Observing from Middle America

I stand and watch the world on fire, from somewhere in middle America. I raise my questions and voice my objections, although I do not have a platform that will make any sort of real difference in the world. I have no more or less ability to be heard than anybody else in this country, and yet I must try and make sense of all that I am seeing and hearing.

It is unfortunate that we now live in a society that accepts the belief that any disagreement with another’s point of view is equivalent to hatred and lack of willingness to understand. This, I have been told my entire life, is the underlying major problem of the white community whenever the issue of race is in the discussion. Although I was not raised in a culture that taught me the color of a person’s skin was the measure by which one was to be judged, at the same time I am told that everything about my life has been institutionalized and systematically shaped by issues of race.

After being taught that I should not allow my implicit bias and racism to control my view of the world, I am now told that I already have an implicit bias and racism that controls my view of the world. Then I am told that I must recognize this, maybe apologize for it, and let such attitudes and behaviors go. At this point I am told that I have not let these attitudes go, and it will be impossible for me to rise above such biases. And so I must understand, but yet I cannot understand, what it means in our so-called inherently racist world. My confusion in this is that I was working under the premise that the content of a person’s character was what matters most, and yet whenever I try to engage on this level I am reminded of my implicit bias and racism that makes it appear as though the color of a person’s skin is still in play.

And today much of our nation is burning, literally so, with the riots of angry mobs who have exhibited almost no concern for their treatment of others and their communities. My heart stopped when I saw these monsters attack an old woman in a wheelchair as she tried to escape the chaos in a Minneapolis Target. My stomach wanted to throw up as a mob beat and kicked a business owner on the ground as he could no longer react because of his traumatic injuries, which will most likely bring about his death. And I cried with the black man in Cincinnati as he teared up over the havoc these riots were creating throughout his community, especially the young black teenagers who have been wrapped up into this hate.

I have shared my concerns about this, and have been trying to sift through everyone else’s thoughts as well. While some have echoed my sentiments thus far, I still see others with reactions that I do not understand. I want to process this and I want to understand, because we need to reach the Truth or else everything will be truly damned. It appears that there is a benefit to some to keep everything confused and reactive, and there are certainly people who gain something from the chaos. But I simply want to understand.

Last night I met up with an online post that some have described as “powerful” and “piercing,” evidently because it contains some sort of dramatic insight of this dramatic storm. I read through the piece, thoughtfully and carefully, and I still struggle to understand what is happening (or what has happened) to us.

I am told by this piece that all white Americans who call for peaceful protests ought to recognize their role in the escalation of this present burning. Over the past few years there have been athletes and entertainers and other famous voices that have made protest statements in one form or another. And the claim is that every time one of these voices was raised to speak out against injustice, white Americans simply didn’t want to hear it and told them to get back to the work they were being paid to do.

(And, yes, the language of slavery and servitude is employed in his paragraph, even though we are talking about men who make millions of dollars playing a game or being in a movie.)

But, again, the notion of disagreeing with someone’s stated position as hatred of their being comes to the fore. Kneeling for the anthem is a controversial statement, and when the controversy was ignited that alone became a point that somehow proved American racism is alive and well. I didn’t care for the statement being made in that manner, and neither did a lot of other well-meaning Americans, many of whom were black. While I tried to make sense of the content of his character, this not-quite-good-enough footballer wore socks that portrayed police as pigs and has spent much of his subsequent time encouraging the type of protests that we see today.

Nevertheless, it is America’s fault that we did not give him (and others) the appropriate time and space to exercise their peaceful protests. I am confused, because the right to peacefully protest, which is guaranteed by our Constitution, does not mandate that anyone pay attention or listen. I am writing this letter, and I have every right to do so. But many will not take the time to read it, and some will outright dismiss it for the biases they carry in them about who I am. That is the nature of our world.

But it is America’s fault that this footballer somehow didn’t get an opportunity to peacefully protest, even though the media was filled with the sights and sounds of the many who joined him and the many commentators who cheered them on their way. And when this man washed out of the NFL, I seem to remember that Nike was able to give him a lucrative contract (as a non-athlete) as a platform to speak out against racial injustice in this world.

That’s one example out of many situations we could say likewise. There are many black voices who have the attention of this nation to be a voice. Does everyone agree with all of the cultural biases that are levied at so-called white America? Nope. That doesn’t make us racists, but simply humans — because humans disagree on things.

But let’s say that these athletes (and others) who peacefully protested did not get the platforms that I have described here. Let’s for a moment assume there was no media (broadcast or social) that ever covered these events or commented on their connection to America. What if the black community screamed and screamed about its injustice and nobody ever paid attention? Would this then be cause for the type of violence that we are witnessing today? Because, according to this online piece, the lack of being heard is what led to the violence. I can understand that there is a progression of behavior, and being frustrated and angry and hurt escalates human words and action. But, does this connection of events bring about a moral rightness to the violence?

Some will say I’m making a leap in my interpretation of this piece. But, in the tone of slavery, the point is made that so-called white America pushed so-called black American from their ability to peacefully protest and any call to peaceful protests today must remember that it is so-called white America’s fault we arrived here in the first place. The point is being made, not too implicitly, that it is the fault of white Americans that these protests turned violent. That is quite an accusation to make.

Lest I paint with too broad a stroke here, let me ask if there is an embedded line within the violence that is morally acceptable verses those actions which are not. That is to say, I anticipate a reaction to my comment of moral culpability as, “Well, some of the protests may have gone too far, but not all.” Okay, so where would the line be? And why is some behavior justified as a rightful response to not being heard and other behavior is not? If the fact that marching in the streets didn’t change the nation led directly to the violent protests, then the blame for escalation would certainly exonerate every action once a people group was pushed across the line.

