God, Heaven, and Racism

Which one of these is not like the other...?

I've often been perplexed and frustrated by racial divisions in the Church.  I mean if God's people can't get along, where's the hope for the rest of the world?!  And I know many people in many churches who would swear up and down that they're not racist.  And that their church is open to anyone of any background or color.  That perhaps the church is segregated because it's a cultural thing or a comfort thing, not a racist thing.  But perhaps just being open and not racist isn't enough.  What if lack of unity in the Church and in our churches is preventing unity in our neighborhoods, cities, and nations?

This question also begs the question(s), is unity something we let happen or that we have to actively pursue?  How do we do that?  What does that look like in our lives and churches?  Does this require a proactive response from Me???  To these questions, I don't necessarily have an answer.  But I've seen and been a part of some great churches doing great things to knock down these racial divides.  In these churches I've had a little taste of Heaven on Earth and it's ... I can't even think of a word to accurately describe how great it is. 

So what stirred all these thoughts... I just came across a great article that ask, "How Long Will Sunday Stay Segregated?"
http://neuemagazine.com/digital-archives/issue-06-aprilmay-2011
You'll have to flip through the digital magazine to get to the article (on page 41), but it's worth it.  The author talks about this topic much more eloquently than I. 

As always, please feel free to leave me some feedback... your own thoughts, experiences, and wisdom are greatly desired!

A Little History...

I think the only way to talk about racism without sounding like you’re attacking anyone is to address one’s own racist thoughts. Because we have them. Because I have them. If you asked my friends, both of color and white, they would most likely tell you that I’m not racist. Except for my friend Jacky. She would probably tell you that I’m a “recovering racist”; someone who’s aware of her own racist tendencies and thoughts and is actively working to address and alter them. And I’m inclined to agree with her.

Grad school was the first time I really addressed my own racist inclinations. It was in a multicultural class that I can’t really tell you much about today. I don’t remember the question the professor asked us and I don’t remember what we were reading, and I think the conversation may have followed a documentary called The Color of Fear. But I do remember the conversation was life changing. My cohort of fellow social work students sat in a giant circle in the classroom all looking at each other and discussing (I guess) our experiences with racism. When it was my turn to talk, I shared this story…

“I was working at starbucks last night, the closing shift. It was getting late and we were starting to clean up. I was behind the register when the bell signaling that someone was coming through the door rang. I looked up and it was a black man in a sweatshirt with the hood pulled up and gloves on. And my initial thought was, “I don’t know what to do if he pulls a gun”. He walked to the counter as I slightly panicked and tried to not look like I was slightly panicking, as my mind raced through what I was supposed to do if we got robbed and wondering why no one had ever talked to us about what to do if we got robbed. And then he got to the counter and ordered a frappaccino. And paid for it. And I felt relief and then shame.”

Why was my initial thought when this man walked through the door that I was going to get robbed? I started crying as I shared the story with my classmates. I could have argued with myself that it was not the color of his skin, but the way he was dressed. But when I asked myself if a young white man in a hoodie walked into my starbucks late at night would I have come to the same conclusion? The answer was a resounding, “No”. I admitted to myself and to my classmates that as much as I didn’t want these thoughts, I a Master of Social Work candidate, who hates racism and loves social justice, was still fighting racist thoughts.

Which brings me back to today. 4-5 years later, I still find myself with these ridiculous racist thoughts popping up in my head. So many people think we live in a post-racist world. That racism doesn’t affect individual’s futures and opportunities or the way we interact with each other. But I think if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll discover like I did, that at best we’re recovering racists. Which I think is a good place to start. Like any good 12 step program, admitting your problem is the first step.

Why write about such a taboo topic?!

In grad school, I had a sort of awakening to racism in society and racism within myself. I know, I know. What racism?? Today?! Nooo... I feel like as a scoiety we don't want to talk about racism, no one wants to be called racist, and most of all we certainly don't want to admit to being racist. But I hate racism. And the only way I can think of to even attempt to end it, is to confront it. Head on. So here we go...