The Race Discussion and The Ominous Absence of Calvary

I’ve been a part of more ‘church’ race discussions than I can possibly count.

Round Table Discussions. Square Tables Discussions. Triangular Table Discussions. Basically, any size or shape table you can imagine, I’ve been around it talking about race.

Oh, and symposiums and conferences. I forgot those. Christians love symposiums and conferences.

When speaking at all of these events, there is always a little bit of a shock when I bring up Calvary. When I talk about the blood of Jesus, there’s a slight tilt of the head of the believers in the room. As if to say, “hmmm, I hadn’t thought of that.” Please know this is not to purport my superiority (we’ll talk about superiority later. No good race discussion is complete without a nod to superiority). I’m not better because I strive to look at race through the eyes of Calvary. I honestly don’t know how else to do it.

As a black woman, I endure multiple racial micro-aggressions a day. A basic walk in the park or run to the store or ice cream with friends. It’s constantly there. Always. Bathing myself in the sacrifice of Christ is my only hope at not being angry every single day. And honestly, with that, it’s still a constant struggle.

So I want to talk about race from this perspective: The Lens of Calvary.

Ultimately, we’re believers in Jesus, right? What other perspective can we have? Perhaps the better question is, what other perspective do we have? It’s clear we’ve been trying to do this thing without Him. It’s clear it hasn’t worked. And you know what? That’s pathetic. It’s pathetic that the world, in its racial turmoil, can’t turn to the church for an example of how it should be done. In fact, they turn to us and it’s worse. We don’t even integrate here. White Christians stay on one side of the room. Black Christians stay on the other.

**Except for symposiums. We do meet for those.**

We lament and cry and then quickly shuffle back to our areas of safety.

I don’t say that to make you feel guilty. You probably do. You probably should. But guilt should drive us back to Calvary. Then we get to drop it there because that’s where it was paid for with a very high price.

Let’s look at Calvary in black, white, and red, shall we?

Calvary in the Black:

Forgiveness. That’s it. Forgiveness.

Calvary has an innocent man naked, beaten, and bleeding on the cross crying out, “Father, forgive them…” That erases my right to anger. I don’t get to have it. He didn’t have it and HE was righteous. I am not. That blood-stained wood is because of my sin. No one will ever sin against me more than I have sinned against Christ. And while I was yet sinning, He died for me. (Romans 5:8) That is my basis for forgiveness.

Also, Calvary shows me that forgiveness does not have to be requested to be extended. The sacrifice of Calvary provided the way for reconciliation. It made the path possible. He didn’t die because we repented. He died so that we can repent.

This is a bitter pill to swallow as a black person in this country, especially in the extraordinary times in which we live. I call them extraordinary times because it seems racists aren’t “racists” anymore. There’s no “N” word anymore. There are what I call multiple, subtle substitutes.

This is galling. Why? Because when these subtle substitutes are used, the black person knows they’re being called or treated like the “N” word, but the person inflicting the wound gets to throw up their hands and say “oh, well, geez, I guess everything is racist now.” So God requires me to forgive someone that declares in no uncertain terms; they require no forgiveness because I’m the one being too sensitive. They’re actually a step away from requiring me to apologize for hurting their feelings. God asks me to forgive an enemy that is telling me there is no enemy and that I am imaging insults and injuries.

How can I forgive that? Calvary.

This is the exact behavior I exhibit towards Christ daily. I sin and justify. Point to situations and scenarios on why I was technically wrong but actually right and better yet righteous. I sin against Him and then blame Him for allowing me to be in the situation in the first place.
And while this was the posture of my heart towards Him (enmity), He was nailed to a tree: for me. That’s how much my sin cost. Yet, He made a way for me to get back to Him. That’s how much He loved me. If I say I accept that sacrifice and am unwilling to extend forgiveness, quite frankly, I am lying. Jesus said it’s impossible. (Matthew 6:15)

Calvary in White:

If I had a nickel for every time a white person told me they are not racist and are deeply offended at the implication, I would purchase a drop-top Mercedes-Benz SLC 300 Roadster. I would purchase that very expensive, very luxurious car with many, many socks filled with nickels.

In a comedy bit, I suggested that “racist” is the new “N” word. A black person calling a white person a racist is like a racist calling a black person the “N” word. So in actuality, they could shout these words to each other over and over again into eternity. (<—This is funny when I do it on stage. Trust me. It kills.)

So what’s the problem? Simply put, “Racist” insults your goodness. I’m saying you’re not a good person when I say you’re a racist. I’m suggesting you don’t have a good heart. I’m suggesting you don’t have good intentions. NO ONE wants to hear that about themselves regardless of race.

We all think we’re good people. We all believe we have good intentions. Even when we make ‘mistakes,’ we didn’t mean to, which makes it all okay and makes us still basically good.

The problem: CALVARY.

