How can we still have hope with everything going on around us? Here are my reflections on that question, as we grieve over Mike Brown and Eric Garner in this season of Advent:
The link above will take you to Shared Justice, the blog for which I wrote these reflections. Here is the original, extended version of those thoughts, if you prefer that :)
Advent and Brokenness
As a white
woman, I have known much privilege. Until the past few years, I never had any
reason to doubt the functionality of our justice system or the reliability of
law enforcement. I had no reason to doubt that our system works well for most
people – because it has worked well for me. I have been, and still am to a
large extent, largely ignorant of my own white privilege.
But thankfully,
over the past few years, God has led me to relationships that have begun to
open my eyes. I now have dear friends who are black. My husband and I mentor a 12-year old black
boy, whom we love as if he was our own flesh and blood. My husband cares deeply
for his hundreds of former black students. We both interact with black people
daily who we know and respect. We were close to fostering a young black boy
this year, whom we also love deeply. We know there is a good chance we might
one day adopt a black child.
Having these
relationships – having my heart moved
– has opened my eyes. Let me be clear: I love my country. I have no doubt in my
mind about how blessed I am to live here. I know many, many law enforcement
officers, judges, and regular old civilians like myself who seek what is RIGHT
with all their might everyday. I know our system functions well much of the
time.
But I also have
seen firsthand the ways it fails. Without a doubt, there is systemic injustice
that exits in our systems – and our culture. We cannot be afraid to acknowledge
this. We cannot be ignorant of the fact that white privilege exists, and that
it prevents many of us from seeing the depth of the injustice that exists
around us. It doesn’t mean our entire country is flawed, but if we do not
recognize that our system is imperfect – it was imperfect when it was
established and it is imperfect today – our country WILL fall apart. If we
allow injustice to exist, it will only increase. It is time to recognize the
glaring evils that we have allowed to survive, and demand change where it is so
desperately needed:
There are a lot
of reasons why these inequalities and injustices exist, and not enough space to
delve into them all here. But the reality is that they do exist - and we all play a part in allowing it. We cannot be
afraid to admit this. We need to let go of our own cultural perceptions and
biases. We need to not let ideals based on our own comfort rule us. We need to
get outside ourselves. We need to do
what it takes to make sure inequality does not exist, as much as it depends on
us. Let’s be involved in our schools, our communities. Let’s have relationships
with those who are different from us. Let’s love our neighbors – all of them –
as ourselves. We need to listen.
Let’s feel what our brothers and sisters feel.
This is what
Christ commands of us. As his followers,
we are called to be the first ones bringing
injustice to light. We are called to lead the way in naming and destroying
anything that is not what God
intended. In Christ, we are all equal and if one of us is suffering, we all
suffer. We cannot be silent. We cannot allow defensiveness or anger to rule us,
but rather compassion and humility as we seek change:
“Here there is not Greek and
Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free;
but Christ is all, and in all. Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and
beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…”
(Colossians 3:11-12)
We cannot fight
anger and injustice with more anger and injustice. We must reflect Christ’s
perfect way – listening in humility, recognizing where we’ve been wrong in
meekness, being patient with those who are angry or hard.
But while Christ
was humble and meek, he was not silent. He was not afraid. He was bold. He blazed with zeal and passion,
and burned with anger when he saw wrong. He did not, and does not, tolerate the
mistreatment of ANY person made in His image. So we should not either.
What lights
Christ on fire and makes him upend tables in the temple should cause us to do
the same. Watching in silence when injustice is active around us the same as if
we were doing it ourselves. Christ makes it very clear: we are not to tolerate
sin. And the fact that in our country today the majority of our failing schools
are filled with minority children who are pushed through a system in which they
are destined to fail – this is sin. Because
ALL are made in God’s image. Though we might not be physically pushing children
into the “school-to-prison pipeline,” though we might not be one of the
officers murdering an unarmed man, though we might not be one of the citizens
who has actively racist thoughts – if we do not ACT to change these realities,
we are allowing people made in God’s image to suffer injustice. And we are
sinning.
“We
do the Light a disservice when we underestimate the darkness. Jesus entered a
world plagued not only by the darkness of individual pain and sin, but also by
the darkness of systemic oppression.” (Christena
Cleveland)
God saved us so
that we might love and glorify him forever – and that includes eternal life. But
Christ also saved us so that we can follow his example. So that we can step
into the deep, systemic darkness around us and bring Light. We must acknowledge the darkness around us,
so that we can bring the full power of the Light. God calls us to love and
glorify him now through joining him
in his larger redemption plan, which includes this world as well as heaven. We
are saved that we might be who he created us to be and join him in the work he
created us to do. Until we recognize this, we are not living in the full
purpose he has for us.
This purpose
includes living with a “holy discontent” – a burning in our hearts because we
have a vision from Christ that there is something BETTER he desires for us and
our world. A holy discontent that causes us to look at our cities and weep when
we see pain or injustice, as Christ did when he looked over Jerusalem (Luke
19:41). We are called to feel the pain of ANY of our brothers and sisters who
are suffering, who are living under ANY type of injustice. We are called to
feel sickened, to weep, to fight, as Christ did. Christ’s love and compassion
were so deep, his bravery and boldness so strong, that he walked to the cross.
Let us be like Christ. Let us love with compassion, and let us fight with humility
and steadfastness. Let us weep with those who weep, let us touch those who are
hurting, let us listen to those who are grieving, let us upend tables in places
of hypocrisy and speak boldly in the face of evil. Let us be willing to walk to
the cross for our brothers and sisters.
“A scared world
needs a fearless church.” (A.W. Tozer) In this time of Advent especially, we
are called to show the world that Christ
has come near. Immanuel, “God with us,” has saved us and shows us a new Way.
Advent reminds us that one day he will return again, once and for all, and will
make all things new. There will be no
more prejudice or murder. But until then, we are to be his hands and feet, a
foretelling of this reality, furthering His vision of renewal as much as we can
while we are on this earth. In this time of Advent, we can show the world a
glimpse of heaven - a glimpse of true peace and justice. We can bring Light
into the darkness.
“The people walking
in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” - Isaiah 9:2
I grieve for Michael
Brown, Eric Garner, and so many others. I grieve for the deep wrongs that exist
in our country. But I believe, and am thankful,
that right now during Advent the Church is poised to step out and lead in a
clear way. We are poised to bring the Light, to bring Christ’s message of redemption
and reconciliation, to proclaim that He has come and is coming again. So let’s
do it.
Friends, let’s
FIGHT. Not with weapons, but with our prayers and words and lifestyles. Let’s move, let’s be brave, let’s destroy
injustice. Christ will return
someday, and he will make all things
right. Let’s be on His side when we see him face to face. Let’s join Him NOW,
furthering His purposes on this earth, pointing to his healing grace. Let’s
fight with all our hearts, using all the power and authority He has given us to
make sure all people are treated
justly and all people have the chance
to live the full lives God desires for them. Let’s fight to make this world a
little more the way God intended it. Let’s show this world a glimpse of what it
will look like when Christ comes with fire and glory and completes his good work,
destroying injustice and inequality once and for all.
“And he who was seated on the throne
said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’”
Revelation 21:5
Look around – Aslan is on the move. Let’s join him.
