The Problem with Race and the Christian

I just watched a great interview with John Piper and Tim Keller entitled “Race and the Christian.” I had many reactions to the interview that I will list in a second. But before I get to that, let me just say that I think we underestimate how deeply the sin of racism is embedded in this country. Especially for those like me who have a strong desire to see racial unity within the church. The interview brought up some great points about power and white privilege that I don’t think people often think about when we start talking about the inclusivity of the gospel. Yes, the gospel is inclusive but we live in a very exclusive society. And although as Christians we can argue that the gospel takes precedence (because it does), sometimes it can be a difficult message to preach because of these realities. Racism didn’t just begin yesterday, and therefore, people’s cultural biases are also very deep-seeded. That being said, here are a couple of my thoughts on the interview:

1. I have to admit. My first gut reaction when the video started playing was “Why are two white men the only panelists on a forum about Race and the Christian?” Fortunately for me, that was one of the first questions that Anthony Bradley addressed at the start of the discussion. The problem for me wasn’t so much the men on the panel–I happen to be a fan of both Tim Keller and John Piper’s work and explanation of the gospel. And their answers to the question were valid and I respect that. My issue is not so much with them as it is with the fact that there seems to be a lack of black (or other ethnic minority) pastors who are called on to weigh in on this issue as a whole. Ultimately, I would just love to see more non-white pastors have some influence in this area so that more discussions like this can be had and all perspectives can be heard. I would also like to see more black churches take part in these types of dialogue.
2. Anthony Bradley’s questions about power and white privilege, I think, point to a great area of misunderstanding and miscommunication among blacks and whites in the church. We see things and circumstances and situations very differently sometimes. This is a reality. This is something that I’ve had to face for the past 7 years attending predominately white churches. And I haven’t always been honest, with myself or with my white brothers and sisters, about how certain experiences have affected me. This is not good. It moves us nowhere in the discussion on racial unity in the church. But it’s difficult to talk about when you’re in the minority and you feel like no one will understand how you feel or you feel like people might take things the wrong way. But these conversations must be had. How do we do that?
3. All that being said, I do love the fact that this discussion is being had with two white men. As was stated in the interview, it can’t always be black people telling people about racial issues. It has to be white people talking about it too. It reminded me of Martin Luther King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail. His plea to white clergy was that this can’t just be a black struggle. It’s a white struggle too–especially if we are proclaiming that Christ has made us one through his shed blood.
4. The gospel is supposed to eradicate the prejudices and differences that we have in regards to race. But our churches are still so segregated! Why??!!!!!!!!! I think the church is the last sacred space (well, the church and maybe HBCUs :-). When I think of my friends and relatives who are stuck on going to black churches, I think the black church may be the last place where some black people feel they can let their hair down and be themselves. What I mean is, people can come to a black church and see pastors wearing hoodies in support of Trayvon Martin, which causes a feeling of solidarity around issues regarding race. That’s just one of many examples. I’m reading two books right now, Thabiti M. Anyabwile’s “Decline of African American Theology: From Biblical Faith to Cultural Captivity” and Anthony Bradley’s “Liberating Black Theology: The Bible and the Black Experience in America.” Both books touch on how a social gospel has impacted the black community and black churches in particular. I’m struggling right now with how a social gospel fits in with “THE” gospel…is it the same thing? Should they be congruous? Can they co-exist? Or are those two ideals self-defeating?

One thing is for sure. This issue of Race and the Christian is not easy. The answers are not easy. Walking it out is not easy. In 5 months I’ll be starting seminary. I’m going into that situation to study Theology and Film. But more and more I feel my heart drawn toward this issue. Maybe there is a way I can combine both fields of study. Only time will tell what will become of it all.

To see the Q&A interview on “Race and the Christian” with John Piper and Tim Keller, moderated by Anthony Bradley, see below. Also, be sure to watch the full lecture on the subject by clicking here, where you can hear the whole conversation in its context and hear more commentary from Anthony Bradley.

