Bin Laden and Birth Certificates
Warning: Have you heard of the Diary of a Mad Black Woman? This is a page out of the diary. I'm talking about three things you should never discuss: politics, religion and race. You probably don’t want to read this. You should probably read Sandi Glahn’s post instead. It’s tempered, balanced, good.
Still here? Okay, well I warned ya.
Warning: Have you heard of the Diary of a Mad Black Woman? This is a page out of the diary. I'm talking about three things you should never discuss: politics, religion and race. You probably don’t want to read this. You should probably read Sandi Glahn’s post instead. It’s tempered, balanced, good.
Still here? Okay, well I warned ya.
Franklin Graham talked about President Obama’s birth certificate in an interview with Christiane Amanpour on Easter Sunday, in response to a question concerning Donald Trump’s birther hubbub. Franklin Graham heads a wonderful ministry, Samaritan’s Purse, which brings tangible hope to thousands of people. He possesses a great spiritual heritage and evangelistic zeal.
So it surprised me when Mr. Graham stated that the birth certificate issue was a problem that the President “can solve pretty quickly,” if he just furnished the proper documents. In the same interview, he said that Donald Trump might be a good candidate for President.
Uh-huh.
Then Mr. Graham appeared on Sean Hannity’s show because he wanted to clarify his statements:
"I think we ought to listen to some of these ideas [from Trump]. I think the White House would do itself a great favor by asking Donald Trump to come and give them some advice. We are in trouble as a nation. And I just grieve for where the direction we are going. We've turned our back on God and our government, in our schools and our nation is suffering for it. I think our nation needs to turn back to God. We need to repent as a nation and turn again to the God of our fathers and put our faith and trust in him."
The interview blithely continues and Mr. Graham asserts that President Obama is not really a Christian. There are some questions that I wish Sean Hannity had followed up with: How would Franklin Graham characterize Donald Trump’s relationship with God in contrast to the current president’s? What criteria caused him to conclude that Donald Trump is the man to turn our nation back to God? While we’re turning back to God, whose fathers are we talking about, here? (The ones that owned my ancestors? The ones that murdered Emmett Till? I, for one, don’t want to "turn" to those fathers. It’s hard enough in 2011, but at least now I can vote, get paid for my labor, be legally married to my husband and regarded as a full human being instead of just three-fifths of one.) And when exactly did Donald Trump make a public confession of faith in Jesus? I missed that.
As a Christian born as a Black woman, I’m just fed up. Whether you agree with the President’s politics or not, the whole birth certificate episode is textbook racism. Christians should not passively or actively endorse racism, but many of us do, by supporting fear-mongering or worse, by turning a blind eye because it furthers a specific political and socio-economic agenda. It's not that we want a Christian in the White House; we want someone who looks and sounds like us.
It’s demeaning to ask the President of the United States to furnish documents proving his U.S. citizenship (he furnished his birth certificate during the vetting process for the presidency, as does every other candidate), and gracious of him to have acquiesced. Anyone who works in even the lowest levels of federal government must face great scrutiny; background checks and references and physicals. Can you imagine someone asking President Reagan for his papers, three years into his term? Yeah. I can’t, either.
President Obama was harassed by this nonsense because he is Black. (No, I’m not “playing the race card.” This is not a game and I’m not playing.)
Franklin Graham’s recent actions are symptomatic of many Christians I've encountered. I’m tired of hearing attempts to whitewash dirty, fallen, imperfect political worldviews to force-fit them into a spiritual ideology. Tired.
Look, it’s a free country. If we don’t like a man’s politics, we can say so. But please, let’s not pseudo-spiritualize political punditry. I think it’s reasonable to expect that when Franklin Graham publicly judges one man’s beliefs as unacceptable (which I repeat, he is free to do!), that he will be consistent and judge everyone according to the same standard. Or better yet, just concentrate on running Samaritan’s Purse. Who of us knows for sure whose name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?
Speaking of which, Osama bin Laden is dead. I’m relieved. He was a madman and an architect of heinous crimes against humanity both here in the U.S. and abroad. I’m a New York native, and I smelled the rancor of death and ash and witnessed the gaping hole smoldering where the Twin Towers once stood. It’s a relief to me that he won’t be plotting anymore destruction. It’s a somber step in the path toward justice.
