Our racist impact matters more than our good intentions.
One of the perennial challenges leveled against those who point out racist acts goes something like this: "But, how can you know that person's motivations? How do you know they had racist intentions?" It's a question that is mostly impossible to answer.
Occasionally there will be situations where the curtain is pulled back and the racist motivations are revealed. I've written about one such instance with Donald Sterling, the disgraced owner of the L.A. Clippers. There's also the well-known example of Lee Atwater, the Republican strategist who was caught on tape talking about how to dog whistle when it was no long OK to use the n-word in public. "So you say stuff like forced busing, states' rights and all that stuff. You're getting so abstract now [that] you're talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you're talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is [that] blacks get hurt worse than whites."
But these revelations are few and far between. Which means that most of the time it's impossible to prove racist intent. (This is also why it's difficult to prosecute hate crimes.)
But what about impact? It's possible that even without ever knowing the motivations of a person or a segment of society, we can still see the racist impact of the person's or that society's actions. The crisis created by COVID-19 has revealed, again, the impact of our society's racism on communities of color, especially on Black and Native people.
I think our motivations are really important. Jesus came not to forcibly change our behaviors but to transform us at the deepest levels- to give us new hearts. God is concerned with our intentions.
But God is also concerned with the impact of our sinful behaviors. It is not an abstract concern. God calls his people to show special concern for the refugee, the widow, the captive, and the prisoner. Israel's economy was meant to provide the environment for corporate flourishing.
The person who is only concerned about defending the purity of their intentions is ignorant to the harmful impact of their actions.
Once we - and I'm thinking especially about white people but not only - can see the racial hierarchy and injustice of our society we can also begin to see the impact of that society regardless of an individual's intentions. Now, my view of sin means I also happen to think that most of us have motives that are less pure than we'd like to admit. But it's entirely possible to not assume to know someone else's motives while still being concerned with the racist impact of their actions.
As a Christian I'm happy to leave any question of a person's intentions to God. Shoot, most of the time I'm fuzzy about my own motivations. But this humility isn't an excuse for apathy. The communities suffering the most from our collective racism would surely appreciate if our motives changed, but you know what's more important? The impact of our actions. And we can do something about that.
Please take an hour to listen to the conversation I had with Latasha Morrison last week if you didn't get to tune in. Tasha is a wise leader and making a huge difference in the world of racial reconciliation. I highly recommend her book, Be the Bridge.
In this final week before my book releases I have the opportunity to interview Jemar Tisby. Jemar is an historian, podcast host, and the author of The Color of Compromise, an essential book about white Christianity's collusion with racial injustice. You can register for the call here.
Rediscipling the White Church releases on May 19 and is available for pre-order now. On May 20 at 7:00 PM I'll be hosting an online book release with some good friends: Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter-McNeil, José Humphreys, and Daniel Hill. We'll talk about the book and do a bunch of give-aways. More info soon, but I hope you'll save the date!
Each week I've been sharing one endorsement for the book. It was so encouraging (and more than a little surprising) to see people from diverse theological traditions support this project. Here's Dave Ferguson of Community Christian Church, New Thing, and the Exponential Conference:
I guarantee you will disagree with something David Swanson has to say in Rediscipling the White Church. That is exactly why leaders like me (and you) need to read this book! It is in listening that we learn and in exposing ourselves to dissenting opinions that we discover our own blind spots. For anyone who wants to learn and grow in their understanding of discipleship, race, and justice, read this book!
Thank you Dave!