"Most of the Black Christians I’ve encountered who are still in white evangelical churches, schools, and nonprofits are asking “How long can I stay?” not pondering how to bring even more Black people into a potentially traumatizing situation."
How did you get access to my dm's??? Haha
I think my ministers believe stuff is finally blowing over. Instead there's a contingent of folks I talk to and each week we have to re-decide to stay
Thank you for this. As a white male who somehow was involved w/ early Black Lives Matter actions in Chicago, and was carried by them into a far greater awareness of my own failures and needs as a Christian and a human, I left Evangelicalism completely as the 2016 election cycle heated up. Your words on that supersaturate moment are profound and - from where I exist - wholly appropriate. That election was a psychological blow to the solar plexus. White Evangelicalism, where I had always thought I had a stake, turned my world and my faith upside down.
I know a little of how hard it has been for you. In spite of the difficulties that you share so circumspectly, you show a calm and careful demeanor, and that serves you well in reaching a wide audience. But I think it's taken a toll on your peace, my friend, and I'm sorry for that.
May you find all gives you peace and joy and fruitful ministry & be surrounded by those who see you and appreciate all who you are. I will do whatever I can to support you in proving all things and holding fast to what is good.
I recently listened to this conversation between McWhorter and Loury regarding the oversimplification of what happened to Trayvon and the skeptical fallout thereafter and it made me think of this article. Thought its was a keen insight into what I have personally seen in the post Trayvon/BLM epoch and what I think is an important piece of what you are teasing out here. Could be at least a piece of the schism puzzle you are putting together.
"Those departures from reality in the service of racial justice narratives, which are almost obviously false, but which are never the less pressed by people, generates a backlash, and I wonder what cost that backlash actually exacts of us in the long run. A kind of cynicism. A kind of thinly veiled contempt from people...who in their heart of hearts, can't really endorse some of the campaign because they know it is built on sand and it asks them to be complicit in lying about things that have happened." Loury
"What you create is a skepticism and a certain quiet hostility, and if you encounter it you read it as evidence that racism persists, which unfortunately is what you actually kind of like, because that is your comfort zone." McWhorter
Shelby Steele's documentary "What Killed Michael Brown" explores some of the same threads Loury and McWhorter discuss here. Worth a watch if you haven't seen it.
One other very important piece that you noted briefly, but I think likely played a massive role, is the wildly exponential growth and clearly divisive effect social media played in everyone's perspective in the exact same post Trayvon/BLM epoch. How much do you think social media played into your changing views of your brothers and sisters and their views of you? I personally wouldn't be surprised if social media played a massively outsized role in the divisions you are describing.
Haidt's recent article is a must read in this vein:
Thanks for this great writing--it interweaves the national trends and your own personal journey so well. It is sad that churches and Christian groups have not been able to take the real sacrificial steps to effect true unity. I do know of several bright spots which are exceptions--it might be interesting to highlight a few of those--not to downplay the overall negative trend, but to hold up some examples of how to make progress happen in multiethnic spaces and congregations. Thank you!
"Most of the Black Christians I’ve encountered who are still in white evangelical churches, schools, and nonprofits are asking “How long can I stay?” not pondering how to bring even more Black people into a potentially traumatizing situation."
How did you get access to my dm's??? Haha
I think my ministers believe stuff is finally blowing over. Instead there's a contingent of folks I talk to and each week we have to re-decide to stay
Thank you for this. As a white male who somehow was involved w/ early Black Lives Matter actions in Chicago, and was carried by them into a far greater awareness of my own failures and needs as a Christian and a human, I left Evangelicalism completely as the 2016 election cycle heated up. Your words on that supersaturate moment are profound and - from where I exist - wholly appropriate. That election was a psychological blow to the solar plexus. White Evangelicalism, where I had always thought I had a stake, turned my world and my faith upside down.
I know a little of how hard it has been for you. In spite of the difficulties that you share so circumspectly, you show a calm and careful demeanor, and that serves you well in reaching a wide audience. But I think it's taken a toll on your peace, my friend, and I'm sorry for that.
May you find all gives you peace and joy and fruitful ministry & be surrounded by those who see you and appreciate all who you are. I will do whatever I can to support you in proving all things and holding fast to what is good.
I recently listened to this conversation between McWhorter and Loury regarding the oversimplification of what happened to Trayvon and the skeptical fallout thereafter and it made me think of this article. Thought its was a keen insight into what I have personally seen in the post Trayvon/BLM epoch and what I think is an important piece of what you are teasing out here. Could be at least a piece of the schism puzzle you are putting together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuEyDXsHux8
"Those departures from reality in the service of racial justice narratives, which are almost obviously false, but which are never the less pressed by people, generates a backlash, and I wonder what cost that backlash actually exacts of us in the long run. A kind of cynicism. A kind of thinly veiled contempt from people...who in their heart of hearts, can't really endorse some of the campaign because they know it is built on sand and it asks them to be complicit in lying about things that have happened." Loury
"What you create is a skepticism and a certain quiet hostility, and if you encounter it you read it as evidence that racism persists, which unfortunately is what you actually kind of like, because that is your comfort zone." McWhorter
Shelby Steele's documentary "What Killed Michael Brown" explores some of the same threads Loury and McWhorter discuss here. Worth a watch if you haven't seen it.
One other very important piece that you noted briefly, but I think likely played a massive role, is the wildly exponential growth and clearly divisive effect social media played in everyone's perspective in the exact same post Trayvon/BLM epoch. How much do you think social media played into your changing views of your brothers and sisters and their views of you? I personally wouldn't be surprised if social media played a massively outsized role in the divisions you are describing.
Haidt's recent article is a must read in this vein:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/05/social-media-democracy-trust-babel/629369/
Just some thoughts.
Thanks for this great writing--it interweaves the national trends and your own personal journey so well. It is sad that churches and Christian groups have not been able to take the real sacrificial steps to effect true unity. I do know of several bright spots which are exceptions--it might be interesting to highlight a few of those--not to downplay the overall negative trend, but to hold up some examples of how to make progress happen in multiethnic spaces and congregations. Thank you!