Some Christians are rejoicing unabashedly regarding bin Laden’s death. I find it ironic that some of the same folks who defended the theology of hell in reaction to Rob Bell’s latest book have rejoiced, rejoiced, over bin Laden’s eternity there. “Burn in hell, hahaha!” Really? And who exactly are you to make that decree? (A note for those folks: the excessive giddiness and carrying on about the death and damnation of a dead man will put a serious dent in your sanctity-of-life witness down the road. Trust me.) This is an effective way to cheapen grace. Our righteousness is like bloody rags to God, and if Jesus had not thrown himself over us, covered us and saved us, we would be destined for the same fate. I’m no better than Osama bin Laden, and that’s not just because my first name is Arabic. Jesus Christ has changed my destiny.
Lastly, let’s check our hermeneutics. Slapping a Bible verse on top of one’s political views doesn’t make one right(eous). I have seen the same people who said “Pray for Obama: Psalm 109:8-9” after his election quote Romans 13:1-7 this week in response to the actions of the military at the direction of the Commander in Chief. Well, now I’m confused. Do good Christians pray for Michelle, Malia and Sasha to become a widow and orphans? Or do we pray for wisdom for the leadership of the country and submit? Or do we submit only to what we like and then pray for death to all who oppose us?
They won’t know we are Christians merely by our political affiliation. They won’t know we are Christians by our denigrating comments and self-serving ways. They won’t know we are Christians by our hypocrisy. So why are we continuing to define ourselves by these things?
Sharifa Stevens
Sharifa Stevens is a Manhattan-born, Bronx-raised child of the King, born to Jamaican immigrants, and currently living in Dallas. Sharifa's been singing since she was born. Her passion is to serve God's kingdom by leading His people in worship through music, speaking and writing, and relationships with people. Her heart is also unity, inspired by John. Sharifa hates exercise but likes Chipotle, bagels with a schmeer and lox, salmon sushi, chicken tikka, curried goat (yeah, it's good) with rice and peas, and chocolate lava cakes. She's been happily married to Jonathan since 2006...and he buys her Chipotle.
67 Comments
Shannon
SO proud!
So proud of you for having the courage to post this, Sharifa! I pray that, because of bravery like this, that hopefully will spill over into lives like mine, that our children will grow up in a different world than the one I grew up in. I would love to wish that they'll never see a confederate flag, or that they'll never hear people of color referred to in terrible ways… but we live in a jacked up world, so I know that they will. But I pray that they are brave enough (like their auntie!) to speak up for what is true, to be bold enough to speak strongly for justice in an unjust society. So that their children (our grandchildren!) might have an entirely different future…
Sharifa Stevens
Courage
Courage is what the Navy seals demonstrated a few days ago, and what our armed forces muster up every day. Me? I'm just grappling and muddling, angry and sad. But I hope along with you that our grandchildren will live in a better world. With parents like you out there, I am hopeful!
Sandra Glahn
Balanced, Tempered, Good
Balanced, tempered, good–each of these describes your post. Well said.
Sharifa Stevens
Thank you…
…your writing inspires me. Thank you for your kind words.
Malcolm G
Right on the money there
Right on the money there Sharifa. Good on you.
Sharifa Stevens
Right back at you!
Thank you, Malcolm. Good on you!
Matt
Well done
Really liked what is on your mind. The lack of overt racism has just made more room for covert racism. I have heard so much ridiculousness from christians from citizenship issues to anti-Christ comparisons. We didn't do this with Clinton or Kerry, both liberal but somewhat confessing believers. In my opinion folks just want to go back to a past that wasn't that great to begin with in hopes of making a heaven on earth and I am pretty sure that isn't the same spiritual reality that Jesus talks about in revelation. Thank God!
Sharifa Stevens
Polarization and Revelation
Matt, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I think you're right; there are undertones of covert racism that have been cropping up. You know, I think this backlash is a response against an impossible standard that was set during the 2008 campaign, that positioned Obama as a type of messiah figure. He's no messiah. (Duh!) Only One person can fill that role, and He has. I look forward to the time when every tear is wiped away from our eyes, when there are no more goodbyes, and when every nation, tribe and tongue can come together in peace and worship.
Sue Bohlin
Like peeling a banana
Reading your blog post was like watching someone peel a banana–you stripped away so much rhetoric, leaving important, meaty truths and questions.
Oh, and by the way, you're still beautiful when you're angry. 😉
Sharifa Stevens
I value your opinion highly,
I value your opinion highly, Sue. Thank you for not calling me bananas! LOL. And thank you for the compliment. ;o)
katy
🙂
thanks Sharifa- well said.
