“Cloud and thick darkness are round about him; righteousness and justice are the place of his throne.” (Ps 97:2, Karen Jenkins Translation from the Hebrew text)
Because God’s throne is established on the twin pillars of righteousness and justice, God opposes those who establish their thrones on the antithesis of those pillars (i.e., unrighteousness and injustice).
What are the pillars that our lives rest upon? And what are the pillars that the Church is founded on?
Racial discrimination is prevalent in our world and it has aroused many Christians to seek out tangible ways to demolish the chains of injustice in their local communities. However, what is being done to eradicate racism within the Church?
Black pastors and laity who participate in congregational life in predominantly White denominations with predominantly White administrations, often lack support in ministry. And their ability to utilize their spiritual gifts and to operate within their calling is hampered not only when they are made to feel inferior to their White counterparts, but when they are told that they do not fit in, are not given ministry opportunities (or have opportunities taken from them), have their voices silenced when protesting discriminatory practices, and are made to be objects of hatred, contempt, and abuse.
Who are people of color to confide in when those in leadership are not unlike those who have mistreated them? And to whom are Black pastors to confide in about their struggles in White spaces? Furthermore, who will listen to them in a way that does not diminish their experiences but, with humility and grace, acknowledges their grief and responds in a way that mirrors the foundational virtues of God and liberates them to walk fully into their God-given calling?
The Church, in many instances, is a place of racial inequity. For those whose primary concern is to eradicate racism in the world, what are we doing to eradicate it in the Church? And if now is not the time to confront racial hatred, hostility, insults, unfair treatment, and abuses against people of color within the Church, when will the right time be? Perhaps acknowledging and pursuing reparations for such wickedness in the body of Christ will make some uncomfortable. However, Christians are not called to comfortable lives. The Word of God is unsettling and up-setting. It moves us, oftentimes, from places of wickedness to places of righteousness. Let us let God move us.
What is God saying to the Church?
Justice begins in the household of faith first (1 Pet 4:17). Will those of us who call ourselves by God’s name be like God? Will we rest in the fixed place of righteousness and justice and resist falling sway to the fear, hatred, jealousy, envy, manipulation, and spiritual violence that infiltrated the Church centuries ago when Black bodies were controlled possessions exploited for selfish, monetary gain? How far have we come since those days? God wants us to destroy the roots of wickedness that remain within the American Church from such a horrid history.
How will we respond?
Let us respond by respecting the dignity of people of color, making room for their voices, listening with open hearts, and recognizing our common humanity and shared spaces. Let us also respond by mobilizing Black members of the household of God into positions of influence in the body of Christ where they are not intimidated or pressured to assimilate to the prevailing cultural standards, but are enabled to be themselves, unapologetically and courageously. Lastly, let us respond by re-centering our lives around Christ, confidently standing in solidarity with those who have been objects of hatred and neglect, and by being God’s brazen, prophetic voice of justice for those who have experienced injustice.
Let us reflect. What virtues are my life founded upon? Where do I see my attitude, thoughts, and actions governed by such virtues? And what purification is needed in my heart so that what emanates from it is not a source of my own defilement, the defilement of others, or the defilement of the body of Christ?
By Rev. Karen Jenkins
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