Faithful Are The Wounds Of A Friend

If you’ve seen my recent Facebook posts perhaps you think I am too blunt and too pointed, even harsh in my criticism of white Evangelicals. Why keep calling their worldview “white-centered” and repeatedly bring up the uncomfortable topic of race?

 

 

Let me begin by pointing out that I was involved in Evangelical churches and ministries for 15+ years. Whatever measure you want to use — time, effort, giving, volunteering, leadership, relationships — I did not hold back, I was fully invested in building up the majority-white Evangelical church. And in all that time I acted in good faith — I served alongside them in the belief that our shared faith was sufficient to bridge any cultural differences.

 

Of course, some people were openly racist, but I considered them exceptions. And others, even Pastors, occasionally said racially or culturally insensitive things, but I forgave that as a “lack of cross-cultural awareness”. I repeatedly, respectfully spoke up to provide an alternate cultural perspective.

 

But evidence tends to accumulate after 15+ years. I am talking about numerous conversations, sermons, behavior, etc. Evangelicals have foundational viewpoints rooted in the superiority of “western civilization” and their “western Christian heritage”. Their view of history, their identity, and their theology is inextricably bound up in this. And this is a worldview passed on from generation to generation.

 

Over time, I could not escape the growing realization that “western” was really just a euphemism for “white”. But what really convinced me was the way white Evangelicals viewed and treated their Black brothers and sisters — specifically their marginalizing of the Black church and the racial animus towards the “Black Lives Matter” protests.

 

All my attempts after 15 years of gently trying, from within, to provide a counter-perspective have had very little effect. At some point, you have to realize that you are justifying and enabling white-centered Christianity. The recent Evangelical support for and defense of Trump provides abundant evidence of this malady — with Mike Pence, the perfect embodiment of Republican Evangelicalism, publicly and clearly denouncing any belief in systemic racism.

 

If after 15 years of invested relationships and good-faith interactions and patience and gentle persuasion, I still don’t have sufficient “credit” to speak openly and forthrightly to my white-centered Evangelical friends, I don’t know who does. And I owe it to them. If I see the harmful effects of racism and white-centeredness that they are blind to, on the basis of Christian love, I am bound to say something.

 

Hence the pointed and blunt posts on race, because: “the kisses of an enemy are deceitful but faithful are the wounds of a friend”.