To My Fellow American Christians: Black Lives Matter
I want to make a distinction. All lives do matter in theory and Americans should expect “equal justice under law” in theory. But neither of these is true in practice. The history of America has demonstrated that this country values black and brown lives less than it values white lives. It has shown that Americans do not enjoy equal justice under the law.
America was founded on a set of ideals that we constantly fail to uphold and the people who are most affected by these failures are now crying out, enough is enough!
This is analogous to the challenge we have as Christians. The standard that God sets is unattainable. We are not perfect according to the Christian definition of righteousness we believe in, and America is not perfect according to its own standards. To claim that we, individually, are great (meaning good enough), is pride, which is itself a sin. To claim that America is great (meaning achieving its mission statement to a reasonable degree) may not be a sin, but it is dishonest. America the Great is a lie of omission that excludes the stories of centuries of oppressed people.
As Christians, we are called to attempt to be more like Christ every day. Today is a good day to be more like Christ by, for some of us, relinquishing the idol of American nationalism (this does not mean stop loving your country or don’t be a patriot) and working to uphold the values God requires of us: to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. Let us cry out with righteous (godly) indignation at the injustices committed against entire subpopulations of our nation. As Americans, we seek liberty and justice for all, but in this moment let us collectively choose this issue, injustice against black people, to unite behind and work toward equality. As Christians we can support policy proposals (such as abolishing mandatory minimum sentencing laws) that reduce disparities in our system of governance.
As Americans, we believe in the ideals laid out in the Declaration of Independence and codified in the U.S. Constitution, but to believe that these values are executed perfectly in reality is naive. It’s idealism, and it’s false. Our nation’s history says otherwise and the injustices continue to this day. If you are a champion for American values, specifically the value of individual liberty, you ought to be calling out politicians (Democrats and Republicans), law enforcement agencies, and those in the criminal justice system for violations of the individual liberties of our fellow black citizens.
Look, don’t get me wrong. I think American democratic philosophy is beautiful and I agree with our core values. But people in power — which, in this country has historically been white men — always seek to increase their power, even in a democracy. This conversation is fundamentally about power and privilege more than it is about race, but race is the defining issue because our history has positioned a white majority as the people group predominantly privileged, while people of color have had fewer opportunities to assert their rights. Through power, privilege, and policy, our nation’s ideals have been corrupted to benefit some over others.
America is not a utopia. It has never been, in its entirety, the “home of the free.” People have always been oppressed in America, beginning with the indigenous peoples of this continent. The mythological America that some people want to make great again, doesn’t exist in totality and the things that are great about America — access to capital; quality education; proper health, healthcare, and nutrition; quality housing; the presumption of innocence — are not shared equally with all of its citizens.
Now think about this: our founding principles were established by people who were fighting oppression, so of course the same justice-seeking concepts apply to the people fighting injustice today. American values are steeped in rebellion. The Black Lives Matter movement is in alignment with the American Revolution, if not in appearance or intensity, at least in spirit. In the American tradition, let us rise up united against injustice. Standing up for black lives would effectually make America greater overall.
Some people feel threatened by the Black Lives Matter movement because, among other reasons, they feel it prioritizes black people above white people or others. This is a grave misunderstanding, which forces us to ask ourselves, how much do black lives matter? At the time the nation was formed — despite the fact that the Declaration of Independence said that all men are created equal, thereby cementing equality as a fundamental American value — black lives mattered a lot less than white lives. Then slavery “ended” (not really, but the practice as it existed at the time ended…watch the Netflix documentary 13th for a quick overview) and the value of black lives increased, but not to the level of whites. One hundred years passed before Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated and the Civil Rights Act became law. Arguably, black lives’ value increased again, but still not to the level of whites. Now, 50-plus years later, we are in this moment when people are crying out, “black lives (should) matter (as much as others even though, historically, they haven’t).” The text in parenthesis is my interpretation of BLM; it doesn’t represent what all folks under the BLM banner are saying, but I think/hope I’m near the mark. So, Black Lives Matter is a reminder that — oh yeah, black lives also matter.
To my white/Christian/conservative friends, please hear this: the Black Lives Matter movement is not a threat to your life or liberty. It simply isn’t. Please stop believing this false teaching that permeates conservative media and culture. Open your mind and your heart to hear the core message of this cry for justice, which is, equality. Our founding fathers wrote, all men are created equal. Jesus said, love your neighbor as yourself. In light of our history and in accordance with both Christian and American values, saying black lives matter just makes sense.
