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Commentary: Social holiness urges dialogue about racism
August 25, 2015 / By Social Holiness Team
Many have celebrated the vote to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of the capital of South Carolina, Columbia. This symbol has flown over the capital and on its grounds for many years. There have been mixed reactions to the removal of this symbol. While many may celebrate this vote, I urge us all to consider the work of The United Methodist Church to be incomplete in this area. I am not speaking of a geographic area, but the area of “social holiness.” Symbols can represent completely opposite feelings and experiences for different people. One faction of the United States has demanded the right to display this symbol as a part of its heritage. Another faction of our country views the Confederate flag as a symbol of slavery and the dehumanization of people.
From my perspective, those who perceive the Confederate flag only as a symbol of their heritage fail to consider the pain and oppression it represents others. Too often, people are blind to the significance symbols can carry for others. The Confederate flag is a symbol of history, but there are two separate and unequal histories to be considered. One is a history of privilege and the other of subjugation. This does not fade into the distant past and memory with the final shots of the Civil War, the passage of the Voting Rights Act, or the removal of the flag from the capital grounds in Columbia, S.C.
The work of the Church of God through Christ and the Spirit is to bring the message of God through Christ to all people. If we celebrate the vote in South Carolina and fail to see that there is much harder and arduous work ahead of us all, then we fail to live as Christ has called us to. If we remain content in our pews and do not see that the pain of another person or group of persons is our pain as well, then I feel we must examine our faith and how we have chosen to live and express it.
The words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are still as true today for our churches as it was when he spoke of the hour of worship and called it, “the most segregated hour in this nation.” Next Sunday, I ask that you look around your worshipping community and see how many people reflect your skin color and possibly your socio-economic status. We have much to do.
I am asking that all of our congregations consider reaching out to other congregations that are composed primarily of a different racial and/or ethnic origin than yours; to reach out to begin, or in some cases continue, open and honest dialogue. There are many models of how this has been done successfully that might work for your congregation. I feel it is through the development of relationships and understanding that we may begin to understand the depths of racism and pain that still exist in our communities. Let the minds, doors, and hearts of our people called United Methodists become even more active in resolving racism that continues to exist. If the Social Holiness Team or the members of the Conference Commission on Religion and Race can assist in any manner, do not hesitate to contact us for support, resources, or prayer.
This commentary was submitted by the Rev. Alan Kinney, pastor at Eastern Parkway United Methodist Church in Schenectady and Chair of Upper New York’s Social Holiness Team.