What time we live in! What to write about in this column? I think there are two pandemics on people’s minds these days, one is novel and the other is 400 years in the making.
I would like to say just one thing about COVID-19: please continue to wear masks when you are out and about. Please do not make mask wearing a political statement – it is a health statement. My mask protects you and your mask protects me from any spray from our mouths when coughing, sneezing, singing, or even talking. While frustration abounds due to guidance changes, wearing masks has always been a routine health statement. They wore masks 100 years ago during the 1919 Spanish Flu epidemic. Jesus commands us to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.(Luke 6:31)
Moving on to the age-old pandemic of racism I have been interested in this topic ever since 1992 when, I received a church resource entitled Breaking Down the Walls —Responding to the Racism that Divides Us. Racism has been called "America’s Original Sin" and as one who is interested in both history and the Gospel, I am hooked. Jesus tells us the two great commandments are to love God and love your neighbor as yourself. He then told a story to illustrate who is the neighbor (Luke 10:25-37).
The important point is that the neighbor is the one who helped, no matter that he was "different." Jesus was always mixing it up with the "different" people of his culture: tax collectors, prostitutes, blind beggars, women, and Samaritans.
If we Christians are to be faithful followers of Christ we must take His teachings seriously. What can we do about racism? Here are some ideas:
– Educate yourself: learn the history since Africans were first brought to America in 1619 as slaves. There are many books and other resources. Ask Mr. Google "Racism Resources and your faith or denomination;.
– Learn about white privilege. If you are white in America you have and enjoy it whether you know it or not. There are many types of privileges – do not confuse one for another. You may not have class privilege, educational privilege or other privilege, but no matter what, if you are white, you cannot escape your white privilege.
– Be firm in your desire to learn the truth. Jesus said: "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31-32)
– Be intentional about finding and making friends with people of color. The Public Research Institute found that "75 % of whites have entirely white social networks." If you are Christian, there are Black churches in Bristol, Bensalem, Langhorne, Newtown, Yardley, and Doylestown. Go visit. If you secular or not Christian, join the NAACP or the African American Museum of Bucks County.
You will meet fine people who have different life experiences than you.
– Learn what racism is exactly. Most peacemakers define it as prejudice plus power. Discover how racism is different from just plain prejudice.
– Realize that combating racism is primarily a white responsibility. I believe that because I have inherited certain corporate blessings through none of my own doing, I am therefore responsible for healing certain inherited corporate burdens even if they are not the result of any of my own doing.
– Join racism dialogues where ever you find them and listen with an open heart! We learn by hearing and seeing stories. One commentator believes that the sustained multiracial protests we have seen since George Floyd was murdered is a tsunami of distress that has been building due to the easy availability of cell phone cameras recording incidents that finally crashed ashore. It is hard to ignore white police murdering black people when we can see it right before our eyes.
If racism is America’s original sin, what is the solution? The Bible tells us repentance is the answer to sin. Repentance means to turn around, go in a different direction, experience transformation. Learning about systemic racism will be a lifelong struggle for us white folks just as it has been a lifelong struggle for Black folks living under its domination.
Keith A. Pacheco, of Langhorne, is an aspiring peacemaker and a student of nonviolent communication. From a Faith Perspective is a weekly column written by members of Lower Bucks faith communities.
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June 20, 2020 at 11:59PM
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Faith: Racism is 'America's Original Sin' - News - Bucks County Courier Times
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