I M A G O D E I
Special Eight-Week Series:
I’m White and This Conversation Is Hard
by, Jarrett Meek, Founder/Pastor/Executive Director
So, you’re White and you’re feeling frustrated and uncomfortable with all the racial tension happening in our country right now. You are against racism, but you don’t like the tone of the discussion or some of the things that are happening at the protests. You recognize there’s a problem with racism in our country still, but you’re skeptical about “systemic racism”, and you are very uncomfortable with rhetoric that makes you feel guilty for being White. You’re at a loss for how to respond, because so much of what you hear doesn’t fit with your own experience, and it seems that anything you say or do will be misinterpreted and you’ll end up being labeled a racist. So how can someone like you learn, engage, and contribute to solutions on issues of racial justice? In this edition of our Imago Dei series, I would like to lay out a few important lessons I’ve learned in my own personal journey.
Embrace the Discomfort: The devastation that racism has caused in our country is far beyond what most White people can imagine or have begun to process. There is simply no nice, clean, tidy, or orderly way to address it. Truly engaging in the issue of racism is like walking into a city recently destroyed by war- if we think we can walk through clean and unscathed, with our khaki shorts and flip-flops, we are in for a shocking surprise. As White people, we mostly see racism from a distance. If you really want to engage, you will need to be ready to confront the harsh and raw realities on the ground. And, what you see and hear on the ground may seem offensive to you and will challenge what you thought you knew about race in our country. Interestingly, even Dr. King, seen from a distance historically, is now universally praised. Despite what popular quotes and MLK day memes might lead you to believe, at the time- he was extremely polarizing and controversial. His movement sparked bombings, turned cities upside down, included marching on highways, and confrontations with police. I’m not suggesting that you shut off your discernment. However, if you find yourself often raising objections or finding fault, you might be lining up on the wrong side of the field. Your tolerance level for personal discomfort and the messiness of this struggle will have to increase a lot in order to be able to see, understand, and confront racial injustice in any meaningful way.
Learn to Recognize Racism in Yourself: So many White people shut down the conversation about race when they begin to perceive they are being implicated as part of the problem. Sometimes the message we hear is “White people are BAD!”. Rather than listen and process what is really being said, our defenses go up, and we shut down. The challenging truth in all of this is that we really can’t contribute much to progress on racism until we are able to see it in ourselves. It is sobering and painful to admit that we have somehow internalized a belief that we are better than others. However, this mentality is often just under the surface, and it seeps out in ways we often don’t even recognize. Unfortunately, if we can’t recognize our part in the problem, there is no way we can contribute meaningfully to any solutions. Engaging the discussion on racism requires us to take a Psalm 139 posture continuously: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” I lead a multicultural ministry and the only way I have been able to learn the lessons I’ve needed to learn on race is by being corrected. Those corrections have sometimes been painful, but they have been some of the most important catalysts for my personal, spiritual growth. I encourage you to embrace opportunities to explore where the ideology of White supremacy might be hiding in your own heart and mind.
Step Down from the Seat of Judgement: I’m going to say something that might be hard to hear- as a White person: It is unlikely that you have much expertise to add to the discussion on racial justice. Your experience and understanding is most likely theoretical and developed at a distance from the realities that really shape our current situation. We all would agree that there is a big difference between a person who has learned in a classroom and a person who has 30 years of experience in the field. It’s easy to find things we disagree with in any broad movement, but when our learning is done only theoretically, in the classroom (or worse, from the perspective of political commentary), we don’t have the necessary context to apply that learning appropriately. So, we can sound smart when we debate “Critical Race Theory” or cite “Black-on Black” crime statistics, but our understanding and experience is woefully lacking. Unfortunately, as humans, we don’t like to be wrong or for our ignorance to be exposed. And as White people, we are used to taking a superior position of judgment when it comes to other racial groups. If we truly want to learn and contribute meaningfully to progress on racial justice, we must learn to listen to Black leaders, especially Christians, who are actively engaged in racial justice work. As a side note, latching on to Black voices whose views confirm your own but represent only a small percentage of the Black perspective probably won’t get you where you need to go.
Understand the Importance of Justice in Reconciliation: Do you remember the Promise Keepers movement? They were an organization in the 1990s that encouraged men to be more godly husbands. Part of the Promise Keepers movement included a strong emphasis on racial reconciliation. I attended some of their stadium events and was greatly encouraged by them. Unfortunately, the movement did not produce the kind of lasting racial reconciliation that would be visible today. I believe one reason has to do with the critical relationship between racial justice and racial reconciliation. Many White Christians are longing for unity as their Black brothers and sisters struggle under inequities and injustices that we refuse to see and neglect to address. How can genuine reconciliation occur if White Christians will not join our Black brothers and sisters in their struggle for justice? Is it right to place all the emphasis on unity when the injustices faced by our Black neighbors have a generational link to our own prosperity? Yes, God is a God of reconciliation. But, friends, we must recognize that asking for a unity that doesn’t include justice for our brothers and sisters is cruel and wrong. Let our unity be bound together and validated in Christ by our practical, actionable concern and love for our neighbor.
One of the most meaningful areas of growth for me personally over the last 10 years has been the privilege of beginning to experience what I refer to as a “new we”. I have begun to have fellowship and unity with people of diverse backgrounds and races. Yes, I am still very much a work in progress when it comes to my own racial biases, but I have learned so many important lessons and I am experiencing the kind of racial reconciliation many of us say we want. My own journey has been uncomfortable at times- learning to see racial bias in myself has been confusing and frustrating. I’ve had to embrace my own lack of understanding and become primarily a learner on issues of race. And, I’ve come to understand that one of the most important keys to opening up the door to real reconciliation is joining the struggle for racial justice. It has been one big exercise in humility.
Over the next six weeks, we will dedicate our Adelante Express to exploring themes related to the concept of the Imago Dei and racial justice. We invite you to follow this series and explore what it means to love our neighbor and see the image of God in them.