Now I'm fully aware that God's word will cause division - it's mentioned in God's word. But that division comes from discernment between righteousness and evil. It's division that's ultimately necessary. But division based on things like race, sex/gender, etc is NOT necessary, yet wedges keep being put between all of us based on these things. Case in point, this article I found last night, which I'll be quoting according to fair use: "White People Need a Non-White Jesus" (Source: sojo.net)
The article does this really passive-aggressive thing, where it acknowledges that racism is wrong, but then immediately afterward, makes some glaring generalization about people.
Merritt points to the universality of Jesus, focusing on Christ’s availability to all, to individuals from “every tribe, nation, people and language.”
Yet in pointing to the universality of Jesus, it is easy to pass over his particularity to a certain time and place.
You can already see where this is going. It's basically saying, "Yeah, Jesus died and rose to save all people regardless of color, buuuuuuuuuuuuut!" Look, the only way Jesus' "place" matters is in terms of Old Testament prophecy. Jesus had to be born to Israelites to fulfill what God said about a "righteous Branch of David". David was an Israelite, so Jesus was born an Israelite. That's the ONLY time Jesus' race matters. Because He had to be born to a certain race to fulfill prophecies. That's it. Jesus was born to Israelites, but Jesus is the only begotten son of God who died to pay for our sins and rose from the dead.
If Jesus were an American, he would more likely identify as an undocumented immigrant or other poor, oppressed class.
No He wouldn't. Jesus wouldn't identify as an undocumented immigrant. Jesus wouldn't identify as a poor, oppressed class. Jesus wouldn't identify as a middle-class factory worker. Jesus wouldn't identify as a white congressperson. That's not how this works. If Jesus were an American... First of all, that would contradict prophecy, but anyway, if we want to play pretend and say we needed an American Jesus instead of an Israeli one, then we don't know what "class" Jesus would belong to. Don't make assumptions like that. Jesus belongs to none and all of these classes simultaneously, because Jesus is the savior of people in every one of these classes who choose to seek and accept Him.
Although Christ may transcend race, he also descended into the racial context of the New Testament.
They're doing it again. "Y-Yeah guys, Jesus m-m-might have t-transcended race BUT LET'S JUST TALK FOR A MINUTE ABOUT THE RACIAL CONTEXT OF JESUS". Acknowledging flaws in your arguments doesn't make them go away. You're still bringing racial division in where it doesn't belong.
drawing a parallel between the black experience of lynching and Christ’s death on the Roman cross.
This article honestly seems more racist toward "blacks" and undocumented immigrants than anything else. Yes, of course "blacks" and undocumented immigrants face discrimination. Nobody's denying that. But by taking a certain race or demographic, and painting the ENTIRE GROUP as this poor, oppressed, needy, "least-of-these" pitiful little victimized minority, you're not helping anyone. In addition to spreading blatant propaganda and causing racial division, you're actually hurting the people you're claiming to help, by talking down to them. By demeaning them. By patronizing them. "OH, DON'T WORRY YOU POOR PATHETIC LITTLE BLACK PEOPLE! JESUS IS HERE TO SAVE YOU FROM THE BIG MEAN WHITE PEOPLE! ... OH YEAH AND PAY FOR YOUR SINS OR SOMETHING. WE'RE NOT RACIST, REMEMBER!" This isn't the kind of representation that's going to end discrimination. This is the kind of representation that's going to further propagate it. Not only because you're painting one race a certain way [the very definition of stereotyping], but you're painting obvious lies, which only serve to marginalize discrimination when it really pops up. Whenever a white reader sees a non-white individual after reading this article, they're not going to see an individual. They'll see skin color. They'll see a "poor me" mentality. They'll see a victim. They won't see a person. I genuinely don't understand how the people who wrote this article can't see it. But honestly? I wouldn't be surprised if they can see it, and just don't care. If they just want to further their own racist agenda. I know nothing about this "sojo.net" website, but if they had good intentions with this article, they need work. Definitely.
If Christ is indeed closest to the least of these, then it is not white people who should save people of color. It is Christ in people of color who will save white people.
"People of color" need to be saved by Jesus Christ, because "people of color" are sinners who are born with:
1) a sin nature that causes them to sin and will lead them to Hell
2) the ability to comprehend this, and the ability to choose to reject this sin nature and begin a journey with Christ
"White people" need to be saved by Jesus Christ, because "white people" are sinners who are born with:
1) a sin nature that causes them to sin and will lead them to Hell
2) the ability to comprehend this, and the ability to choose to reject this sin nature and begin a journey with Christ
The point is not that Christ is not a white man, for Christ is in every person. The problem is that the white Christ often strips God of God’s identification with underprivileged people, for the white Christ has been established hand-in-hand with empire and white supremacy.
Christ is in every person who has faith in Him and accepts Him as their lord and savior. Anyway, could you guys please stop doing this "we're not racist, but..." thing now? It's very annoying. "Yeah, Christ died to save all people BUT PAINTING JESUS AS WHITE PROPAGATES WHITE SUPREMACY YOU KKK LOVING WHITE SUPREMACIST BLACK-HATING EGOISTS!"
