By Bishop Dave Chikosi
When Mr Barack Obama became President of these United States, political pundits proclaimed the arrival of a post racial society. The dream that Dr Martin Luther King had so eloquently articulated forty five years ago had at last arrived. The first Black US president had been inaugurated and everyone was going to live happily ever after.
But don’t we all wish life was that simple? Don’t we all wish cross cultural/racial relationships were that easy? And as wonderful, historic and surreal as January 20, 2009 was, the five million dollar question is: how true is it that America entered a post racial Nirvana at Obama’s inauguration? Does one’s race or skin color no longer matter since that glorious event?
Bear in mind that MLK’s dream was that one day his four children would be judged, not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Has that goal been reached? Have we entered the Promised Land that King saw in a vision and was pretty sure that although “I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the Promised Land”? As my kids would say’ Are we there yet?
LAND OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC MILK AND HONEY
To be fair much has changed since MLK’s speech. We now have a Black President. Millions of middle-class Blacks now live in suburbs that hitherto were the exclusive domain of Whites. Segregationist laws of the south are long gone. Blacks have penetrated every aspect of American society and many of them have amassed incredible fame and fortune in the process. Blacks absolutely dominate both the entertainment and sports industry. Their presence is felt all over institutions of higher education in the US. So on the face of it, it would appear that MLK’s land of socioeconomic milk and honey is now a reality for African Americans.
Perhaps this is why the killing of Trayvon Martin was like the punch you didn’t see coming. This is why the gavel coverage of Zimmerman’s trial on TV has captivated hundreds of millions in America. Everybody wants to know what happened to this 17 year old high school student who decided one day to go visit his father’s fiancée at her townhome in the Retreat at Twin Lakes in Sanford.
This case has stirred up a lot of emotions, not least because Trayvon is African America and Zimmerman is White Hispanic. Blacks (as well as non-Blacks) are asking a lot of questions: Why was this child killed when he clearly was not trespassing, and had every right to be where he was? And even if he was trespassing is death the punishment or penalty? Death? Why didn’t Mr Zimmerman stay in his car when he was told to? Why, in a supposedly post racial society, are Blacks still profiled and killed by vigilantes for no apparent reason other than the color of their skin? When are we as human beings going to get over this skin color thing?
THE MOST SEGREGATED HOUR IN AMERICA
The sad thing is that in the Church we have not fared any better than in secular society when it comes to race. It was MLK who also once said that 11AM Sunday is the most segregated hour in America. That’s because people prefer to go to church with people that look and talk like them. We are not as comfortable with people of a different race or ethnicity as we are with our own people.
But this is a function of the flesh. I don’t care what reasons you want to advance but this state of affairs is simply sinful. You can talk about worship or sermon styles all you want to but that’s just an excuse for our reluctance to do, not the good thing, but the God thing. Racial or tribal segregation in the church is demonic and has absolutely nothing to do with the mandate of the Gospel mandate or the ministry of the Spirit.
Evidently the church has not learned that “God is no respector of persons” (Acts 10:34. We don’t seem to be aware that in heaven all of us Christians will sing “a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” (Rev 5:9-10).
Whether you are White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, American, African, Shona, Ndebele or whatever, it makes no difference to God. “For he is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us” (Ephesian 2:14).
This is why St Paul says: “There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
ECCLESIASTICAL SECTARIANISM AND PROVINCIALISM
But does the church get it? I’m afraid she doesn’t. We continue with our White Church, Black Church, Asian Church, Shona Church, Ndebele Church etc. We have our own Gospel quite separate and distinct from that of the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s a false Gospel emanating from our Adamic fallenness. Our fallen flesh loves sectarianism and provincialism. It has no room for those who are different. It loves to draw a circle that keeps some people in while simultaneously keeping others out.
But the problem with these circles we draw is that, quite unbeknown to us, they also keep Jesus out. Just like the story of the old guy that the church ushers would not let into the church one Sunday morning because they felt he just didn’t fit in. He was too filthy, his clothes too tattered and torn. He smelt funky and they were afraid that old George would disrupt the service. So they drew a circle and shut him out.
But as George stood out there in the cold, puzzled and angry, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. Turning around he saw and heard a young man ask him what he was doing outside the church. George recounted his experience with the church ushers. The young man looked at him squarely in the face and said: “George, don’t feel bad. My name is Jesus. I’ve been trying to get into this church for years myself. But they won’t let me in either.”
The church must set the example for the world. The Kingdom of God is the only antidote to racial divisions and hatred. There will never be a post racial society in this fallen world apart from Christ, no matter how hard our political leaders try. The only truly post racial community is the one where all members are washed in the Blood of the Lamb and their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Is your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?
[Bishop Dave Chikosi is a published author who also writes articles on religion, politics and economics. He can be reached at [email protected]]
