(Owning America’s ‘History’ of Injustice)
Someone recently could not bring themselves to wish me a happy July 4th weekend. The reason was America’s terrible history of oppression and hate. America was not worthy of respect. That got me to thinking. There’s a lot of examination going on right now of our nation’s past. Some of our nation’s past isn’t pretty—in fact some of it is downright ugly. I’ve heard aspects of our past compared (recklessly) to the Holocaust (systematic extermination of the Jews by Nazi Germany), the Rwandan Genocide, and even Pol Pot’s “killing fields” where the socialist-communist government exterminated from one fifth upwards to one third of the population of Cambodia. This type of hyperbole is unnecessary and distracting. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water.
Do certain aspects of our nation’s history make our nation and some of its people hopelessly irredeemable (and in who’s sight)? Well, that could bring us to Israel and David. In the interest of time, let’s stick with David. In the Old Testament, God’s word covers the life of David more than any other man. He’s right up there with Moses and Abraham. King David is described as “a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14)” and we see this terminology repeated in the New Testament in Acts 13.
And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ (Acts 13:22)
It is significant that this statement is repeated and reaffirmed in the New Testament because the comments in 1 Samuel appear before David’s adultery with Bathsheba and his conspiratorial murder of Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba’s husband (2 Samuel 11-12). Moreover, the statement and description in Acts is made after David’s failure as a parent, documented in part in 2 Samuel 13 as well. Then, of course, there was his failure to honor God’s will by numbering the troops and people of Israel, bringing calamity to the nation which suffered as a result of David’s sin (2 Samuel 24). Despite his many failings David is described as “a man after God’s own heart.”
David failed to live up to his own ideals and beliefs. He failed to meet God’s standard of righteousness. David repeatedly sinned against God (and others) in significant ways. David in some way personifies every Christian, let alone every person who set high standards for himself or herself. He sinned and fell short of the glory of God. Truly, the wages of David’s sin was death (death to many) just as the free gift of God for David was eternal life. David reminds us of God’s grace and God’s providence and glory displayed through flawed and fallen human beings (like David).
Scripture shows us David’s mountain top heights and deep, dark valley experiences. We see David’s faith and failings. And we are reminded that apart from Christ our world and its people are doomed and damned… but for the grace of God. What’s this got to do with July 4th and our nation? What’s this got to do with the here and now? Our nation is made up of people, Christian and non-Christian. Over the last 250ish years, many of them purportedly subscribe(d) to a set of very high ideals embodied in the nation’s founding documents, constitution, and laws. And yet they applied these standards sinfully at times and imperfectly. That’s why, depending upon who you talk to, our country and its history is either a history of the greatest country in human history and God’s green earth or a portrait of hate, failure, and all that is wrong with this world—the source of great evil. That’s how we see people and institutions these days—totally good or totally evil. Human beings are, after all, creatures of extremes. The fact is that no one is as good as they’d like to believe or as bad as others say. This brings us to our own context, the Fourth of July, Independence Day and what to make of American History.
We are told that ours is a history of corruption. Our nation is a nation of systemic and structural racism. Do I believe in systemic racism? I’ve been asked this question a number of times, recently. Do I believe this country is structurally racist and racism is systemic in our institutions laws, etc. My short answer is no. Why do I say this? I say this because the facts and pattern of the nation’s history do not support this.
Someone wisely said, “Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” Just as David’s sin was great, so is mine, so is yours, and so is our country’s. It is, after all, made up of sinners—like every other country and people in this world. Is racism pandemic here in our country? Sin is pandemic. Racism is a species of sin. Racism is worldwide because sin is worldwide. One act of racism is one act too many. Sin kills (Romans 6:23; Ezekiel 18:20). Is America an fundamentally racist nation whose government structures and institutions are bent on discriminating against people of color? What do facts tell us?
George Washington was a slave owner. David was an adulterer and murderer. David repented and Washington freed his slaves at his death, providing pensions for those who could not provide for themselves and providing for the education and vocational training for some who lacked parents and freedom for them after the age of 25. Let’s tear down his statue and expunge all memory of him. And let’s do the same for King David.
Thomas Jefferson wanted slavery condemned in the Declaration of Independence but many feared losing the South in the war against the British. He referred to slavery as an “abominable crime.” And yet he owned slaves. Unforgiveable… like King David’s adultery and murder… a man after God’s own heart. Let’s expunge all memory and honor of him from our past. Let’s do the same for King David.
Slavery never took hold in some states because the people opposed it and freemen were common in Northern States, some serving as pastors in predominately white churches. Some in the 1700’s married white women. Imagine that. But let’s condemn everyone as evil and oppressive. Let’s do the same for King David.
An entire Civil War was fought with a death toll of 750,000 men out of a total population of 31 million (2.4% of the total population or almost 5% of the male population). Then there’s Gettysburg (10,000 killed; 30,000 wounded). The abolition of slavery figured prominently in the war. Many believe the Civil War was God’s judgement. “White men” fought for freedom of all people—including slaves.
Abraham Lincoln issued and executed the Emancipation Proclamation (imperfectly). The Emancipation Proclamation was soon followed by the 13th amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The 13th Amendment gave the newly freed slaves (and others) citizenship and the right to vote. Did that cure things? Souls are changed one soul at a time with the Gospel, nothing less. But what do we make of the “white men” who passed this legislation? What do we make of a country that did so?