Farewell to the Queen of Pop

I don’t usually get super emotional over celebrity deaths. Usually there’s a Facebook RIP status, say a prayer for the family and move on. I guess I figure I didn’t know the person personally, which made it hard to do much more than that.

But this time was different.

Hearing about Whitney Houston’s death has put me in a state of shock. I spent a good portion of last night in tears, and I’m still devastated…partly because despite her downward spiral in recent years, I was rooting for her comeback…partly because she was the voice that defined my adolescent years…partly because I remember looking up to her as a kid. She was tall and skinny and black, just like me, and I wanted to be just like her. I have a memory associated with every single Whitney Houston song. For me, she and Michael Jackson were perfect examples of how music can shape our lives, especially for us pioneers of the MTV generation who watched them both in countless music videos and interviews on our TV screen after school.

But many of my tears were for the wake up call that we don’t have a whole lot of time on this earth. For me, her death was a reminder of all of the artists out there who are chock full of dreams but get caught up in the glitz and the glam. It was a reminder that our lives are but a vapor, and that people are hurting. Over the past few months, we’ve seen several celebrities die very untimely deaths. Some of those deaths were tragic. Don Cornelius supposedly committed suicide. The cause of death for Whitney Houston is still unknown but some say drug overdose, some say suicide. In either case she died alone. Everything that glitters ain’t gold. And at some point every single one of us, whether we’re a celebrity or not, is going to have to face ourselves and deal with the hurt deep down inside that is masked by fake smiles and material possessions. That idea alone challenges me to share the hope that I have with others.

My prayers go out to the Houston family and to anyone in the world that has lost a loved one. Here is the first Whitney Houston video that I remember watching on NY Hot Traxx (who remembers that show?)…RIP Whitney. I’m so thankful for your gift of song that you shared with us.

Flashback!! The King Dream Chorus

Does anybody out there remember this song from back in the day? I remember when they officially declared MLK Day a national holiday and all these artists came together to record this song. I was souped!! All my favorites in one place: Whitney Houston, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, Stacey Lattisaw, The Fat Boys, Kurtis Blow, Stephanie Mills, Kool & the Gang, Menudo, and New Edition to name a few…Ah the memories!

Do artists still come together and do group songs like this? And that jacked up re-make of “We Are the World” doesn’t count…

Writing the Vision…Part 2

Here is another old post–this time from June 2006. A nice inspiration to seize the opportunities that come our way…Be encouraged!

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Taking the Limits Off – June 2006

I wish I had been more specific in my New Year’s resolution. It just
seems like something I would have said on the one day when you’re still
optimistic that everything is possible for the year to come.

“This is the year I’m taking the limits off.”

I
just had that epiphany today, on June 29, 2006. I guess that’s
significant since I am halfway through the year. But I’m taking the
limits off what? Off my thoughts about God, about love, about my
career, about life.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned so far
this year, it’s how much I have put God into a box with my own thinking
of how He should be loved, how He should be praised. I’ve put God into
a box in terms of what He looks like, what He sounds like, and how He
expresses His love toward me. When I joined my church, I took the
limits off what church should look like and even sound like and I feel
like I’ve touched a whole different side of God’s persona in the
process…

I took the limits off of love–that’s right, I ripped
up my list the other night. Now I’m free to still dream about all the
different possibilities of love. Period. And not be caught up by
pre-conceived requirements that I conjured up after strings of broken
hearts…

I’m taking the limits off my career…who said I have
to be a filmmaker or a writer? Why can’t I be both? Why can’t I be
neither? I could very well pursue my other dream to go to seminary and
become a biblical scholar…Or I could be filmmaker/writer/bible
scholar all in one…I could write religious books about pop culture
and then make reality shows about it…who knows, the sky is the
limit…

This life is so precious and so full of opportunities
that are knocking at our door…Sometimes we’re just so afraid to even
open the door. What are we afraid of? Are we afraid that we might
discover we were wrong? Are we afraid that our belief system will be
challenged, knocked off its rocker? Or maybe we’re just afraid to find
out that there’s more out there beyond what we can see, beyond what we
already know, that just might help us awaken yet another aspect of our
God-given design…

