RESPONSE TO SHAME
I think one of the paralyzing features of modern
Christianity in addressing racism is their inability to
deal with shame. Most members don’t know the
exact details, but whether it is in the early days of
this country or just the history of many local
churches, they know that Christianity compromised
its own beliefs in support of slavery and later the
systemic racism of our society.
When Africans were brought to this country
beginning in 1619, they were sold as cheap labor to
raise cotton and tobacco. There was significant
debate as to whether one should proclaim a Gospel
to Africans because they might get the idea that they
were equally created in the image of God and
demand to be respected as God’s children. Major
theologians wrestled with the Scripture and
Christian beliefs and developed a defense of slavery.
Today, there aren’t many active Christians that
would fail to see that the Gospel challenges racism
and bigotry. At the same time, they recognize that if
you emphasized those Christian values too much, it
would demand a costly lifestyle and division within
society. The result is that many Christians prefer to
just keep quiet and keep the peace (among White
Christians.)While in a parallel fashion, African Americans heard a different message that enabled
them to stay strong during the horror of the
moment
Scape-Goat Sunday
The Israelites, when they were making their way across the wilderness, developed some worship practices that I think might help us cross our own wilderness. One of those practices was what we might call the festival of the scapegoat. We tend to romanticize these people in the wilderness as if their only problem was finding food and water and coping with poisonous snakes. Like most human communities, another significant challenge was how to live with each other. The Ten Commandments are part of their response to this challenge. One of the almost forgotten festivals was the once-yearly festival of the scapegoat. Once a year they chose a goat, symbolically placed upon it the sins of the people. They then drove the goat out into the wilderness. Think about what this meant. Once every year, the Israelites took all of their misbehaviors, placed them on the goat, and drove the goat away. They could have a fresh start.
WOULD YOUR CHURCH LIKE A FRESH START IN ADDRESSING RACISM IN OUR SOCIETY?