In 1870 Hiram Revels, the first black US Senator, was elected (Republican) in Mississippi. He had been born to free black parents. Numerous congressmen and congresswomen and senators of all colors have since followed, nationwide. How in the world did they get elected in a structurally and systemically racist society in which they were a minority—and by whom?
The Federal Government frequently stepped in attempting to ensure voting rights and rights of citizenship. Who took these actions? Who supported them? Did less than 14% of the population compel 86% of the population, the majority of whom are said to be evil racists, all, to do their bidding? Or were they imperfect people trying to live up to an ideal?
President Harry S. Truman desegregated the US Military by executive order in 1948, establishing the President's Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services—something Franklin Roosevelt had been unwilling to do. Did Truman rely on the black vote? Don’t people say today that Truman was an evil racist? What motivated him? Why did he do it? Should we keep or tear down his statue? Should we revile his memory and achievements? What about King David? What about you?
In 1954 segregation in schools was declared unconstitutional (Brown v. the Board of Education) by “white” Supreme Court Justices… Change came and comes slowly.
In 1957 Republican President Dwight Eisenhower sent Federal Troops to Little Rock, Arkansas to integrate public high schools and ensure the safety of students. Is this structural and systemic racism—or was Eisenhower combating racism?
In 1963 Federal Troops and the Alabama National Guard were deployed to desegregate the University of Alabama. Why? Why did this happen? How could it happen in a country dominated by racism?
In 1964 Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 tightening and strengthening laws against discrimination against people according to race, age, and sex. Why would a predominately racist Congress, Senate, and President put such legislation into law? Who elected and reelected them?
In 1967 the first black Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall was appointed to the US Supreme Court. Who appointed him? Marshall was followed decades later by Clarence Thomas (1991). Who appointed Thomas? There has been a black Supreme Court Justice sitting on the US Supreme Court for over 53 years. Appointed by whom? What was their motive?
In 1987 Ronald Reagan appointed Colin Powell the first African American National Security Advisor. Wasn’t Reagan a racist?
In 1989 George H. W. Bush appointed Colin Powell as the first African American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff over all US Military operations. Why? How?
Barack Obama elected President twice, 2008 and 2012. Black people made up less than 14% of the U.S. population. Who were these voters, then, who elected President Obama? If American is structurally racist and racism is systemic, how was he re-elected and by whom?
Between 1964 and 2014 between $15 trillion and $22 trillion dollars were spent in the war on poverty, creating several debilitating unintended consequences. Poverty has dropped from 15% to 14.5%, the majority of the drop taking place before the spending that would ultimately destroy the African American Family. But who elected these politicians over time? And why did they commit so many financial resources? Weren’t most of them racists?
What’s the point? If America, as a country, didn’t care about people—all people as well as of color, blacks making up less than 14% of the population, who elected Obama president twice? Who appointed Black Supreme Court Justices? Who desegregated the military? Who sent troops to desegregate schools and universities (and why?). Who appropriated trillions of dollar to fight poverty? And who elected (and reelected) them and why? Why? It is because of the ideals that this country was founded upon. Do we live out these ideals perfectly? No. Do you? Do you or I live out our faith perfectly? No one does. God calls upon us all to excel still more. God calls upon us, requires us, as believers, to be agents of real change.
America is a nation with “the cleanest dirty shirt.” The shirt is dirty for sure… but… thankfully for us… not as dirty as everyone else’s. There’s no other country like the American Experiment anywhere in the world. People of color flock here in droves. Why? They come here for a better life. Why? Because America is a land of opportunity, a land of high ideals, and they have hopes of becoming part of the American Dream. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE: ours is a flawed nation, comprised of flawed people—sinners. Like all humans, we struggle as a people, like all people everywhere, we fail to live up to our ideals, so carefully documented in our founding documents. Does that make everything “okay?” It does not. Racism is real because sin is real. Change is needed.
But make no mistake. Change is needed. Real change. Significant change. And, Christian, you—you—have a role to play.
But change starts and comes from within. Change doesn’t come through laws, coercion, cancelling, virtue signalling, social media accounts like Twitter, destroying statues and institutions, or trying to forget (or rewrite) the past. Change is much more difficult than that. It’s all about “the long game.” There are no short or easy answers.
Change comes one soul at a time through the message of Jesus Christ for those who worship the One, True God. For those worshipping at other altars change too often comes through violence and reverse discrimination (the opposite of the Golden Rule), revenge, and vengeance. So what? We, as Christ followers have the only real answer. Accept no substitutes.
We have work to do. As for what you can do as part of the church, we will be teaching through this in a short series. Here’s a rough listing of what to expect in the sermons that follow:
Chris Gee will speak on race and racism.
I will speak on a biblical approach to protest and action.
My second sermon will be an analysis of Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality and how they relate to Christianity.
Roberto Munguia will speak on reconciliation.
Last and not least, it’s okay to say “Happy Fourth of July.” With all of its warts and scars and its “cleanest dirty shirt,” ours is a great country and we (as well as others) have much to be thankful for. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. Be thankful. Be grateful. Happy (belated) Fourth of July. Happy Independence Day. Let’s get to work!