Writing the Vision…Part 1

Tonight I’m reminded of just how important it is to write things down. I started this blog back in 2005 and tonight I’ve been going back through the archives and reading old blogs. I’m so humbled and encouraged by the fact that many of the hopes, dreams and frustrations that I believe God has put inside me have been consistent from way back when. It’s very reassuring to know that I didn’t make these dreams up, and that they didn’t just spring up yesterday. I’d like to share a couple of old posts with you all…starting with one of the first ones that I published in December 2005…

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Those Who Can, Do, Those Who Are Called–Teach – December 30, 2005

I was talking with a friend of mine the other night about the value of education. He wondered if it really had any value when there are so many accounts of people who forsook school and achieved phenomenal success regardless (i.e. P. Diddy, Denzel Washington, Oprah, to name a few). I’ve heard this question asked a million times, I’ve even asked myself the same question at times. It’s such a valid and important question that deserves an answer. So now that I’m at a point in life where I’m actually considering going BACK to school, sometimes I can’t help but to wonder, “Why am I getting ready to subject myself to more work and more debt just so that I can have more letters added to my name?”

And then I talked to another friend of mine and she said something to me that I thought was pretty profound…

She said that education and learning is a calling. And then it became so clear to me. I’ve always told people that I never had a dream of what I wanted to be when I grew up as a child. But that’s not true. As a kid I was always reading, always writing, always creating plays and talent shows. And whenever my friends and I would play make-believe, so many times we would play school and somehow I always played the role of the teacher. This past year, I had my first opportunity to teach film and video production full-time at a local college and it has been quite a learning experience for me. One of the best things I love about the job is that it puts me back into the environment of learning again. And not just learning but now being able to share what I’ve learned with others. That’s why I want to go back to school. In a world of changing technologies and changing ideologies, there’s always more to learn.

I always say that college is not for everybody. Maybe that’s why there are some people who are not so good at it. Or maybe it’s not that they’re not good at it, maybe they just don’t want it. They have a different path to follow in life. As for me, I love learning. And I value education. When I look at the long tradition of scholars all around the world, it fascinates me. Watching a documentary or a television program and they say “Dr. So and So” Professor at So and So Fancy University—there’s something to be said for that. That’s a calling for people to study and research for years and years on any given topic. And what a privilege it is. Scholars have the potential to change our thinking just as much as entertainers we see on TV. It’s the scholars who really dive in and study the trends. I want to be one of those scholars.

I read an article last night in American Cinematographer about a famous Director of Photography who would shoot films and then teach part-time. The crew started calling him the “Professor on the Set.” Now he’s a Professor Emeritus at UCLA. As a filmmaker preparing to go back to school, I pray that soon I will share that name. I’ve got to find a way to fuse my faith with my art (film) and with my calling in education.

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Back in 2005, I remember talking about going back to school and going to seminary as though it were going to happen the following week. Obviously, I didn’t make it back to school in ’05. But thank God I held on to that dream, and the desire for it hasn’t gone away. Please pray for me as I have finally applied to go back to school and I am waiting to hear the results. God is good.

Embracing New Year Traditions

Growing up, my family had a tradition on New Years: go to watch night service and then go eat. Whether it was chicken and waffles at the pastors house or a church wide pot-luck, New Years Eve wasn’t complete without some celebration and fellowship among believers.

As a child, this tradition couldn’t get more boring. When I became a teenager I found ways to get out of it by arranging slumber parties with my best friend, Khalilah so that we could watch Boyz II Men on Dick Clark’s Rockin Eve and bring in the new year sniggling and giggling as we always do.

