As I write this I confess that this subject in particular is of great importance to me due to the historical degradation millions have felt at the use of this word. I will write the word out as it has spelled for the sake of not 'softening' the unpleasantness of racism that exist in every part of our world.
Yesterday, I was enjoying the company of one of my seminary friends and we decided to play 'Madden' during our time. Over the course of the game we had taken a considerable lead and the person we were playing against was cursing angrily. I proceeded to turn on the microphone so that we could speak to him and understand why he was so upset. My friend (who is Anglo) then asked him a few questions and our opponent cursed at him and accused him of cheating (which I assure you we did not). So then, being the compassionate and inquire that I am, I asked him, "Why does he think that we cheated?" Before I could finish my soliloquy he cut me off saying, "I don't speak to Niggers. Shut the f**k up." My friend then looked at me in clear surprise and disgust and I told him not to worry but to let it go. Now my friend was aware that racism is active and alive but I then told him, "This happens all of the time" to which he responded, "Are you serious?" So for the next minute we calmly spoke with him and our opponent called me a Nigger several more times. We then told him 'good game' and proceeded to go on about our day.
So, why is this worth sharing? Well let's analyze the two different responses my friend and I received from this young man:
When my friend asked our opponent why he was angry he was then given angry responses and accused of being a cheater. But notice that even if my friend was being accused of cheating, out opponent, was nonetheless able to speak to him as a peer, an equal, one of standing, someone of worth, one able to think, rationalize, inquire, 'feel' and one that could be understood (even if he was not willing to listen). Even in our opponents rage he was still able to acknowledge the humanity of my friend and he allowed him to participate in the in what it means to be 'human'.
Whereas when I spoke, upon hearing my voice (which clearly he associates levels of decibels and voice inflection with racial identity but that is a discussion for another time), he made a judgement of superiority, considered what it means to be truly human and concluded that 'Niggers' are 'subhuman' (term developed for Nazi racial ideology in the 19th Century to deduce that Jews, Africans, Gypsies, etc are not suitable for human beings) which meant that I had no right to participate in the same level of humanity as my friend and himself. What it meant to be human, for our opponent, was not predicated on an idea of divine freedom but rather it was contingent on racial identity. More specifically ones purpose within the human community was contingent on their association to the Anglo-Saxon genealogy.
James Cameron Carter is a P.hD at Duke University and in his book ‘Interlude on Christology and Race’ he details a section on Gregory of Great and his work in condemning slavery in the 4th century. Carter states,
“Gregory invokes a doctrine of creation that levels all relations within the created order. Since only God is Lord and Master, and therefore everything is subject to God, there can be within the created order no such distinction between human beings as master and slave” (Carter, 236).
In this quote we see that human nature was intended to be free and was not meant bound to ownership and if a person suggest that another person can be made a slave they are defying a divine decree. Human nature is free from tyranny on all levels both internal and external for just as God is free so also are humans free. When our opponent stated that, “He does not speak to Niggers” he was ultimately distinguishing between ‘Master and slave’ between ‘Human and animal.’ Racism is not only disparaging of particular ethnic groups but perhaps more importantly it is the eradication of the human freedom given by God’s divine decree. The Gospel condemns any form of slavery or injustice (racism, economic discrimination, sex trafficking, etc) as an enemy of God because it ultimately robs the individual of a divine freedom (however relatively one may understand ‘freedom’) given to them by God before the creation of the world. Each person maintains inherent worth and value before God and this was proven when Jesus Christ took on flesh and brought dignity to humanity. Had God chosen He could have undone all that He has made and started over yet He chose not to. He chose to participate in humanity by taking on flesh, going to the cross, and resurrecting the human body of Christ.
Even though some may see my black skin and see nothing more than a 'Nigger' I know and believe that I have been solidified in Christ and that before I took my first breathe God looked upon me and said, "It is good." "It is good."
“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.”
Ephesians 4:17-21
“It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:13-18
Yesterday, I was enjoying the company of one of my seminary friends and we decided to play 'Madden' during our time. Over the course of the game we had taken a considerable lead and the person we were playing against was cursing angrily. I proceeded to turn on the microphone so that we could speak to him and understand why he was so upset. My friend (who is Anglo) then asked him a few questions and our opponent cursed at him and accused him of cheating (which I assure you we did not). So then, being the compassionate and inquire that I am, I asked him, "Why does he think that we cheated?" Before I could finish my soliloquy he cut me off saying, "I don't speak to Niggers. Shut the f**k up." My friend then looked at me in clear surprise and disgust and I told him not to worry but to let it go. Now my friend was aware that racism is active and alive but I then told him, "This happens all of the time" to which he responded, "Are you serious?" So for the next minute we calmly spoke with him and our opponent called me a Nigger several more times. We then told him 'good game' and proceeded to go on about our day.
So, why is this worth sharing? Well let's analyze the two different responses my friend and I received from this young man:
When my friend asked our opponent why he was angry he was then given angry responses and accused of being a cheater. But notice that even if my friend was being accused of cheating, out opponent, was nonetheless able to speak to him as a peer, an equal, one of standing, someone of worth, one able to think, rationalize, inquire, 'feel' and one that could be understood (even if he was not willing to listen). Even in our opponents rage he was still able to acknowledge the humanity of my friend and he allowed him to participate in the in what it means to be 'human'.
Whereas when I spoke, upon hearing my voice (which clearly he associates levels of decibels and voice inflection with racial identity but that is a discussion for another time), he made a judgement of superiority, considered what it means to be truly human and concluded that 'Niggers' are 'subhuman' (term developed for Nazi racial ideology in the 19th Century to deduce that Jews, Africans, Gypsies, etc are not suitable for human beings) which meant that I had no right to participate in the same level of humanity as my friend and himself. What it meant to be human, for our opponent, was not predicated on an idea of divine freedom but rather it was contingent on racial identity. More specifically ones purpose within the human community was contingent on their association to the Anglo-Saxon genealogy.
James Cameron Carter is a P.hD at Duke University and in his book ‘Interlude on Christology and Race’ he details a section on Gregory of Great and his work in condemning slavery in the 4th century. Carter states,
“Gregory invokes a doctrine of creation that levels all relations within the created order. Since only God is Lord and Master, and therefore everything is subject to God, there can be within the created order no such distinction between human beings as master and slave” (Carter, 236).
In this quote we see that human nature was intended to be free and was not meant bound to ownership and if a person suggest that another person can be made a slave they are defying a divine decree. Human nature is free from tyranny on all levels both internal and external for just as God is free so also are humans free. When our opponent stated that, “He does not speak to Niggers” he was ultimately distinguishing between ‘Master and slave’ between ‘Human and animal.’ Racism is not only disparaging of particular ethnic groups but perhaps more importantly it is the eradication of the human freedom given by God’s divine decree. The Gospel condemns any form of slavery or injustice (racism, economic discrimination, sex trafficking, etc) as an enemy of God because it ultimately robs the individual of a divine freedom (however relatively one may understand ‘freedom’) given to them by God before the creation of the world. Each person maintains inherent worth and value before God and this was proven when Jesus Christ took on flesh and brought dignity to humanity. Had God chosen He could have undone all that He has made and started over yet He chose not to. He chose to participate in humanity by taking on flesh, going to the cross, and resurrecting the human body of Christ.
Even though some may see my black skin and see nothing more than a 'Nigger' I know and believe that I have been solidified in Christ and that before I took my first breathe God looked upon me and said, "It is good." "It is good."
“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.”
Ephesians 4:17-21
“It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:13-18
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