To See or Not to See

I have a confession…

I often jest that the problem with people is … people.

I love people….

I just can’t stand to be around them most of the time.

I don’t feel so bad. Even Jesus got exasperated with people.

“O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?…” (Matthew 17:17)

I’m no Jesus, but it’s comforting to see He has the same issue, even if I’m the source of His frustration from time to time.

People are messy and exhausting - myself included.

Yet on this particular occasion, of specific irritation lately, is the “religious elite”.

When I say religious elite, I’m referring to particular individuals within a religious community who hold significant authority, influence, or prestige - whether they admit it or not. They don’t have to be seminary graduates or hold other degrees, but as of late, those who do have been floating to the surface of the current reading and listening I’ve been doing.

As image bearers, it is amazing to see the Imago Dei (image of God) shine through the Lord’s creation, then in almost the same breath see the same people cannibalize each other in such inhumane fashion. To add insult to injury, most don’t have the courage to do it face to face. They form their own ‘general sessions’ and ‘religious counsels’ in, more often than not, private or virtual echo chambers. They use these venue’s so they can wag all-knowing digital fingers in the face of people they don’t love enough to know anything about or at least invite to the conversation. They take pride in parroting proselytes that stroke their fabricated piety, laugh at their demeaning wit purchased at the expense of the dignity of other image bearers. Though they’d never admit it, they come off prideful to the extent that they’ve taken their seminary degrees and PhD’s to form their denominational equivalent of a papacy - speaking as if all knowing, accepting the accolades of men who treat their every word as dripping from the mouth of the Holy Spirit Himself. Forgetting that in this life we ALL, “see through a mirror dimly…” (I Corinthians 13:12)

It’s nauseating.

Recently, I listened to a group of pastors/religious leaders commenting for an hour and forty plus minutes on the EPC’s (Evangelical Presbyterian Churches) release of a letter involving racial lament. Note, even I think there are opportunities within the letter that are important to address to legitimately accomplish the stated objectives. Yet the tone and tenor of these men illustrates just one more example of why the church remains ununified.

I listened as they….

• spent forty plus minutes quibbling over the definition of racism.

• went at length in discussing the need to be precise with scripture (though they lacked precision and accuracy regarding Galatians 2 being about circumcision and not the principal of creating a 2nd class citizenry in Christendom

• pontificated about the concept of lament and its uselessness

• criticized the EPC in not correctly defining terms (though they hypocritically didn’t define several terms they used)

• criticized and warned of the pitfalls of empathy

• questioned the validity of racism in the EPC. Going so far to suggest that minorities were not discriminated against but are just looking for a way around meeting the standards of the EPC (perhaps implying minorities weren’t smart enough or disciplined enough to qualify for ordination or leadership?)

• used derogatory accusations that the letter of lament is effeminate because it appeals to emotion and not intellect and action.

What I thought strangely missing from people of their “caliber” and “educational savvy” was…

• Some Black brothers and/ or sisters in Christ to provide their perspective and experience within the EPC

• Some facts.

  • Since at any given time, the Black community makes up around 20%* of the population, what percent of the EPC is Black - from congregant to leadership?

  • More poignantly what percent of their church is Black?

  • If they don’t have any Black people in their church, why?

  • Do they have Black people in their community or nearby community? If so (and I’m confident they do) what effort do they make to reach out to them and if none… why?

• the historical and modern-day implications of racism for the church (including their church) in light of Biblical justice (Justice was not mentioned once during their dialogue yet permeates throughout scripture.)

  For example, in my city of Pittsburgh, some of the implications for the Black community are disproportionate statistics* regarding:

  • Infant mortality rates,

  • poverty,

  • homicides,

  • educational disparities.

  • Black children growing up in poverty 95 percent more than Black children of similar cities,

  • Black women make 54 cents to every dollar vs. 78 cents for white women,

  • 85 percent of similar sized cities have higher Black employment rates than Pittsburgh,

  • White residents are 3 times more likely to have degrees than Black residents

About midway into the conversation, I kept being reminded of the words of Christ in Mathew 23:24,

“You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!” Ironically, in the prior verse Jesus also says, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness.”

It’s ironic that people can sit in an upscale, suburban area discussing expository preaching, the nuances of a denomination’s methods of communicating positional statements vs pastoral letters, and the exhaustion of having racial conversations without ever once mentioning or showing you, as leaders, have given serious thought to what it’s like - the real exhaustion - of being a Black Christian in a predominately white world. The concept that you can change topics and sermon series like you change underwear in order to never have to think about racial issues or be confronted with the implications of these conversations, but that the Black Christian can’t change his/her race and the implications that come with that never seems to enter your mind. By your laughter and brashness, never seems to come close to touching your heart.

I’ve watch Black brothers get angry and leave the church at the hands of the ‘white’ church.

I’ve watch Black sisters cry at the hands of the white church.

I’ve cried for them both.

I have watched sincere Christians afraid to participate in meaningful dialogue because of the superior attitude of the religious elite. I’ve been in spaces where these folks have accepted the status quo and the redundant talking points yet long for someone to say what they don’t have the courage to say.

Places where the ‘elite’,

‘love to sit at the head of the table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called ‘Doctor’ and ‘Reverend.’ (Matthew 23, MSG.)

Perhaps that is why Jesus used primarily the poor and illiterate as His disciples/apostles. It’s too hard to look people in the eye, to weep with those who weep, when you’re looking down your nose at them…

Worse yet, perhaps you’re oblivious to them because you’re unwilling to crane your neck around your diplomas and certificates to even see the sea of colorful humanity at your proverbial feet.

Sometimes it is hard for those who are minorities and/or uneducated to see the ground at the foot of the cross as even when there are those dragging large, looming lecterns of academia everywhere they go.

For some, I believe the price

of their seminary and degree’s is going to cost more than tuition paid…

“Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity and the rod of his fury will fail.” - Proverbs 22:8

“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” - James 3:1

Perhaps, in the words of Christ to the Pharisees,

“….If you were blind, you would have no guilt, but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.” - John 9:41

In other words, for those who think they see so well, perhaps you don’t realize just how blind you are… how racist you are… how detrimental you are to the Gospel of Christ… so your guilt remains

Because of Him,

Ron

*See Pittsburgh’s Inequality Acros Gender and Race 2019 Report