Of course, by the time I got to college and actually became a Christian, watch night service became something I looked forward to. I was quite surprised when I moved to Atlanta and realized that the churches I was attending not only did not have watch night service, but they had never even heard of it. This was weird to me because practically everyone I knew growing up went to watch night or had at least heard of it. For those of you who aren’t familiar with watch night service, it’s usually a very upbeat service where people gather to sing, give testimonies, thank God for making it through the previous year and pray for the next one. In the A.M.E. church, we used to all kneel around the pulpit around 11:50 and recite prayers as we counted down until the new year.

It all made me wonder–is watch night service a black church thing? After all, every predominately black church I’ve ever attended has had one. Every predominately white church I’ve attended has not. Or is it a denominational thing? Well, I did a little research and come to find out, it’s a little of both. Apparently John Wesley started a tradition of watch night within the Methodist church so that the congregation would have an opportunity to renew their commitment to their faith, to testify and sing songs. So I guess that’s why the A.M.E. church still does it and carries on that Methodist tradition. But there is also a history behind the African American embrace of the tradition. At the end of the year, slave owners used to tally their debts and sometimes slaves would be sold as a means to pay off what was owed, and so the slaves did not know if they were going to be separated once the new year came. Watch night service was a time to celebrate the fact that they had made it through one year together, and to wait with anticipation to find out if they would have a chance at another year together. This anticipation was made even greater on December 31, 1862 as slaves awaited the Emancipation Proclamation to take effect on January 1. Today, many African American churches still use the service as an opportunity to start their new year off with high expectations.

For the past seven years, since my churches didn’t celebrate watch night, I did what the locals did. I went to parties or I had house gatherings with friends. They were great but these days I long to go back to what I know and find a watch night service. Khalilah and I found one at First Baptist Church of Glenarden and that’s where we’ve been the last two years on New Year’s Eve. Last night we danced in praise to God as the clock struck 12 and I realized that there is no place I’d rather be on New Year’s. So I’m now adopting and embracing that historic tradition as my own. This year I even went the extra mile and carried on the tradition of chicken and waffles, although I had to do it the following day as opposed to immediately after the service like back in the day. Here are some pictures of us ladies enjoying the festivities. Here’s to embracing traditions of the past and making them new! For more information on watch night services, check out this link: http://www.interpretermagazine.org/interior.asp?ptid=43&mid=11612

Happy New Year to one and all!

The Dream

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go with a group of students to film the MLK Memorial Dedication in downtown DC. What a blessing to be there for this historic occassion. Not only did I have a great time with the students, but it was a great reminder of the cost that my ancestors paid for me to have basic rights like using the same bathroom that everyone else uses in a public space. As I listened to Congressman John Lewis speak, I realized that it really wasn’t even that long ago that African Americans were denied that right. There are still people alive today–my parents and grandmother included–who remember the days when racial inequality was at its peak. This is not something that happened centuries ago. A mere 5-10 years right before I was born, this stuff was going on. And so today in 2011 to have a memorial to Dr. King and to have a black president–it’s kind of surreal. There was one moment where they showed a live shot of President Obama walking around the memorial and I just thought “Wow! How awesome is that?” He is part of the fulfillment of Dr. King’s dream. So am I that I can teach at a historically black university but worship with my white brothers and sisters. So are my niece and nephews who go to schools that are predominately white. A lot has happened in a relatively short period of time. And I think for many of us, we are still trying to figure out our place, trying to figure out what all of this means and how we live out our identity in a so-called “post-racial” world…this is definitely an interesting time…

So Many Things…

So many things have been brewing in my mind the past couple of days, so many things that I’ve wanted to talk about and blog about but I get overwhelmed and end up not writing anything at all. So call this a vent session of sorts. I’ll just share a few of the things that are in this noggin of mine at 8:47 pm on a Tuesday night.

