Racial empathy (Part 1)

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.  -1 John 3:18

I was deeply disturbed recently to learn of the death of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia. We certainly do not know, and may never know, the whole story surrounding the case. The narrative being proposed by Gregory and Travis McMichael (the father and son responsible for the death) is they were in pursuit of a man they suspected in a series of neighborhood burglaries and an altercation broke out when they tried to detain him. The alternative that has been presented is that of an innocent, unarmed, African-American jogger who was chased, confronted, and gunned down in broad daylight because of his race. It is notable that the elder McMichael had ties to local law enforcement. That, coupled with the fact that the story was held, the investigation delayed, and arrests postponed for two and a half months raise serious concerns and make the latter scenario much more plausible. At the very least, another black American is dead at the hands of a white vigilante (regardless of motive) without the benefit of due process.

I was not brought up to be a racist. My parents taught my brothers and me to value a person based on the strength of their character as evidenced in their behavior. Then again, the Dallas suburb I grew up in was probably 75-80 percent white, with several Hispanics, a few Asians, and hardly any African-Americans. So I cannot honestly say I grew up with a multi-cultural experience that tested my values regarding race.
 
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.  If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.  –Galatians 6:2-3 (NIV)
 
In my naivete', I viewed racism as a relic of the past. I saw terms such as systemic racism and institutional prejudice as tools to divide people, stir up controversy, and maintain power and influence based on hatred and distrust. I saw movements to lobby for racial justice in much the same way. Why were these people so angry? What was to be gained by rehashing hundred year old grievances? None of the people living today were around in the days of slavery. Wouldn't it be more productive to just get on with our lives?

Then it began to dawn on me that even though I don't always agree with the way certain individuals choose to express themselves, their perspectives are worth listening to. These movements didn't spring up from nowhere. The passion is born of generations of bitter hardship. The grievances are recent and ongoing. I have an African-American friend who was kind enough to sit with me a few years ago and explain what it was like to be a black man in America. The stories he told were foreign to my white-bread view of the world. I’ll tell you about that conversation next week…
 
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  –Galatians 6:7-8 (NIV)