*breathes in*
*breathes out*
Look. There are paintings where Jesus is depicted as white. There are paintings where Jesus is depicted as black. Did you know there are paintings where Jesus is also depicted as being Asian? It's true. Google "Woonbo Kim Ki-chang". He made a bunch of paintings where Jesus (and the disciples, etc) are Asian, and are surrounded by traditional Asian architecture. The point of these paintings isn't to pit one race against another. The point of these paintings isn't to say that one race matters more than another. The point of these paintings is to show that Jesus can identify with us individually, and that Jesus didn't just die to save Israelites, but people from all cultures and races. However, the important thing to note is that Jesus can identify with us individually without knocking down other races or putting other races on a pedestal, something this article is completely unable (or unwilling) to do.
white churches need to learn from and seek after people of color who have experienced and know Christ’s suffering directly.
Bite your tongue. Literally and physically clench your teeth down on your tongue. Churches need to seek after and learn from, not people of certain races or groups, but JESUS CHRIST.
Spell it out with me, J E S U S C H R I S T.
Yes, there's a lot to learn from other human beings as well. Of course. There's a reason Jesus sent the disciples, who were human beings. The "white people" can learn from "people of color", and "people of color" can learn from "white people". But the article needs to find a better way to say this... unless that's not what it was actually trying to say, as I still suspect?
By the way, if you're wondering, I've been using quotation marks when referring to different races in this post because I hate those terms. "White people". "People of color". It's just unnecessarily divisive, but I guess I need to use those terms to explain the article correctly. Know, however, that I personally do not make these distinctions because God does not call us to make these distinctions.
And yes, I know some people claim that "not making distinctions based on race is microaggressive" or whatever, but I really don't care. I know what the word "racism" means (making distinctions based on race), and I refuse to take part in it no matter what people try to call it.
So, in conclusion, this article is completely wrong and infuriating. I'm so sick of the media trying to pit people against each other under the guise of "equality". You've heard by now about Buzzfeed and MTV and whoever else, being racist/sexist toward white men. Some people say it's not racism/sexism because white men don't face as much discrimination as women or people of other races. To that, I would point to a white person I know (who hopefully doesn't read this blog), who is currently struggling a lot with depression and has been suicidal a few times in just the past month. They're on anti-depressants and will just start crying and get urges to kill themselves if they don't take those anti-depressants regularly. Are we really going to downplay this person's struggles just because they may not face the same types of problems that another person of another race may experience? Depression is depression. Being suicidal is being suicidal. This isn't how we achieve equality or tolerance. This is how we propagate racism and sexism, and further pit people against each other. It starts with subtle nudges like the one in this sojo.net article. Then it becomes people looking for little hints of "racism" or "sexism" where there actually aren't any. Then it becomes a battle of who's more oppressed and who's more "privileged". Before you know it, actual racism and sexism come back and divide us further. JESUS DOES NOT WANT THIS. This is not the mentality we are supposed to have. We're supposed to acknowledge each other's struggles. Of course we are, it's part of our calling. Just look at the parable of the good Samaritan. Jesus clearly wants us to care about each other and help each other. But we can't, WE CAN'T let our struggles become badges for us to wear. We can't keep looking at people of other races as "privileged" or "oppressed". If there is oppression taking place, we need to address the oppression in the system itself, not look at it the way this sojo.net article is painting it.
It's not about race.
Don't let it be about race.
If you see racism, stop it.
But don't make everything racist.
Don't let yourselves be divided based on race.
Don't paint people as victims or supremacists. Both are generalizations. Both are wrong. There are "black people" who are not victims. There are "white people" who are not supremacists. Both types of people are everywhere. DON'T LET RACE GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR VIEW OF OTHERS. THE MEDIA WANTS TO PIT YOU AGAINST OTHER RACES. DON'T LET THEM. VIEW OTHER PEOPLE AS JESUS DOES. THEY'RE NOT "BLACK" AND THEY'RE NOT "WHITE" AND THEY'RE NOT "UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS". THEY'RE NOT RACES OR CLASSES. THEY'RE PEOPLE. THEY'RE CREATIONS OF GOD WHO EITHER ARE GOD'S CHILDREN, OR WHO NEED TO HEAR THE GOSPEL.
Please take this into consideration. May God bless you all, according to His perfect will. In Jesus' name. Amen.
PS. Note: I never gave out my own race anywhere in this post. By now, most of you know that I'm male. But I never gave out my race. I refuse. I'm not a "race". God doesn't want me to be a "race". God wants me to be His servant and follow His teachings, even if I'm not always very good at it. I'm a Christian, not a "race". My "race" died when I was born again.
And finally,
it is people of color who know most experientially what it means to bear the cross of Christ.
WE'RE NOT RACIST, BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT!
