White Church, Black Church, God Church, Man Church

Another unarmed black man dies at the hands of police. This throws me back into an old struggle of mine, a series of thoughts that makes me question my own motivations, my own assumptions, my own safely-white existence, and above all, the question of why the Church, the very Church established by the Apostles, the Church which has collectively retained the unadulterated truth of the Gospel, the Church which obviously is for all mankind, the Church which prays "that all would be saved"...why is that Church mostly white? ...well, why is it mostly white in this country?

In a way, I feel powerless to say anything, because I am white. Who wants to hear another white guy defending his conscience? Well, I am not going to say I am not racist. That is too easy. These ways of operating are often among the involuntary sins for which we ask forgiveness, the habitual sins that we commit without even knowing it, sins that are only revealed to us through years of Confession and guidance by our spiritual father. None of us wants to believe bad things about ourselves.

My first problem, as a well-meaning white guy, is that it is so hard to understand anything outside of my own experience. I grew up in little towns in Texas and Oklahoma: in every one, I could count the non-whites on my two hands. Then, I lived in Oregon, which, much to my surprise, is even more white than Texas!

I went back and re-watched a wonderful documentary: 13th, in reference to the 13th amendment which ended slavery, yet created a loophole to maintain slavery through imprisonment. That was a problem then, but surely not now, right? In my lifetime, the prison population began its dramatic increase: the first half of the 20th century, the prison population held mostly steady between 100,000 and 200,000, and now, it has risen to about 1.5 million. America, with 5% of the world's population, has 25% of the world's prisoners. We may not agree on what the problem is, but those numbers are clear indications that there are some serious underlying problems here and now in modern America.

So, what of the Orthodox Church? Of course, Orthodoxy is pro-humanity. Every life has infinite value...black, white, or whatever other shade or tint we want to propose. God united the nature of God to the nature of man at the Incarnation, and raised up that nature with himself at the Ascension, and seated that human body of flesh on the throne in heaven.

Though I technically, or theologically, do not have any issue with any other human, it is still hard for many of us to walk a mile in the shoes of others. The best first step I can think of for myself is to listen. The sheer number of demonstrations, protests, riots, and the like are something we need to listen to. Listen with compassion and understanding.

If I hurt my wife in some way, and she comes to me in anger, it does not matter who is right: I have caused hurt, and I need to listen in humility.

I cannot fully understand the life of a black man in America, but I can listen. I may not be able to grasp what my life would be like if I could not have gone to college or pursued any job I wanted, but I can listen. I may not know of anything I could do to make this situation better, but I can listen. 

I found the above documentary very enlightening and helpful to begin to see life through my brother's eyes, but that is, by no means, the only way to listen. In the Breastplate of St. Patrick, one who brought the Gospel to his oppressors, he brings up a wonderful way to "listen" to others, by seeing the image of Christ in them:

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today,
Through a mighty strength,
The invocation of the Trinity,
Through a belief in the Threeness,
Through a confession in the Oneness of the Creator of Creation.

Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of Christ.
May thy salvation, O Lord, be with us forever.