Confession and Commitment

It would be easy to forget.

That is the benefit of my white privilege. If I wanted to, I could ignore the injustice that persons of color face everyday.

Stay off my social media.

Insulate myself with people who look and think like me.

Live my life concerned only with issues that affect me.

Dismiss their pain by focusing on other issues.

Refuse to engage in the conversation to avoid acknowledging my part in racism.

Jump to the defensive to shield myself from the difficulty of self-examination.

If I wanted to.

But I refuse to continue living in ignorance and inaction that is contributing to discrimination and death.

Because I have done all of those things. I am a part of the racism that runs deep in this world. I have chosen to forget because I could. Because it made my life easier, simpler, to not engage. I have chosen my own self interest over concern for others. And in the process, become less like Jesus. My Jesus, who was not white. My Jesus, who consistently chose to engage the injustice around Him, to challenge the status quo set by the religious leaders of his day. My Jesus who commanded His followers to "abandon every display of selfishness; possess a greater concern for what matters to others instead of your own interests." (Philippians 2:4)

Whenever I dismiss the concerns of others in order to make my life easier, I become less like Jesus.

Jesus, who drove out people selling sacrificial animals because, even though they were practicing "proper" worship, they were doing it in the outer courts, conveniently keeping anyone who wasn't Jewish from being able to participate. (John 2:13-22)

Jesus, who intentionally elevated the voices of people that the majority ignored. [A Samaritan preached to her entire village (John 4:28-30) A woman was the first to preach the resurrection (John 20:18) And those are just a couple examples]

Jesus, who rebuked the Pharisees whose system was benefiting themselves and beating down everyone else.

So, how can I, who profess to follow this Jesus, respond in any other way than deep and honest repentance for the racism in my heart and commitment to join the fight for change in practical ways?

(The fact that I'm just now truly grappling with this truth is further example of white privilege. People of color know this truth from the moment they draw breath)

Please do not look for a quick fix for this: it does not exist. When we search for a way to swiftly alleviate our guilt, we will never be part of true change. Genuine, lasting change requires us to take responsibility for the parts each of us have played in contributing to and allowing racism to continue. Sit with the truth, even if (honestly, especially if) it makes us uncomfortable. Admit, with words, to other people (particularly other white people) that we are anti-black and that we are journeying to change that.

Please do not expect people of color to explain racism to us without doing some research ourselves. Demanding vulnerability from people who may not want to open up can cause even more damage. Do your own research first and allow the other person to decide if and what they want to share. There are so many resources already out there; we must take the responsibility to teach ourselves. And, we need to make sure that we are learning from people of color; listening to voices who have an understanding that we will never have.

(Here is an article that contains some helpful resources to begin with. Honestly, you can find so many resources by simply using Google.)

Please do not stop at just words. We must allow truth to translate into action. If we do not take action, we are not truly loving the way Jesus did, and we will not see change take place in our world. We cannot do it all in one day, but we can start walking and working for justice. A few personal steps I have taken is choosing to engage in conversations I would have avoided before, signing a petition to take down a confederate monument (yes, it is part of our history, but it is a part that we should remember with sorrow, not celebrate), and watching things like Just Mercy to educate myself. Don't allow the enormity of the task to freeze us; begin taking steps today.

We cannot allow racism to continue, in the world or in our own hearts. We must follow in the footsteps of our whip-making, table-flipping Jesus and upend the status quo within and around us. It will not be the easier road; it will be complicated and messy, but how can we continue to become more like Jesus if we do anything else?