• It sucks being sick. I’ve been fighting a bad cold since Thursday and it’s not fun. At least now I can breathe, but I’m praying that this thing goes away TONIGHT!!
• My big sis is coming back to DC this weekend and I am so excited! This will be her first time experiencing our new apartment and the magic of Silver Spring…did I just say “magic” — hehehe!
• I’ve been reading this Bible plan lately called The Essential 100 and it takes you through the story of the Bible in 100 days. I wanted to do the Bible in a year but I always fail at those things, so I figured maybe doing 100 days instead of 365 would be less intimidating. So far it’s working. But it’s amazing to me the history of failure in humankind. So far I’m up to the book of Judges and so far in every book and almost every few chapters or so, there’s a line that says something like “And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord.” I mean I knew that there was a pattern of disobedience in the Bible, but I didn’t realize it was this bad. It just goes to show that the evil that men do is nothing new, and it points to the significance and the brilliance of God’s plan to send his son to save us. For this I am thankful because I am just like the Israelites in that time and time again I disappoint God.
• Speaking of Judges, Samson was kinda gangsta. Killing folks with donkey bones, tying fox tails together and burning ’em…Um…yeah. Ok. But it’s amazing what he could do when the spirit of the Lord was on him…
• This excites me. Something about it speaks to me. I not tryna preach. I’m not tryna start a church or a ministry. I want to be a filmmaker. I want to be a teacher. But I want to put that into a greater context. What that looks like I don’t know. But conversations like this are going on around the world about seminaries, about the church, about faith. And I just want a seat at the table…

Black Church. White Church.

I don’t believe in white church or black church, but not because I’m color blind. I believe that one of the most offensive things anyone can say to me or any person of another race is that they don’t see color. To me, that’s a complete denial of the essence of a person and part of the fabric that makes them who they are. I just don’t believe that the Bible instructs us to have separate churches. On the same token, I don’t believe God or the Bible calls for us to abandon our cultural identity once we become a Christian. Of course, our number one allegiance is to God, and through him we are all one in spirit. But I tend to favor the stir-fry theory of multi-culturalism over the melting pot idea…After all, what kind of world would we be without the diversity of various cultures?

That being said, the reality in our fallen world is that most churches in America are either predominately black or predominately white, and thus we have “black” church and “white” church. And herein lies my dilemma…

I grew up in “black” churches all my life, but for the past 6 years or so, I’ve been attending “white” churches. Throughout these years, I’ve learned so much by stepping out of my comfort zone–I’ve made some great relationships with people that I normally would not have socialized with, I’ve learned about other forms of worship, teaching and organization, and I cherish and value all of these things. But I’m getting to a point where I am missing the “black” church terribly. I miss several aspects of this part of my culture, my upbringing, the fabric of who I am. I miss the celebration, I miss the worship, I miss the legacy, I miss the history, I miss the connection, I miss the mothers of the church, I miss  youth ministry. But, partly because our churches are separated and partly because of my own fickleness, I always feel like I have to choose one side or the other. I hate having to do that just as much as I hate feeling like I have to pull teeth just to get some of my friends to consider coming to either church experience because it is beyond their comfort zone.

Last week as I watched all the commercials for the new MLK memorial in downtown DC, I’ve been aware of the fact that although we’ve come a long way in race relations since the days of Dr. King, sometimes I feel as though we’ve made little progress when it comes to churches. Why is this so?? I know that historically, “black” churches have been a pillar within the spiritual, social, and even political climate of the black community. “Black” churches were the backbone of the Civil Rights Movement. Historically, “black” churches have always had social justice on their minds and have seen that as one of many threads of Christianity. And then there’s the difference in worship styles…and giving all of that up can be a very difficult thing. I believe there’s several other reasons, and although those reasons do have some historical and social weight, it’s sad that in 2011, Sunday morning is still “the most segregated hour in America.”

The reality is that racial reconciliation and diversity among churches is easy in theory. It’s easy to say we all want to be one and worship together but that would require us to share. Not just share things but share ideas and information and ways of doing things. Having experienced both sides, I can clearly see that there are things that both churches need from one another, which is why I believe God wants us to worship together. But how do we DO that? Every church obviously can’t satisfy everybody. So if we can’t form one church, how can we at least foster fellowship and friendship across racial lines? I do know of a couple of churches that I consider to be pretty diverse, and it’d be interesting to examine how they came to be so. I know that one is very intentional about it, one is just cool and attracts all kinds of people, and the other one, I’m not sure, I think they just preach the gospel and diverse people just come.

