Some Honest Words About Racism From a Friend

by | Jun 28, 2020 | Provocative Questions

Discussions of racism among white people in America often quickly degenerate into an “us vs them” shouting match.

To avoid such a downward spiral, last week I tried a different approach by exploring the idea of worldview, the powerful but largely unconscious “maps” of reality in our heads that determine how we think, feel and act.

I believe the best way we can respond to our national turmoil right now is to stop and really listen to the pain of our fellow African American citizens, then search our own hearts.  Can we be open to new perspectives that challenge us?

Today, I offer a witness who speaks about becoming open to new information that expanded his worldview.

The  Rev. Tom Crenshaw is the pastor I worked under in my first ministry assignment for four years after I was ordained in 1980. Tom is still pastoring in his late 70’s and still as vital as ever.  Preaching every other Sunday is unheard of for young Associates, yet this is the gift Tom gave me duiong my last two years which helped set the trajectory for my entire ministry.

Tom sends a daily leadership email to his parishioners and friends. His daily email from last Thursday, June 11, is well worth reading.  I share a portion of it with his permission and blessing.
Dear Friends,
 
Thanks to those of you who shared your thoughts and response to yesterday’s message on racism.

One of the e-mails I  received came from a person who I never thought could possess even a minuscule of racism within, writes, “ Thank you for sharing on this topic. My heart has been so heavy and very convicted over the systematic deep-rooted racism in our country-admitting I am a racist is a tough pill to swallow. I am reading White Fragility, and it has been so impactful in only the first three chapters.”
 
The message concludes with  this quote (there was no source given).

“You keep saying it’s horrible that an innocent black man was killed, but destroying property has to stop.”
 
“Try saying, It’s horrible that property is being destroyed, but killing innocent black men has to stop.
 
You Are prioritizing the wrong part.”
 
Those words really hit me.

I acknowledge too much of me has been focusing on the needless looting, the burning down of buildings, the attacks on policeman, the issue of defunding the police, and yes the interview of people like Candace Owen,  a black woman who points out the history of George Floyd’s numerous incarcerations and his ugly past. 
 
When I succumb to this kind of thinking, I forget where my major focus should be, and that is that a black man was needlessly killed.  Focusing on the wrong issue helps me to justify the feelings of anger I have within, which is directed towards those black or white people who are using these events as an opportunity to exploit the situation while excusing their lawless behavior.
 
I confess I am a Fox watcher and a detester of CNN and MSNBC. No, my choice of stations is not based on the fact that I think any one of these stations presents the unvarnished and unbiased truth.

It is simply because one of them makes me feel better about what I feel.

It keeps me from focusing on the substantive issue, a black man was needlessly killed. It directs my attention to the effects of what has happened and not the cause of what has happened. It focuses my attention on “them” and not me.
 
I am a white, conservative, Republican who finds it easy to point my finger at liberals who I fear are destroying the foundation of our nation.

But what that kind of thinking does is provide me with talking points to reinforce my hidden bias that what we are experiencing is someone else’s problem and not mine.

It justifies my finger pointing, my participating in the blame game, of thinking that what we have is  (excuse the term)  “a black and white problem.” No, it is not a color issue, it is a heart issue. It is a question of “Where is my heart?” 
 
Does my political party affiliation eclipse my spiritual commitment to Jesus who died not only for me but also for those to whom he wants me to be reconciled with, whether they are red, brown, black or white?
My friend Tom offers a wonderfully courageous example of what I increasingly want to do for myself and in last week’s article encouraged you to do also: be honest with ourselves. 

Tom moves through the steps in enlarging our worldviews that I noted last week from esteemed missiologist Paul Hiebert’s book  Transforming Worldviews: An Anthropological Understanding Of How People Change:

1) Admit that, along with all human beings, I “see” reality filtered through a worldview that is shaped by many factors, including my culture and the many choices I make every day.

Tom reflects about why he watches Fox rather than other channels:
  • “It is simply because one of them makes me feel better about what I feel.” He goes on to say, “It focuses my attention on “them” and not me.”
2) Go deeper in understanding my own worldview by seeing reality through the eyes of others.
Tom shares how the words of a quote “really hit me” and caused him to redirect his attention from property damage to the killing of a black man.

His openness to new insights like this one is seen many times, especially when he says:

  • “I am a white, conservative, Republican who finds it easy to point my finger at liberals who I fear are destroying the foundation of our nation. But what that kind of thinking does is provide me with talking points to reinforce my hidden bias that what we are experiencing is someone else’s problem and not mine.”
Finally, when political affiliation today is clearly one of the primary shapers of white Christians’ worldviews (whether white liberal Democrats or white evangelical Republicans), I admire how Tom asks himself this question:
  • “Does my political party affiliation eclipse my spiritual commitment to Jesus who died not only for me but also for those to whom he wants me to be reconciled with, whether they are red, brown, black or white?”
The Road Less Travelled  first introduced the concept of worldview to me over 40 years ago.  Ever since, my personal goal is to be among the “fortunate few [who] continue until the moment of death exploring the mystery of reality, ever enlarging and refining and redefining their understanding of the world and what is true.”

Life is a Continuing Process of Redrawing our Maps

“The more clearly we see the reality of the world, the better equipped we are to deal with the world. Our view of reality is like a map with which to negotiate the terrain of life.

The more effort we make to appreciate and perceive reality, the larger and more accurate our maps will be. But many do not want to make this effort.

By the end of middle age, most people have given up the effort. They feel certain their maps are complete…and they are no longer interested in new information.

Only a relative and fortunate few continue until the moment of death exploring the mystery of the reality, ever enlarging and refining and redefining their understanding of the world and what is true.

But the biggest problem of map-making is not that we have to start from scratch, but that if our maps are to be accurate we have to continually revise them.

“What happens when one has striven long and hard to develop a working view of the world, a seemingly useful, workable map, and then is confronted with new information suggesting that the view is wrong and the map needs to be largely redrawn? The painful effort required seems frightening, almost overwhelming.

What we do more often than not, and usually unconsciously, is to ignore the new information.

Often this act of ignoring is much more than passive. We may denounce the new information as false, dangerous, heretical, the work of the devil.

We may actually crusade against it, and even attempt to manipulate the world so as to make it conform to our view of reality.

Rather than try to change the map, an individual may try to destroy the new reality.

Sadly, such a person may expend much more energy ultimately defending an outmoded view of the world than would have been required to revise and correct it in the first place. ” (pp. 45-46)
Please Join My Newsletter!

Please Join My Newsletter!

You'll receive my weekly blog articles direct to your inbox.  Plus, periodic updates about my leadership coaching ministry in Africa. 

For subscribing, I'll send you a FREE copy of my new ebook that addresses a frustration most of us feel: "When Trying Harder Becomes the Problem: Overcoming a Paradoxical Barrier to Change"

You have subscribed successfully. Thanks so much! I look forward to sharing with you in the future.