In light of this past week’s MLK
holiday, and the upcoming Black History Month, I’ve been reflecting on the role
White people have to play in God’s heart for justice. After centuries of being at the center of
power in the West, is it time for White folks to take a back seat to people of
color? Do we no longer have the right to
have a voice in the conversation? Or is
there a place for our voices and leadership?
Is there something lost without us in the mix?
Catherine (left), a Junior at Pacific Luther University |
Last week I asked some of these
questions to students at Pacific Lutheran University. A junior at PLU, Catherine, responded to my
challenges in an email I have pasted below:
“I have heard a few talks about race and
white privilege (some through Intervarsity, some in class, some in church) and
I think they have always made me uncomfortable. I resonated well with your
description of the guilty-feeling white person. That has always been me: I know
that white privilege exists but I never knew what to do about it or how it
connected to my faith. When (my staff leader) told our leaders team…that you
were coming, I was a bit nervous: first,
because it is a topic that I have struggled with in the past, and second
because—as you stated—it is an uncomfortable topic for many.
As I'm sure you know, one of our main
roles as leaders is follow-up and having dialogue with our small group members
after the talk. I was nervous about how I would be able to do this. But after
last night I am only excited and eager to talk to my community and the members
that I am disciplining.
I loved the way that you started with
the scripture from Matthew 25 and the 3 servants stewarding their bags of gold.
I have never heard someone connect race and privilege to scripture in such a
logical and inspiring way: (that we are
responsible to use the power we’ve been given for God’s good purposes…and to
have power and deny it is to abuse it.) Last
night was the first time that I was able to start seeing the ways that Jesus
cares about privilege and wants us to use it for His kingdom.
I think that also in the past I have
been stuck on feeling guilty because I could never tangibly see how I could use
my privilege to God's glory, but last night God was definitely speaking through
you as my eyes and heart started to open and see that that is possible. I loved
your story about your dorm wing and how the African American janitor became a
part of your community there (through your White roommate befriending him.) I
was inspired and convicted while hearing that story.
In Intervarsity we talk a lot about
"God's heart for justice", and things were starting to click for me
last night as that sometimes confusing and vague statement started to come to
life for me. Thank you for your passion about this topic and your devotion to
the Lord and His kingdom.
Thank you again for opening many eyes
and hearts last night to what Jesus really thinks about race and privilege, and
I look forward to having you back to campus so that we can all learn even more.”
As Catherine and I journey down this
road, I invite you, too, along: what
power do we have as White Americans? How
does God hold us responsible to use that power for good? Where can we make the choice to do so?
No comments:
Post a Comment