Sigh…so in the meantime I’m left trying to figure out ways that I can live in both worlds, and at least someday, somehow bring both worlds together. Well, at least I know I can look forward to heaven–a place where every nation, every tribe and every tongue WILL come together and worship the one true God. In the meantime, in light of all this, check out this trailer for a film I edited a couple years ago dealing with racial reconciliation in churches. Here’s the link: http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi2612265497/. Enjoy!

What Is “Christian” Art Anyway?

The past couple of days I’ve been reading two books that have really been blessing me. One is called “The Reason for God” by Tim Keller. It’s kind of like a contemporary version of Mere Christianity, for those of you who are familiar with C. S. Lewis. The other one is called “Imagine: A Vision for Christians in the Arts” by Steve Turner. This book not only tackles the sticky relationship that Christians have with the arts, but it is hitting my struggles with my artistic expression right on the head. I’ve been chewing on this quote from the book all day:

A key issue in the strained relationship between Christianity and the arts is the perceived division between secular and sacred. Christians have found it hard to appreciate art that deals with daily living, especially if it doesn’t supply an obviously spiritual conclusion.

This quote so perfectly describes my struggle with my art and with the church. Turner argues that while some Christian artists are called to minister within the church walls (i.e. worship leaders, Christian musicians), others are called to infiltrate culture, to be excellent in their craft, out in the world but not of it. Well what if you’re an artist who is called to create for those within the church walls, but the art that you create doesn’t fit the mold of what is considered “Christian” art, for the very reason that Turner mentions in the quote above?

I recently joined a LinkedIn group page for Christian filmmakers. The past couple months the topic of discussion has been responses to one particular poster’s outrage over a “Christian” film script that had a curse word in it. I know of several Christians who are filmmakers who don’t want to label or identify themselves as Christian filmmakers, mainly because such films are often poorly made. As for me, I don’t so much mind the label of Christian filmmaker, after all, I am Christian and I am a filmmaker. I accept the title as much as I do the label of Black filmmaker or Female filmmaker. All of these labels actually do make up my voice as a filmmaker. But reading the comments on the LinkedIn page helped me see a broader issue in Christendom in that, for some reason, Christians love to hide in the ideals of what our life here on earth should be, rather than explore and wrestle with the way it really is.

Not that there’s inherently anything wrong with the former. I just think there’s a problem with Christians becoming so self-righteous that we cannot see both sides of the coin. Am I wrong for sharing a true story of how a guy once called me a skinny b*tch and I had to fight back my own urges for revenge amidst a need to forgive? And as much as we like to believe that all Christian singles are perfect little angels who are patiently waiting until marriage to have sex, am I wrong for telling my story and the story of countless other women whose flesh got the best of them and did not wait, only to still see God’s glory in the end?

Throughout my years of being a filmmaker, I constantly seek Christian venues and festivals to showcase my work. But what is disturbing to me is that almost all of these festivals have guidelines that prohibit just about everything that deals with real human emotion. In other words, many festivals won’t say it, but they expect family friendly films. (One exception to this has been the HolyWood Film Festival, in which my film, Defining Moments, screened in April and won the Courageous Filmmaker Award).

None of the films I’ve made have ever been family friendly. They’re adult films that deal with the harsh realities that come with living life as a believer. They are films that hopefully make you think. Films that make you deal with the reality that even as Christians we are broken human beings who often do the wrong thing. But unfortunately, all too often that’s not the story that Christians want to hear. Yet ultimately it’s the very story that has brought us to the cross and that keeps us there.

I guess the folks on the LinkedIn page have the right to not want curse words to be in a “Christian” film. So then maybe that screenwriter/filmmaker should just stop calling their film Christian. So where does that leave me? Should I drop the very title that defines part of who I am? Or sell out my voice and give the people what they want–wholesome, unrealistic films that are “safe for the whole family?”

Things to ponder…