Sharifa Stevens
🙂 🙂
Thank you for taking the time to read the post, Katy.
Kay Daigle
Inconsistent Christian thinking!
First, thanks for your courageous honesty,knowing that not everyone will like what you say, Sharifa!
You do a great job pointing out some inconsistencies in common Christian thinking. We love applying verses to the situations that fit our perspectives and fail to do so when it's something uncomfortable or hard.
And Sue is right–you are both angry and beautiful!
Sharifa Stevens
Thank you so much, Kay – I
Thank you so much, Kay – I really appreciate your taking the time to read and comment! And boy, do I understand uncomfortable and hard topics giving folks pause and the temptation to proof-text. I have failed in this respect before. I am so in need of the Holy Spirit's guidance.
Aaron N
 I still don’t understand how
I still don't understand how asking for a birth certificate is "racist." There was no doubt that Reagan was born in the US, so no need to ask for his BC. But there has been doubt about Obama's birth since BEFORE he was elected and he waited until 3 yrs into his term to provide proof. Now that there is proof, it can be dropped.
Another thing I don't understand is how we can criticize someone for claiming to know the hearts of men (ie. saying that Obama is or is not a believer; saying that Trump is or is not a believer…something only God truly knows), yet in the same breath we can, ourselves, criticize the hearts of men in throwing out a blanket label of RACIST.
There have been stories floating around since prior to the 08 election that it is possible that Obama was born abroad. I will admit, I was persuaded by many journalists that this was a possibility. I had no beef with his first or last name or the fact that he is black. But, he never addressed the issue…until now.
"Thank you, President, I no longer have doubts. And I can assure you, I could care less that you don't look like me, talk like me, dress a lot nicer than me and get to sit courtside at any NBA game that you want."
The term "racism" is used way too loosely in our society. I am hurt by what has happened in the past just as much as the next person. But just because someone does not agree with someone else (who is different than they are) that does not automatically qualify that person as a racist. I have just as many, if not more, disagreements with other white males who do dress like me, talk like me, and have to watch NBA games from home, as I do with Obama or any other person that is different than I.
All that to say, I love you as a sister in Christ, but I respectfully disagree with your thoughts on the issue. And not because you're a black woman 🙂
Sharifa Stevens
Brother Aaron…
Thank you for writing! You bring up some points that are so essential in this discussion.
First – disagreement does not equal racism. I am so glad that you brought up that point in your response. I agree. Wholeheartedly. I'm going to say that again: disagreement does not equal racism. And I personally disagree with many policies that our president has instituted.
Second – why is the request to furnish proof of birth racist? You want clarification, and that's fair. I believe that the "doubts" cast on Obama's citizenship were conjured by people who prey on people's fears in order to further their agenda, not out of legitimate concern. No one has ever made accusations about another president's citizenship (and they probably didn't have birth announcements in the local paper at the time of their births!). "He's not one of us; he's not like us," is the undertone I'm talking about here. I don't believe these doubts were based in legitimate concern, as they were often stated in the same breath as "he's a Muslim and a communist." Of course this was promoted at election time; these were arguments for why people shouldn't vote for him.
Even after he furnished the certificate, people accused him of creating a counterfeit. So yeah…I think it's racism.
African-Americans have had to carry papers to show to whom they belonged. They have had to carry papers to prove they were members of the armed forces. They had to carry papers to prove that they owned land and could vote. They had to carry papers to prove they were free. And even with those papers, they were still systematically victimized, stolen from, raped, and enslaved. This is the legacy of slavery in this country. So in 2011, when an African American is once again asked to furnish papers, it strikes a chord that may be unfamiliar to you. But it is quite familiar to me. I'm sharing that feeling with you, but you are free to disagree, my brother.
Third – the term "racist" is used in many ways, sometimes loosely, sometimes accurately. Just because the term is misused at times doesn't forfeit the right I have to apply it when it's accurate. I find that all too often, people who aren't commonly victims of racism are prone to be automatically dismissive of the situations that are being labeled as such. Are you as hurt by the past that you refer to as I am (let's say I'm the next person)? It's hard for me not to find that statement somewhat dismissive, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.
Aaron N
Look at you! Â Putting me in
Look at you! Putting me in my place! 🙂 (and I mean that, not sarcastically)
You're right, I had NO CLUE that African-Americans have had to carry papers and prove themselves in the past. Now, it does make a lot of sense as to why some people may feel hurt by the accusations. And you are completely correct, I probably do not have as much pain as some have experienced.
