SOBER THOUGHTS

It was my pleasure to conduct an in-depth interview with Carlos Lopez, for this week’s issue of The People’s Voice Black Weekly news.

I emerged from our meeting with an appreciation for Lopez, for the work he does, for the successes he has experienced in helping drug addicts overcome their addictions, for the vision and the beliefs he professes.  I pray for his continued success in the ministry.  His goals are admirable, but are they achievable?

I do however, have reservations about his vision of bringing people of the faith communities together under the banner of Christianity.  I don’t want anyone to read this and think that I believe this kind of unity to be undesirable.  But, I do believe it to be an unrealistic and un-achievable goal—at THIS  particular time and place in history.

He said that blacks isolate themselves because of their previous hurts.  True.

My personal belief:  Even without the multi-racial piece, many Christian leaders are too fanatical, too strict and too stern in our interpretation of scriptural ideologies to blend without major disharmony. 

And from a racial perspective, there are too many unresolved conflicts OUTSIDE OF RELIGION that have their origin in lingering racial discrimination and old prejudices and beliefs, for a multi-racial practice of Christianity to be genuine, pure and untainted.  Conflicts in the legal system, conflicts in the way blacks are treated in certain venues, and conflicts in the social structure of our nation.  I just don’t believe it can or will happen, not in this lifetime, and not in this part of the country.  

It is hypocritical for us to claim to desire Christian unity, when we are not really striving for unity on ANY OTHER LEVEL.   Yes, it would be wonderful!  But, how can you ask me to worship with the Judge who over-exerts his sentencing authority when dealing with black men and boys at a rate that is causing the massive overrepresentation of black men in our nation’s prisons?   How can you ask me to worship with Educators, who may smile and grin with me outwardly, but deep within, don’t really think I’m intelligent enough to teach their little angels?   How can you ask me to worship with the school superintendent who hires me ONLY because there’s a court order hanging over his head, that compels him to do so by law, and not his spirit that tells him it is the right and fair thing to do?

God knows, I love the Lord for every good and perfect gift that he has bestowed upon my life.  But, I’m only human.  I relate to others out of my life experiences.  And my experiences as a black woman trying to grow up and live in a society that has been dominated by the white middle class have not always been pleasant or positive ones.  How can I worship and serve my God with my oppressor? 

Lopez was right.  As long as there is distinction, there will be division — On every level.

My oppressor can’t talk to me about Christ, until we talk about how to fix all the other social, political and economic, conditions that caused me to be treated differently because of my race.