How to Inspire Your (White) Pastor to Stand up Against White Supremacy
Events in Charlottesville erupted on Friday and Saturday nights, and by late Saturday night, large numbers of American priests and ministers were struggling to rewrite the sermons and sermons they were preparing for the next morning. I came across this tweet from Tracy Blackmon, Executive Minister of Justice Ministries and Witnesses of the United Church of Christ:
In the past couple of days, eyes have been turned to the white Christian community to see how they will react to the events in Charlottesville: Will white Christians oppose white supremacy? Do they acknowledge the role of their community in slavery, Jim Crow and ongoing structural racism?
Some Church leaders have made unambiguous statements, as Emma Green notes in Atlantic : “Russell Moore, head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s political arm, tweeted that“ the ideologies of so-called alt-right white supremacy are anti-christ. and satanic to the core. ” Others, like Franklin Graham, were as harrowing as Trump: “Pray for Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, law enforcement, and anyone else struggling to deal with the chaos and violence that raised his ugly head. in Charlottesville.
There were white priests and pastors who did not take a firm stand from the pulpit last Sunday and who probably will not do so in the future. If you are a member of their congregations, you can encourage your pastor to speak out against white supremacy. But it can be intimidating – after all, priests and ministers are empowered and find it difficult to tell how to do their job. Yet, if you are a practicing Christian and citizen concerned about the rise of white nationalism, you probably want to shift the conversation in your church – from the pulpit or otherwise – to the political and news events that dominate the headlines.
But how? I spoke with the Reverend James Martin, a Jesuit priest, editor-in-chief of America and the author of many books, including the recent book Bridge Building: How the Catholic Church and the LGBTQ Community Can Enter Relationships of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity. and Nicole Lee Shaw, licensed minister of the United Church of Christ, some tips.
Start a conversation with a question
Martin, who has been a missionary in Kenya for several years, has already talked to me about the importance of discussing difficult topics by asking questions . “What would I say to pastors who have not preached about it? Well, first I would ask them why they didn’t. I would suggest that some of the reasons would be: … “I didn’t want to be too ‘politicized’”; [or] “I didn’t mean to offend anyone,” he said in an email. Listen to the answer – it will tell you your next step.
Develop a worldly movement
The Protestant church is laity-led, Shaw says, so if you are concerned about racism and the rise of white supremacy, form a laity group with other parishioners to study and pray about the issue. “Talk to some of your friends at church and ask, ‘Do you want to meet and discuss? Shaw suggests. “Because as whites, we can ignore racism and white supremacy. But we need the white community to talk to each other, not be silent. ” This can be especially helpful if your congregation is politically diverse: “If we are not sure where other people are, we may be afraid to confront them. But if you are discussing Christianity and morality, ”this topic will arise organically. And that, Shaw says, will guide your minister to meet the needs of his congregation: “Create a path your pastor can walk. Let him or her know where you are and what you need. “
Be specific with your language
Many people avoid politics (which is a luxury and privilege, but that’s a topic for another day), but the conversation doesn’t have to revolve around politics as such . “Be specific in your language, especially with politically mixed congregations,” Shaw says. “Say ‘that’s what I’m against,’ but don’t paint with a broad political brush, ‘for example,’ all conservatives are racists. ‘ Martin says, “[You] can avoid ‘politics’ and still speak out against injustice … Church leaders are required to preach, as they say, with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.”
Educate yourself
“Start reading some Christian ethics,” Shaw says. “Just like talking to your pastor, it helps you see what other Christians are facing. White supremacy is not new. Some of the theological research that may generate serious controversy is the work of Reinhold Niebuhr and James Cohn. “
Feel free to bring up difficult topics and support your pastor when he or she does the same.
“If you are not insulting your community, it means that you are not following the example of Jesus, who often abused,” says Martin. “You can also offend an equal number of people by avoiding things that people need to be taught.”
Gently encourage your pastor and fellow parishioners to reflect on your responsibility as white people and Christians.
Martin says: “Christians have an even greater responsibility [than white people in general]. The whole concept of “superiority” is the opposite of what Jesus preached. In the Gospels, Jesus asks us to love one another, put the needs of others ahead of our own, even die for one another. The idea of ”superiority” is absurd to Jesus. Indeed, Jesus directly tells us that we should never “rule” over others and that we should be “servants” to one another (Mark 10: 42-43). his or her race is also opposed to the message of Jesus … No one should be transformed into “other” by the community, as white supremacists do with non-whites. There is only us. “
Want an example of an amazing sermon written on the fly Saturday night? Take a look at this , written by Christopher Arnold of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Arnold, a priest of the Episcopal Church, notes that he does not like the topic, but acknowledges his responsibility as a spiritual leader:
“From time to time, the church must oppose the devil’s actions in this world, which means that preachers must preach this kind of sermon … I am a priest and I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, and therefore I say: this racist demonstration is immoral, evil and evil … This is of the devil, and Christians should not put up with it. “