A Short Theological Statement on Modern Oppression

Brazilian Catholic Archbishop Hélder Pessoa Câmara once said, “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist.” When did hatred of the poor, hatred of people of color, and hatred of gender and sexual minorities become Christian values? If Jesus came back today, imagine the terrible things we would say and do to him. We as Christians go to church every Sunday and grieve at the sight of Jesus crucified on the cross, yet if Jesus showed up today, we would crucify him a million times over, worse than the Romans ever could. Because, you see, we are already crucifying Jesus every day when we allow the hungry to stay hungry, and the poor to stay poor. As Jesus said, “Whatever you to the least of these, you do to me.”

I am truly appalled by the disgusting acts of violence and hatred that took place at our nation’s capital on January 6th. My heart was heavy as I watched the events unfolding. I’ve heard many people saying, “This is not who we are.” or “This is not the America I know.” That may be true—for them— but this is the America that I know. The America I have known and that so many of my companions have known for many, many years. The events are shocking and despicable, but they come as no surprise. These events were decades in the making. How can a nation that has for so long sowed hatred and violence in their hearts for the oppressed expect to reap anything other than that same hatred and violence? This is the America I have always known, the way America has been for decades before I was born, the way it has always been. But it does not have to be the America that my children know. We can not change what has been done, but we can choose to do something about the future. In light of the January 6th insurrection, every single American has a choice to make. You must make a choice about what you want America to look like. Whether you want it to be a great, peaceful nation, or continue to be a hateful and broken one. It isn’t enough to just make a choice, this is not the time for apathy. Once you make a choice about what future you want to see for your children, you must act on it. For too long, so many good people have chosen to be silent on issues such as racism, fascism, and inequality. Evil thrives in the silence and apathy of so-called “good people” and “good Christians”. All peace-loving Americans must come together and take a stand against tyranny in order to heal our deeply hurting nation. The lives of your fellow Americans depend on you to make the choice today. I pray that the Lord will heal our hearts and our nation. I am praying for America, for the country that it is and the country I know it can be if we choose to make it so.

White supremacy is the true religion of America. The crucifixion of George Floyd at the hands of Derek Chauvin is indicative of this. He was an innocent man brutally murdered by the state, just as Jesus was, and yet, so many Americans are incapable of seeing Jesus in him. Until the Image of God can be seen in the marginalized, America will continue to worship at the altar of white supremacy. Was George Floyd not created in God’s image? Was he not the beloved child of God? Is it not a sin to murder? It is the Church’s responsibility, and every Christian’s responsibility, to counteract white supremacy. It is imperative that the Church not shy away from so-called “political” or “controverisal’ issues. The Insurrection of January 6th, the murder of George Floyd, the continuing issue of poverty and hunger in America, these are not political issues—they are theological issues! Is God not grieved by these events? Would God not be grieved by the way that we treat each other? Ask yourselves these questions and pray on them.