America's Continued Divide

Today, the other pastor I work with and I attended a large pastors conference out of town.

The speaker was a mega-church pastor, well known in evangelical Christian circles. His messages were excellent - very helpful and biblically sound.

The last session he took some questions and answers. One question was about how to minister in an age of terrorism and mass shootings. His answer was interesting. He went straight to a defense of police officers. He claimed that the situation is not helped when we demonize police officers. I agree.
I agreed with everything he said - police, firefighters, soldiers - these men and women stand between the rest of us and complete social breakdown. I hold great respect and admiration for these people who place their lives on the line daily, so that the rest of us can live lives of security.

Now, what I want to point out is what he did not say. I am still a relative newcomer to the USA - 2.5 years now. And so I have been able to observe a little of the racial divide in this country. I have always been interested in this part of American culture, but now I can see it close up.

What I have concluded is that most of my white friends do not dislike blacks. They are not racist. They would not discriminate against people of another color - as evidenced by the fact that they befriend me and my family.

Instead of racism, what exists is a benign ignorance, bred by a complete lack of social interaction between blacks and whites. Its not that my white friends don't like blacks, they simply don't know any at a deep level. This lack of interaction leads to stereotypes on both sides. I have to confess I have now fallen into this passive withdrawal as well - I do not have a friend who is African American - an african american couple have joined my church small group, and i am slowly becoming friend with them.

And so, when leaders say we need to support our police - I agree, but it displays an ignorance of the complex racial and historical factors that have led to the eruption of the "Black Lives Matter" protests of recent days.

I was saddened that this well respected Christian leader failed to display empathy and solidarity with African American brothers and sisters who have grown up in a much different world than he has. Today I read a New York Times article focused on the "driving while black" phenomena - that is black motorists are much more likely to be pulled over by police for minor infractions and then have their vehicles searched, than whites.

And today, the national news showed cel phone video of a black South Carolina high school student being ripped out of her desk and thrown across the room by a white officer. These are not isolated incidents - but the tip of an iceberg of many such similar incidents that we never hear of.

America was founded on, has existed upon and grown profitable on racial policies against the black race. This history of dehumanization will not be reversed by law. Only when we can hear each other stories can this sad history start to lose its power on our consciousness and hearts.

Support the police, yes - but listen to one another too.