The dismissive-ness comes from frustration and anger in my heart because I do not view others on the basis of race, sex, etc. And it truly does hurt when the term "racism" gets thrown around and misused. Yes, it can be used correctly and accurately and ought to never be completely eliminated.
Wow. Thank you for your response. I honestly had no idea that asking for a birth certificate could spark such pain in some lives. Much love, sister 🙂
Sharifa Stevens
Much Love…
…right back! (And I was NOT trying to put you in your place, for the record, LOL!) You ask really great questions, and I appreciate it, Aaron. It helps me to think and examine myself. And I think you're asking questions that a lot of people are asking. Thanks for having the courage to lay those questions out in the open.
Julie C.
Diary of a Smart Black Woman
I am tired and fed up too, Sharifa, with the way certain people of faith spew hatred instead of grace. I am tired and fed up with Republican equaling Belief in Christ. I am tired and fed up with so-and-so on such-and-such "side" demeaning and dismissing so-and-so on the such-and-such other side. I'm tired of it all. I have a good friend with American and British citizenship who considers fleeing to the UK. I don't blame him. Scones. Good beer. Great accent. Shakespeare. Sheep. It's more attractive than the herd mentality here.
Sharifa Stevens
Shakespeare, Sheep…
…and problems. Problems are everywhere, because people are everywhere. I love this country, and am proud to be an American. Because I am an American, I get to voice my opinion without being assassinated or imprisoned. Even with the vitriol being spewed about (and it's disgusting and uncivilized), we have peaceful elections here. What a country!
And I want to work to be the change we want to see. And I know you do, too, Julie.
(Plus, their beer is imported here anyway. But oh, that accent…love it.)
Visitor
first time reading your blog.
first time reading your blog. i agree with a lot of what you are saying. I too feel the same way you do as stated in your third to last paragraph. I too ain't no better than Osama bin laden. Thank Jesus for the cross.
the only thing I don't understand is how is asking for a birth certificate being racist??? if it is part of the application process then it shouldn't be a big deal. if what was provided at the time wasn't sufficient people got the right to speak up. if it were me i'd let them have at it just to shut them up. I honestly wish he would have done it quite a bit sooner and maybe this mess could have been knocked out a long time ago.
As for trump and all that jazz it's all politics. I feel president's have gone the way of the king's. Who is really running this country? There is a war on for your mind.
Do you think Obama will bring home our troops??? I pray I'm wrong but I just don't see it happening. : (
Sharifa Stevens
Welcome!
Hi Visitor! Thanks for taking the time to read my post. I feel blessed that anyone would take the time to read, muchless comment. Thanks.
Maybe you can check my reply to Brother Aaron for an explanation of what I was thinking in response to your first question?
Do I think Obama will bring the troops home? Hmm. No. I don't. I wish that were the case, but I don't see that happening any time soon.
AStephens
Glad you mentioned the birth records controversy
Wonderful post, Sharifa! So, so glad your voice is being heard! Yes, the double standard most certainly exists. I appreciate you mentioning the birth records controversy, since it hits close to home in my community. In my view, once Obama satisfied the legal requirements/records to run for the presidency, he was not obligated to go beyond the law to satisfy the curiosity of every whim and fancy or to justify unjust doubts– be it birth or college records! It was the RESPONSIBLE or ETHICAL thing to do. It was responsible because as great poets have said, no one is an island. To have furnished more documentation would have set an unhealthy precedent that would have no doubt in some way or another affected/trickled down to the ordinary citizen or non-citizen as the case may be. In many ways, I see his reluctance to give in to all the pressure as a bold way of both protecting and upholding the dignity of the Other. Which is why, in some ways, I'm disappointed that his long-form birth records were made public. I understand the rationale of putting the issue to rest before running again in 2012, but I'm not sure that doing so was really all that effective. Plus, if the response of Donald Trump and others suggest anything, it is that we have a long way to go towards having would-be (or wanna be) leaders that can think beyond themselves.
Sharifa Stevens
Quotable!
AStephens,
You need to know that I am block quoting your entire comment as I explain my position in other venues, because it so eloquently states the basis of what I am trying to communicate.
Thank you for adding so much to the conversation.
Jonathan Moorhead
Strengthening Your Point
Sharifa, thank you for your article. Unfortunately the good points you have made have been overshadowed by your accusation of "racism" on the part of those who wanted to verify President Obama's birth certificate. Your statement to Aaron seems to show that your assertion is based on personal experience and intuition. Understood, but I think you would agree that you can't prove that (and perhaps it has more to do with politics than race). My encouragement to you is not to endanger the importance of your message by such things.
