by Bob Sullivan
In my last column, I explained that Critical Race Theory (CRT) fosters an identity crisis in which the only solution is to discriminate against yourself as well as those who you deem to be oppressors.
As you can see, that is a vicious cycle, for as soon as someone succeeds in taking down an oppressor, they themselves may find themselves at the top of the power struggle, thereby becoming the target of those who are envious of them. Anyone wishing to avoid the fate of being discriminated against, must do all they can to hold themselves down so they can sustain their identity as a victim. They must continually engage in just enough activism (retaliation and protest) against the perceived oppressors to maintain their status as a victim, but avoid too much success for fear that they will lose their victim status and become an oppressor.
It makes your brain ache, doesn’t it?
Now that we have put some form to CRT, let’s explore the Christian way to overcome racism. Christianity is the perfect solution to this headache. I know this isn’t new, but it is true.
If you ever wanted to learn from history, Christianity provides lesson after lesson in successful ways to overcome difficult situations.
The most difficult situation in all of human history was the rupture between our first parents and God Himself. You know the story of the fall in the Garden of Eden. Since that time, all sin and death came into the world, pitching humans in a continual battle of might over right, which has always included racism, discrimination, and oppression.
Prior to Christ, those who had power ruled over those who did not. Entire villages were slaughtered or enslaved by rival tribes and nations. Women and children were considered second-class citizens. The weak, elderly, and sick, were cast out and left to struggle for survival on their own. Regardless of the faith or the absence of faith of the person, the culture was one of privilege for those in power, and struggle for those who were not in power. The discrimination against people based on their physical and intellectual characteristics, and often their family history, was common and accepted.
Christ preached and demonstrated a totally countercultural approach to life. He interacted with lepers, prostitutes, the poor, gentiles, the sick, and Samaritans, just as he interacted with the chosen race. He didn’t just talk to them, he healed them, dined with them, touched them, and counseled them. The Romans may have thought such behavior odd, but the Jewish leaders considered it a serious violation of the law which required that he be cut off from the people.
Jesus also preached that the widow’s mite was greater than the rich man’s gifts from his surplus, that the faith of a gentile was greater than that of the Pharisees, and that the innocence of a child and being childlike in faith is more efficacious in the eyes of God than relentless attempts to abide by Mosaic law.
The early Christians were not only the minority, they were considered criminals by the Jewish leaders and at first a strange sect by the Romans, before being all-out persecuted by the Romans. However, at the same time, the numbers of faithful Christians grew exponentially.
What seems counterintuitive is actually quite intuitive. The fact is, Christian love overwhelmed the power and might of the rulers of the world, until it became the largest faith on the planet, all without a sword, a canon, or an army with which to conquer. The Christians did not fight this battle with swords and spears, they fought by sacrificing themselves, often to the death, and often a death by torture, humiliation, and unspeakable violence. All of this was due to Christ’s teachings and example, especially His example of the Passion, including the moment of his arrest, when he told Peter to put away his sword, lest he himself die by the sword.
We are now twenty centuries removed from the time of Christ, but we have all the teachings, we know all the evidence, and we have centuries of martyrs to help us realize that we too can win the culture war with love, sacrifice, and martyrdom.
Racism, including CRT, is based on classifying people according to the color of their skin, then discriminating against them because they are different.
The Christian way is to appreciate differences, and to treat people even better because of their differences, even when they are trying to harm you and your family (Matthew 6:27-36). This worked 2,000 years ago because it is from God. It will work again today, because it is still from God.
However, we are not required to throw up our hands and surrender to racists. Nor are we prohibited from hungering or thirsting for righteousness. That is actually a beatitude. We must rid ourselves of prejudice against others, meet prejudice with peace and mercy, and always remember that we are not only created in the image and likeness of God, and are loved by God in spite of our failings and struggles, God also loves our persecutors. God has often won the hearts and minds of the persecutors through the peaceful and loving example of the martyrs. Over the centuries, those who at first jeered the martyrs came to wonder how they could go to their death with such peace and while forgiving their executioners.
Therefore, instead of retribution, restitution, and reparation, which are all key components of CRT, Christ offers the only solution: turn the other cheek, request and grant forgiveness, sacrifice for the good of the other, and treat others with respect for their human dignity. It isn’t easy, but it is simple.