Calvary does more than suggest you don’t have a good heart or good intentions. It says you don’t. It says, without that shed blood, you can’t.

Pride is the fallen human condition. It’s what is in all of us. Racism is pride on steroids. So if your heart is bursting with pride by nature, how can you so confidently declare yourself free of racial bias? How do you know that? Have you asked the Holy Spirit to examine your heart? Have you gone to Calvary and poured yourself out? Seriously, have you? If not, your declaration would have to itself be prideful, right?

If a heart full of pride with a penchant to be drunk off its on goodness were placed in a system where it was told not only is it good but it’s BETTER than another, how would that prideful heart not lean in that direction? It probably wouldn’t lean. It probably would run and jump and cannonball into the wonderful waters of superiority.

I’m not calling you racist. I’m asking how are you so sure you’re not? The bloody affair of Calvary puts your racist probability meter at about 100.

The Pharisees didn’t see themselves as murderers. They were defending the law. But they were murderers. The cross they walked past and scoffed was declaring their sinful heart and extending them redemption all at the same time.

Like forgiveness, accepting the pride and degradation of your own heart is a bitter pill to swallow.

So racist was the Apostle Peter, God had to put him in a trance just to address it.

***I will now allot time here for you to run to the Bible to try and prove me wrong***

Okay, welcome back.

As you undoubtedly read in the book of Acts, Peter was on a rooftop and God basically knocked him out and gave him a vision. This vision was that he was not inherently better than anyone else. Calvary had leveled the playing field. Everyone stood as one before God. I’m sure Peter would have “thought” he already believed that, but the trance and vision God provided proved he didn’t.

Once God finished lovingly dressing Peter down, He sent him to the house of a ‘gentile.’ The gentile received Christ and they all lived happily ever after, right? Wrong.

Later, Peter found himself giving in to racist views again. Not only that, so strong was his racism, he also swayed Barnabas. Barnabas was a guy known for his encouragement and giving nature. But Peter (post-trance), still fell back into pride and superiority.

***I will now allot time here for you to run to the Bible to try and prove me wrong***

Okay, welcome back.

As you undoubtedly read in the book of Galatians, The Apostle Paul had to confront Peter because his racism was affecting other people.

I want to reiterate. We’re talking about Peter:

Fisher of Men, Peter

Mount of Transfiguration, Peter

Upon this Rock I’ll Build My Church, Peter

One of Jesus’ best friends on earth was struggling with superiority. So again, how sure are you that you’re not? That blood on Calvary says you have and probably will. But are you humble enough to admit you’re not as good as you think you are?

Calvary in RED:

Paul tells us in Galatians that he confronted Peter for one reason: “the truth of the Gospel.”

That’s what is at stake here, friends. The Truth of the Gospel. How can we go to a world and tell them about a Calvary that covered our sin when we won’t even come clean about our sin and our need to receive and extend forgiveness?

Any person with a marginal working set of eyes can see we’re rapidly becoming a post-Christian culture. We can wag our fingers and shake our heads and tsk tsk at the sin of ‘the culture.’ But we are culpable. We are at fault. How?

Jesus tells us in His prayer:

“…that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” ~ John 17:20-21

Please read those last words: “that the world may believe that you sent me.”

Simply put: We are NOT one. So they don’t believe.

You can tear that statement apart if you want. You can yell that there are other factors. Sure. But this was our Lord’s prayer before he headed to shed His blood for us. Before the wood of that cross pierced his skin, this is what was on His mind. Unity mattered a lot to Him on the way to Calvary. Perhaps it should be a consideration for us as we stand at Calvary. I’m also guessing he felt the need to pray for unity because He knew it would be excruciatingly difficult. But, then again, so was Calvary.

I wrote a stage play about race.

**So if you’re keeping score that’s roundtables, symposiums, conferences, AND stage plays.**

There’s a line I wrote that was kind of ‘eh’ to me, but the amazing actor that portrayed the character said it in a way that still makes me cry. (Again, I’m not crying at my own words…it was the portrayal, I promise)

He is a white Pastor who has combined his church with his black friend, who is also a pastor. He had high hopes for the venture but finds himself in despair amidst the constant racial tension, fighting, and bickering of the congregants. His fiancé encourages him to give it up. It was a noble effort, but it just isn’t going to work.

“I admire you for wanting this. But it’s not going to work.” She says. “It’s time to admit that.”

“I can’t.” He says with tears in his eyes

“Why?” She asks in unbelief.

“Because if Calvary can’t make ‘US’ and ‘THEM’ a ‘WE,’ then I don’t know what it’s all for.”

Sherri Lynn is a simple girl who loves Jesus and gets to write and talk for a living. That’s pretty cool and more than she could have ever hoped for. God has been incredibly gracious to her. She also produces The Brant Hansen Show and has a new book out “I Want to Punch You in the Face but I Love Jesus.”