the game fair from here on out. It’s a great idea, but it isn’t without its flaws. Regardless of the equity with which the game is called in the 2nd half, the 49ers still begin with an insurmountable disadvantage. They are down 50-0. They never really had a fair shot.

In this example, the NFL commissioner, the referees, and the team that benefitted from the injustice would actually need to do more to create actual equity, not an imaginary concept. This, unfortunately, is the state of our country. Most people in majority culture begin life with greater advantages. Obviously this is not always the case - I want to make sure I’m fair - but generally speaking, the vast majority of white people in America have greater opportunities afforded to them. And I don’t just mean the obvious things like education and business opportunities, I mean basic things like being given the benefit of the doubt in questionable situations.

When the Ahmaud’s, the Breonna’s, and the George’s of the world are gunned down and strangled, the first question far too many people ask is, “What did he/she do wrong?”… as if any action justifies being gunned down in the street, shot in your own home, or strangled to death for several minutes. Presuming black people are guilty until they are proven innocent is a direct contradiction to the foundation of our justice system.

This is precisely where the church has a divine responsibility to step in. The Old Testament is wrought with passages in which God commands Israel to care for marginalized people who are not a part of the dominant family structure. Israelites were commanded to leave the outer portion of their field for the orphans, widows, and immigrants to glean, rather than formulate campaign after campaign for the sole purpose of upholding their own right to property. In fact, when Israel perpetually failed in this area God assured them he wouldn’t even hear their prayers (Jer. 7:16). Not doing something about racial injustice makes you an accomplice to the crime and possibly even negates your prayers to God. Feel the weight of that.

So how can the church, white members of the church specifically, do more to bring about reconciliation? Or, better put, how can the church do more to even the score in response to the disproportionate mistreatment of black people in America? I don’t have all the answers, but I have some suggestions:

1. Call out racial injustice for what it is - don’t gloss it over, generalize, or demean the struggle by categorizing it is a liberal, or social justice issue. Fight it!

2. Seek to befriend and understand neighbors who don’t look like you. When Jesus addressed the question, “Who is my neighbor?” in Luke 10, he responded with a story about an individual who was the recipient of consistent racial prejudice, a Samaritan, and used his actions of kindness toward a member of the dominant culture to illustrate what it means to be a neighbor. Jesus told this story to those in the majority in his day. I don’t know why modern day evangelicalism has convinced itself that this application doesn’t apply to them.

3. Join a peaceful protest. Emphasis on peaceful. I would never endorse violent looting and rioting that has nothing to do with the issues at hand. But marching, picketing, open-air proclaiming, and nonviolent refusals are are all well and good. They effect change and demonstrate that your love and care is more likely genuine than not.

4. Read black Christian history. If you’ve gone to Bible college or seminary, regularly listened to modern preaching, or read theological Christian books, it’s very likely that the only theologians you’ve heard of are white. Research and you will find some great black men of the past like Augustine, Tertullian, Matthew Anderson, and Francis Grimke. Current authors and preachers like Anthony Bradley, Thabiti Anyabwile, Crawford Loritts, and Carl Ellis are great as well. And there are many more.

Objection #3: “Isn’t sticking to the gospel the best way to effect change? Talking about race does nothing but divide.”

First and foremost, part of Jesus’ ministry intentionally created division (Luke 12:51). In the first recorded sermon in Luke Jesus preaches from Isaiah 61 and illustrates his point by using two racial examples that brought discomfort and conviction to the hearts of the Israelites who heard him - the majority culture of his time. In other words, in avoiding race talk you are doing preaching in a way that does not mirror Jesus at all.

Secondly, “just preach the gospel” in response to racial injustice reflects a major misunderstanding of the gospel in the first place. The gospel as the good news about individuals being forgiven of sin and granted eternal life on the basis of Jesus’ death and resurrection is only part of the gospel story. What the Bible clearly teaches, in fact, is that the good news that Jesus brings is about the total renewal of absolutely everything. This includes Jesus’ bringing of justice. Jesus’ new heavens and new earth includes “every nation, tribe, and tongue” (Rev. 7:9). Therefore, the in-breaking of Jesus’ kingdom in our current world reflects the same redemptive purposes. If Jesus is about racial reconciliation at the end, he’s about it right now as well.

Thirdly, “just preach the gospel” seems to only apply to racial discussions. Pastors who rightly and boldly call out abortion are never told to “just preach the gospel.” Any follower of Christ with a basic understanding of the Bible knows that abortion is wrong and believes that it is part of the gospel message to fight for the unborn. Furthermore, is John the Baptist “just preaching the gospel” when he calls out Herod for the specific sin of incest in Matthew 3? Is Paul “just preaching the gospel” when he calls out a man for sleeping with his stepmother in 1 Corinthians 5? Is Jesus “just preaching the gospel” when he confronts the Samaritan (marginalized race) woman (marginalized gender) for her adultery?

The truth is, the evangelical church is simply more comfortable with discussion of certain sins and certain “acceptable” calls for justice. The specific value of black lives is not included in those categories.

In order to bring about repentance of sin, we must confront what the specific sin is. If my son smacks me in the face because he wants a toy, a general discussion about the fall of Adam and Eve and effect on him isn’t going to do the trick. He needs to know, specifically, that slapping people is a sin, and it’s wrong. It is wrong to gang up on a black man and shoot him in the street. It is wrong to shoot a black woman while she is sleeping. It is wrong to kneel on a black man’s neck until he is no longer breathing. I think we know this. But just as Jesus says that murder originates in the heart, so does racism. It is wrong to leave your neighborhood because more dark people are moving in or transfer you child’s school for the same reason. It’s wrong to presume dark people to be sinister and likely guilty based on appearance alone. This, too, is racism - so be on the side of reconciliation and don’t hesitate to call it out.