Love and Understanding

Norman Rockwell
Do unto others as you would
have them do unto you

In the early 1970s I was on an inner city committee in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  We were committed to do our part to deal with the huge issue of racism in South Florida.  All of the awful things you have seen or imagined happening in the south at that time were happening there.

But we knew that most people did not think of themselves as racist.  It was just the way things had always been done.  It was how God intended!  One evening our leader, a black psychologist,  suggested that we might offer some nonthreatening discussion classes to groups of while folks in South Florida.

After weeks of hammering it out, this is what was decided:

• The title would be "Racism"
• We would offer classes to white church and community groups
• We would present discussions on personal and institutional racism
• We would invite a small group of blacks to be present 
• The class would be led by a black/white team

Never, in my wildest dreams did I think I would be one of these leaders.  But I was.  Father Brown, a brilliant young black Episcopal priest, and I led this "Racism" discussion in many homes, offices and churches in South Florida.  And, as it turned out, I designed much of the content - and in doing so, I learned much about my country, my culture and myself. 

One of the first things we did, after getting everybody introduced and comfortable, was to ask the folks in the room why they thought segregation and all that involved seeing  African Americans as second class citizens was right.  

Invariably the first answer that came back was, "It's in the Bible."  

"OK, let's look it up."

The group never failed to be surprised when we tried to find the scriptures that suggested white supremacy and could not.  The Old Testament is big on the Jews being God's chosen people and therefore everybody else is questionable but the big justification for black slavery in the south was "The curse of Ham," found in Genesis 9:25-27.

And Noah said "Cursed be Canaan!  A slave of slaves, a slave to his brothers!  Blessed be God, the God of Shem, but Canaan shall be his slave.  God prosper Japheth...But Canaan shall be his slave. 

Each and every time folks were astonished that this was it.  Two verses in the Old Testament, taken out of context, that most people didn't understand and had never before even read, had keep blacks in the American south in bondage.

We're now experiencing a hotbed of other issues siting the Bible as the final authority.  If you are disturbed by what's happening, I would like to gently invite you to begin by reading the scriptures in question. And then add a layer of tradition, reason, and experience (John Wesley's Quadrilateral.)

You might find yourself loving and understanding a little more even if it doesn't change your mind.



***