June 14, 2020
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we[d] also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.
Last Sunday afternoon, I social distanced in my brother’s backyard. His wife and daughter joined us in the cool shade of a camping popup. Natalie, my niece, is home from college and plugged into the Black Lives Matter protests and marched the week before. I was surprised by my response when she started talking about abolishing or defunding police departments. I said, “but I like Police Departments.” Not having been on social media I was slow to the trending idea to end police forces as a response to the death and abuse of black people at the hand of police. Of course, this was the same day we heard of the death of Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller a local sheriff and once Aptos resident. We now are also over 2 weeks out from the first protests and curious about a new wave of infection.
Into this setting we just heard powerful words from Paul writing to the church in Rome. Having just argued for justification by faith, he poses what one commentator calls the rule of grace and the rule of glory (Feasting on the Word A3, p. 134). The rule of grace is peace in the present and the rule of glory is hope for glory in the future. Both of course come through Christ and God’s plan for salvation. Oh how we long for the rule of grace, to have peace in this time. But we also know that things will need to change for us to ever get to the rule of glory and hope for the future in our nation regarding race.
Paul then makes his case on a more personal level. “We are justified.” “We have peace.” “We boast.” This then moves into us language: Holy Spirit given to us; God proves love for us; Christ died for us. This begs the question who is “US?”
I will explore the idea of “us” through television, movies, and travel.
One of my favorite TV shows is This Is Us. It follows the Pearson family through time and generations. Jack served in Vietnam, and Rebecca longs for a singing career. The premise starts with Jack and Rebecca expecting triplets, but one of their three babies dies at birth. It just so happens a black baby boy is abandoned and the Pearson’s graciously raise baby Randell as their own. One son becomes an actor alcoholic, their daughter is morbidly obese and troubled, and Randell their adopted black son is overachieving and anxious. Yet you love all three. Jack and Rebecca’s love for Randell make him part of “Us.” I relate to each character. Rebecca’s mothering heart, Kate’s struggle with food, Randall’s desire for perfection. Race is beautifully woven into the story, all the while keeping Randell in the “us” category. Their humanness is what defines them, not their race.
Have you ever had a time when all you could see was a person’s race? When your response to a situation was defined by skin color rather than humanness? Even if that response was only your internal feelings. In St. Louis while taking public transit to the airport, I entered the train car with people of several races, but as the trip continued, and people got on and off, I became aware that I was the only white person remaining. I am ashamed to say I had a moment of fear. Nothing happened. But my fear exposed my racism, my not feeling like I was surrounded by people like me. “Us” people.
Last year Joran Peele released an American horror film call “Us.” I watched it with my sons and found if violent, disturbing and thought provoking. I would not recommend it. Yet it spoke of race in a powerful way. The title Us was making a statement about the United States, the U.S., us, and our relationship to race, wealth and the idea of “us versus them.” This week on Amazon Prime I watched a violent, disturbing, and thought-provoking movie that I would highly recommend, “I Am Not Your Negro.” It tells the story of Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, and Medger Evers, all murdered civil right leaders, through the eyes of James Baldwin. I might be showing my age here, as many of you live through this time, but it asks difficult questions about how we see black people and how we are constantly making them other. When someone is “other” they cannot be us, making it hard to see their humanity. That is what Black Lives Matter is asking us to do. To see their humanity, to see every person of color as part of us; as people who Jesus came to save.
Paul reminds us to boast in our sufferings for Christ “knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (3-4). Black people have suffered long enough, suffered way too long! How many black people have died hoping to end racial suffering? This is a moment of hope, when things can change and we as Christians get to stand with our brothers and sisters in making this injustice right. Helping to move from a desire for a rule of peace to return, to actively pursuing the rule of glory when Christ’s plan for an equal and just society becomes our reality! When black and white people are all “US.” God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. Given to all of us!
In 1984 I visited Jerusalem for the first time, as part of Semester at Sea. We visited the Church of Annunciation built over older churches honoring the place Gabriel appeared to Mary in Nazareth. The new church built in 1969 has a large gallery of Madonna and child depictions contributed by countries from around the world. I was fascinated to see Mary and Jesus shown through the eyes of each culture, each race. My favorite one was from Japan. I hope you can see that the sleeves of Mary’s dress are made of cultured pearls. As a 21-year-old, these images startled me. The first time I thought of Jesus as beyond race. Of course, he was ethnically Jewish, but how often have we seen him with brown hair, blue eyes and Anglo features? The gospel transcends race, so that each culture, each race, can see themselves as the one saved.
So who is Us? I would say every person ever born is us. Every dream ever held is us. Every black person ever lynched is us. Every discriminated soul is us. Martin Luther King Jr is us. George Floyd is us! Christ died for us. Who are we to say some people are us and others or not?
Back on my brother’s grass- The reason I like police departments is because
my skin color keeps me from racial profiling and being pulled over for no valid reason.
My skin color makes me look like the Jesus in the Bible
My skin color means I am part of we and us and not ostracized to become other and them.
Even if we do not understand what is being asked for from all of this protesting, I pray that we can be open that even though our experience of the world may be different, we support the process because Christ came and died for all of US! Amen.
