A House On Fire
“When a house is on fire in the neighborhood, the firetrucks do not dump water on all of the other homes.”
The difficult conversations that take place in the aftermath of a racially charged event are heated in the moment and create a lot of emotion. Often in the face of these events analogies are drawn to help us navigate the narrative. Maybe that looks like the #blacklivesmatter or #bluelivesmatter or emergency doctors rushing to the aid of a patient or quotes from all angles of Martin Luther King, Jr. These are all helpful slogans that can bring healthy emphasis to racial prejudice.
One of those analogies is the “House on Fire”.
There is nothing wrong with momentary focus upon a race suffering from a tragedy. It must be understood by all races that coming to the rescue or support of anyone is often a matter of timing. And it is critical that we bring water to the house on fire!
Right now, it is right and it is important to rush to the aid of Ahmaud Arbery and his family (as well as all of our black brothers and sisters). Everyone should be looking for ways to promote equality and healing. As a white man I repent on a regular basis of the personal implicit and explicit bias that I have. And I often do the same for my white community and its prejudice.
But it does no race any good to make blanket statements and generalize an entire nation as racist. This kind of ‘rebound racism’ simply cycles racial tension and stifles progress toward healing.
Promoting Healing
While listening to a recent national Nightly News cast on the topic of Racism in America, the person being interviewed made the statement that America is a racist nation. With little more than personal opinions, the man indicted the U.S. as a racist nation. Is that true? Or helpful?
Take the emotion and the anger out of the discussion for just a moment.
Is it right to label America as a drunken nation because drunk driving kills 50,000 annually? Or to call America a terrorist nation because there have been terrorist attacks on our soil? Or that we are a divorced nation because half of our marriages end in divorce? Or that America is an ignorant nation because youth test scores are ranked toward the bottom of almost every top ten educational list worldwide?
Now, let’s be very clear, we have racism in America (as well as drunk drivers, terrorists, broken homes, and under-achieving teens), but, that doesn't make us a Racist nation. I'm sure I am taking the risk, as a white male evangelical in his late 50's, of being mis-informed, and, certainly mis-understood.
But broad-stroke generalities that fuel angry debate and divide our nation and educate our children toward hate are not helpful to the overall progress we are trying to make in the narrative of racism toward any race.
Racism In America
Racism is a problem in America and we will only see healing when we shed the white privilege, unpack our invisible backpacks, and correct the critical race theory that enables racism. But, America is not a racist nation. That kind of thinking misses the beauty of what is going on in our nation alongside of the apparent racism. Here’s the reasoning behind the need for this understanding:
1. Because drunkenness, divorce, terrorism, or ignorance doesn't create generalization of an entire nation
Generalization doesn’t allow for healing. I've met many people who continue to return to McDonald's even after their order was messed up or they didn't receive commendable service. Would that indite every McDonald's restaurant? Why then would the belief or the actions of a few condemn an entire nation?
2. Because the older generation who lived through racism are needed to lead our children in healing
Do we think that all of the civil rights work is in vain? The older generation needs to balance their own personal issues that were forged in previous days than our young people have experienced and both inform of the past, and, and inspire for future change. It is the responsibility of the older generation to help the younger generation write a new narrative?
3. Because young people don't care what race you are in their relational or social circles
For 36 years I have worked with young people in urban and rural settings and have seen both the sin of racism and the honor of gracism. Millennial and Gen Z are going to lead us to national healing - all of the sociological models prove that around 80% of young people have a person of color/diversity race in their life.
4. Because mainstream news media is not pop to the US population under 30
About 40% of Americans are under 30 years of age. That is somewhere around 130 million people. And they do not care what the media reports about what activists or politicians have to say about racism. Young people get their news from their peers.
5. Because Athletic teams have grown beyond the race issue and embraced diversity
Learn from the deep friendships that are modeled in competitive situations in both the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat. Teammates of all races who would die for each other on the field, the court, or the street are modeling to us teamwork and dedication across racial boundaries. Do not underestimate the power of ICONS who are inter-racial in their actions.
6. Because there is increased acceptance of mixed marriages both in culture and in the church
A small part of this argument is the fact that the stigma that popular opinion was against mixed marriages is now disappearing. The inter-racial marriage rate more than doubled from 1980 to 2008. What used to be rare is now more common. We need to see this trend shape the feelings of our nation toward racial healing.
7. Because any race that fights for equality must fight for every race to be free or it isn’t freedom
Every race, people, and home deserves equality and inclusion. Every race must recognize our micro-aggression’s all of the time. If we are not honest with total race privilege, we fail to promote freedom and we simply recycle racism.
Social science doesn’t lie. The facts are real and racism is predominantly hurting our black community in America. We must all rush to the aid of our black brothers and sisters until this stain is gone. It will take a lifetime of effort to erase the pain of what has been done to the black community.
I believe these stances are more than anecdotal because they are prevalent and powerfully truthful. Do not let generalization overtake individualism.
The existence of racist traits in the few cannot create a meme that is out of control and ultimately damns an entire nation.
Finally
The bible has something to say about prejudice. It actually calls it “The Sin of Partiality”.
In James 2.1-9, the bible clearly condemns racism by calling it the sin of partiality. This was the brother of Jesus charging us to shed racist thought and behaviors. And remember, even the last visions of bible history under the anointing of the Holy Spirit include every tribe, tongue, and nation worshiping together for eternity under the name of Christ (Revelation 5, 7, 20, 21, and 22).
It is right to rush to the aid of the house on fire - no matter which house is on fire. It is right for the whole neighborhood to help meet the needs of those who are suffering. But, remember, the fire station is available to every home in every neighborhood all the time.