To my white progressive Christian brothers and sisters (and others who find this meaningful):
You’re feeling pretty shitty today. I am, too. You’d hoped—maybe even expected—that our country would reject the open hatred that fueled Donald Trump’s campaign. You’d anticipated a reminder that, at the end of the day, that kind of toxic waste is not what runs through the veins of our national body. So, whether you stayed up to watch every minute of painful disappointment or woke up to discover you’re facing four years of President Trump, you’re hurting. In the midst of that pain, I want to recommend four things to those of you who need and can take hold of them: revelation, mourning, repentance, and discipleship.
Revelation – You’ve been living in a world of innocence, not seeing how fallen this world truly is. Or perhaps you thought the Kingdom of God was steadily unveiling itself through our history. You’ve been shocked by the violence against black bodies that are marked as criminal with no proof beyond that provided by our skin. You’ve been dismayed at the rejection of brown bodies that supposedly come from afar to steal U.S. American jobs or destroy this supposed bastion of Christian faith. You thought we were better than this. And now, you have been shown that you were living in a world of illusion. You trusted the world you live in not to embrace the worst parts of itself. But it has. The light of revelation is shining down upon you. You’re being reminded that there are demonic powers at work in this world. Caesar is alive and as powerful as ever. Open your heart and mind to accept your illusions for what they are.
Mourning – Even though that innocent world was illusory, its loss is a real loss. You need to take the time and space to mourn that loss. Gather with friends who are also experiencing that loss. Comfort each other. Tell stories of what you thought the world was. Share the hopes and dreams you had for the next four years. Mourn the loss of a world that never really existed for all of us, because it was the world you lived in, and it has been taken from you. Mourn it, but don’t cling to it. Don’t retreat into that illusion, explaining away the revelation you’ve received. Keep your heart and mind open even as you mourn.
Repentance – God is calling out to you. The illusory world you’ve lost was an idol, but the God who gave Jesus the strength to live and love under the Roman Empire will not abandon you as you follow Jesus in the U.S. American Empire. The painful truth and healing power of God are tugging at your sleeve, beckoning you to turn and face the world that awaits. All you need do is repent, turn away from this world’s idols, and turn toward God, who you’ll find among the black and brown brothers and sisters who’ve been living in a different reality from you.
Discipleship – When you’re ready; when you’ve mourned the loss of that illusion of innocence and committed yourself to turning away from its idolatrous allure, it’s time to open your heart and mind to your brothers and sisters who have decades of experience living without those comforting illusions. When you’re ready to let go of your shock and disbelief at the violence that your black and brown brothers and sisters have told you are the very bones of this world, ask us to show you the world we’ve been living in. Learn about the depth of the evil of which you’ve remained blissfully ignorant. Continue to mourn, as you need to, but don’t flinch away from the stark reality of a world structured by violence and hatred. Realize that you finally have the chance to live a life of faithful loving witness, if you will only turn to those who can guide you in navigating this world that is so new to you. But when we tell you that it will be okay, that this world hasn’t crushed us yet and it’s not going to, please don’t take that as a sign that it’s safe to return to your cozy world of progressive illusion. See that assurance for what it is: faith that we will be sustained as we struggle to live and love in this fallen world.
The election of Donald Trump isn’t the beginning of the end of the world, brothers and sisters. It’s your invitation to mourn the passing of a dead world, to reject its deceptively peaceful idols, and to work to embrace a new way of living and loving with God’s beloved children in the fallen world that awaits you.
With faith in love and justice...