So far, I have conducted my discussion without appealing to nationalism, even though this thought-piece I read made a very quick and direct connection to it. And this becomes a matter of faith. As a side note, I am discovering the disturbing trend within American Christianity that has become more and more comfortable with making statements that question the legitimacy of the faith of other people with whom we have socio-political disagreements. Taking our cues from the secular world around us, many in the church take the lazy road of political branding as a means of saying another believer’s faith is illegitimate. Sound harsh? That is precisely the move that was famously published in a December 2019 editorial at Christianity Today, when the outgoing editor suggested that anyone who would not support the President’s impeachment ought to reconsider their faith commitment.

The piece I read last night mentioned the need, especially for white evangelical Christians, to stop conflating following Jesus and being a citizen of a nation. Done. Now what do I do? Because this hasn’t been a particular problem for me (aside from the implicit biases that I undoubtedly have that I must recognize and repent that will still be there even after I recognize and repent and … see above).

I have been critical of many aspects of our country, not only for socio-political reasons, but primarily for my commitment to Scripture. At no point does my supposed nationalism take control of my faith when I see the violence and destruction ripping through our cities and communities. I seem to be confused on this point as well, because I cannot find where in the Bible that such violent activity is deemed acceptable. So, I am not sure if faith is eclipsing nationalism or nationalism is eclipsing faith when both the laws of my nation and the commands of my Lord stand in opposition to the killing and destruction of property.

We are called to be people of peace, on this I hope there is unanimous agreement from within the church. And, I will further agree with the words I read last night in the challenge that we should not proclaim peace where there is no peace. But the application of this seems to be misguided when it places the blame of the actions of some upon others.

This past week there was a tremendous injustice that caught the attention of our entire nation. Even now, I struggle to find the voices of those who defend this police officer for his actions. Who are we now protesting?

The officer has been fired from his job, and subsequently arrested, with an investigation and probable filing of criminal charges against him. Where is the lack of justice at work in Minneapolis?

Some will undoubtedly say that the injustice is found in the fact that this event could happening in the first place. Yes, this is true. But that alone does not justify the violent protests that have erupted as a result. Are we certain that this is a race-driven event? I read in the reports that this officer had eight previous complaint connected to excessive force, none of which were pursued. Were all of these against black people? Those who need to push the narrative will make the claim that the officer acted out of his implicit bias, although this again assumes to know enough about him and his motivations.

But a tragedy happened, and somehow this is an implication of all of America, am I to understand this is correct? I have never once sought to defend this officer’s actions, and yet I am being told that white America is to blame for this outpouring of violence, which would include me. Is this why it is acceptable for throwing rocks at police, smashing windows, dragging innocents through the streets, and burning down buildings? Does Minneapolis deserve to be set ablaze because of one man’s actions, which are being dealt with in an appropriate and effective way?

I simply don’t see the connection between a supposedly deep anguish and hurt from culture and the need to smash through Target and run out with thousands of dollars worth of electronics, or loot a Nike store to steal some new footwear, or smashing the windows out of a CVS. This is the activity of criminals, and we need the ability to separate them from those who may have constructive dialogue on living together as one community. This isn’t it, and justifying the hateful behavior doesn’t work. There are many whose businesses, and thus their lives, were on the brink following the pandemic. And while the smoke begins to clear this morning, many who are now ruined because of this violence.

How does any of this bring about more justice for this victim? Or a group of victims? These are the actions of hate, not love, and will destroy much more than are now able to see.

Perhaps much of my confusion comes from the constant cries to speak out against injustice, only to be blamed for speaking out against injustice. It is not enough. It is never enough. It will never be enough. So long as there are people who can profit from the chaos and the anger and the ongoing narrative of repression that can be used for political gain. There is so much more to be gained in justice and righteousness if we can rise above the mire and speak more honestly and consistently about Truth. And that begins with individuals being treated as men and women who stand before Almighty God as who they are and who they choose to be.

I have listened to the powerful words of Martin Luther King, Jr, and I am fully supportive of his dream for our nation, and our world. I have read his words and letters and embrace him as a voice and agent of change. What we are witnessing today is not found in his vision, nor is it in the world that our God is wanting to make.

Such a great level of disconnect tells me that there is something much more sinister at play in our nation today. This isn’t about nationalism or race or political party. In fact, I have not placed any blame on the black community in my shared thoughts. This is a battle between good an evil, it’s as fundamental as that. It is an evil that has no regard for those whom it uses, those whom it attacks, the lives that are ruined, the communities that are shattered, the disfiguring of humanity it brings about. There is evidence that those who are rioting and engaging in violence are not representative of the communities under attack, and that this anger does not fall so neatly along racial divides as we are being told. I believe that Americans are not as angry with one another as we are let to believe, and that the good men and women in our country far, far outnumber the bad ones. And I think that the fact that this all ignited in the latter days of a pandemic shows that the deep frustrations of some under quarantine and lockdown could be used as fuel for the fire.

Where will the people of God find themselves in this? Once the initial rage wears down, the media will move on to the next perceived crisis and the outrage of injustice will once again wane into the night, until the next cycle. The church is the community that can continue to work for righteousness in all things, and in all times and seasons. I am confused by a Christianity that takes its cues of social issues and justice from the daily headlines. Regardless of our positions or beliefs, or race, it is imperative that we know how to speak the words of love in harmonious tones. A message of love cannot be communicated through the chords of anger and dissonance. We live in a world that seems to have lost this.

I stand and watch the world on fire, from somewhere in middle America. I am not blessed with a platform big enough to think that anyone will actually care about my thoughts on the world. I am like most Americans today, who simply want to live life, do what is right, adhere to my deeply held beliefs, keep my family safe, and be a blessing to my neighbors. How long, O Lord, will we squander the blessings of liberty with our disfigured humanity?