Here we are again on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. A year after my last blog post, where I shared my perspective as a white person, I’m once again reflecting and sharing thoughts on this important day of recognition. (Note to self: I need to write more in between)
We had another season of Presidential election. One wrought with piety, assassination attempt, power grab, control, wealth, and ‘us, not them.’ One in which there was seemingly no mention of the poor, the imprisoned, the widow and orphan, or the societal gap between the haves and have-nots. It seemed an election of self. Mainly self-interest, self-security, self-importance, self-righteousness, and self-aggrandization—essentially securing what impacts me and mine alone.
This ‘self’ was defended vehemently, often disparaging the other. It was a head-to-head contest of values, means, meanings, references, facts, lived experiences, and more. The voice of someone like Dr. King was gravely missing. A voice that called out the activities of power and raised the concerns of the powerless. And ironically, today is Inauguration Day. And as a result, in the minds of many, they are blinded even to the regard of King, let alone his ideas.
It seems in this land of the free, we are not free. We are bound by our culture—our assuredness—those things that stand between us and curiosity, learning, and growth. We throw up barriers of our history, our faith practice, our means of solution, our truth-tellers, ours…me….mine…self.
We don’t understand the importance of the other.
In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he states, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain concept, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.”
We have a humility problem.
I think we make a bigger deal about our method of problem-solving rather than resolving the problems themselves—believing we know better than those other people. We are eager to dismiss voices that don’t share the same politics, use of language, denominational perspective, generational existence, time on the earth, or ‘truths.’ Mostly in the name of power and control. Because, well…we’re right and know all the right answers.
Author Donald Miller wrote “When I dig in and defend my own ideas I run the risk of losing objectivity. Self-deception is quick when our “rightness” is on the line”.
We shut our ears and instinctively go on the offense. Trying to seek out what to find wrong instead of what may be helpful. We discard messages and messengers quickly. Saying things like “They are ignorant.” “They are not a Christian”. “They are Marxist”. “They are extremist.” “They have the wrong facts.” They are this, they are that.
Justin Giboney, cofounder of the AND Campaign, an attorney, and a political strategist in Atlanta, said, “Faith should give us moral imagination.” I think we’ve lost that. I’m curious how much of it we ever had in our Western church practices.
We desire uniformity rather than unity.
Unity is hard. It requires the lowering of the self and the raising of the other. Our fears cause us to regard ‘lowering’ as zero-sum or loss. We think if we lower ourselves, it will cost us. The truth is it will. But the benefit—the shalom—is shared. And beautiful. And frankly, the beloved community that King spoke about.
Much like Christ set aside all his infinite power and omnipresence to come into the context of humanity—on behalf of the other (us)—we need to check our attitude and motive in so many regards. Jesus spent many years walking with his disciples, trying to get them to understand this truth. This alternative power structure. Yet, time and again, they either disregarded or could not comprehend his ways. Be it questioning who will sit at the right and left or picking up the sword of defense for Jesus himself.
I think it was Richard Rohr who was talking about the spiritual metaphor of water as he shared, “Water always goes down to the lowest places.” It resides there and interacts with what is going on ‘below.’ Much like Jesus did and asks of his followers—those following the way—to do likewise.
On this King holiday (and beyond), lean into the stories of others. Listen to learn, and not defend your turf. Or as my Pastor, Dr. Sebastian Holley, spoke, “We want to disqualify the messenger so we don’t have to deal with the message.”
As the author says in Galatians, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” We all need to soberly look at where our bondages exist. Before we quote King.