Pro Rege,
Jonathan
Sharifa Stevens
Proof and Intuition
Jonathan,
Thanks so much for reading and for writing. In response, I can only say that good points stand as good points; whether they are overshadowed is up to the reader. I'm glad that you found good in my post, and hope that you will cling to it, despite disagreeing with me on other points.
I don't wish to divorce my feelings from the subject. This is a blog, not a clinical study, so I have license to do that. What you are describing in referring to my personal experience and intuition, is my reaction. However, the fact is that the normal vetting process for the application to the presidency includes proof of citizenship. To be accused of being foreign born after that vetting process is insulting on a historical and yes, racist level.
Thanks again for writing, Jonathan. I think you are expressing what many are feeling.
Anon Amos
almost there
I agree with several points in your post. There is one point of inconsistency that bothers me though:
“While we’re turning back to God, whose fathers are we talking about, here? (The ones that owned my ancestors? The ones that murdered Emmett Till? I, for one, don’t want to "turn" to those fathers..”
That’s a straw-man argument. Nowhere does Graham say ‘turn to those fathers,’ nor the practices of those fathers, but the God of those fathers. Love the founding fathers of the US or hate them, your comment on slavery and Emmett Till is a non sequitur. That part, at least, is pinning racism on something where it didn’t belong.
As I said though, this appears to be just one single point of inconsistency, the rest of your article was very thought provoking.
The only reason I write this is because some people would dismiss what you have to say because of that inconsistency.
Sharifa Stevens
RE: Almost There
Anon Amos,
That is an inconsistency! Thank you for bringing that to light. Will you allow me to connect the dots where I failed to do so before, and get your feedback?
What I mean to say by mentioning slavery and Emmett Till, is that there has been no Gilded Age, no time in U.S. history when everything was good and right and perfectly Biblical. Some people point to the founding fathers as a paragon of righteousness, even as their writings and actions (and by this I mean, making one's own version of the Bible, for example) point not to the God Franklin Graham serves, but the removed and distant god of deism, at best.
So if I had written more clearly, I would have made the assertion that knowing who "our fathers" are bears a direct correlation on which God or gods we would be turning to.
Thank you so much for your insightful feedback.
Anon Amos
Re:Re almost there
Sharifa,
Very good response. I appreciate the connection. I have had some conversation recently (Monday night) with a friend at Church about the lack of historical support for a Christian nation. Deists who liked what the Bible had to say? Yes… when it served their purposes.
I am curious what the Church 100 years from now will look back on and see as our shortcomings.
Also, tone is so hard to capture in text. Thanks for being gentle, and it looks like you took my comment as honest dialogue and not attack, for which I am grateful. I saw your article through a friend's facebook page… but I dare say you have added a regular reader.
Sharifa Stevens
Re: Re:Re almost there
Anon Amos,
You honor me by taking the time to read and give feedback. I value your time and thoughts. Thank you! I, too, wonder how we shall be indicted in the years to come. And I marvel at the fact that we belong to Jesus, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against His Church (even if we unintentionally attempt to mess things up).
You're right; it's often hard to "hear" the tone of voice in writing. You read mine correctly – and my tone right now is one of gratitude and enthusiasm!
Afrim
from Afrim
Sharifa, probably you still remember Afrim from Albania… I really enjoyed your post. What hurts for me (and believe, I observe the same situation among Christians all over the world – and Albania is not an exception) is that we live in a world in which if you honestly say what you think, you might be in trouble.
Your brothers and sisters in the faith, will be the first to attack you. Sad!
But again, great courage on your part to openly share your opinion…
Thanks, Afrim
Sharifa Stevens
AAFFRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMMMMM!!!!!
(can you hear me shouting that across campus or in the cafe! LOL!)
Of COURSE I remember you, and am so honored that you would write and give me a word of encouragement. I hope that you and your family are prospering and blessed.
Thank you so much – my chin feels lifted. :o)
Rey Lopez
for further reflection…
What I have observed for every administration that goes as far back as I can remember is that those who don't support the person in office find very public and petty ways to demean him. As a minority myself, I'm not sure that I see the birther issue as a function of racism as much as I see it as a function of those who simply oppose President Obama and just want to do whatever is necessary to distract the public from the real issues. This has happened with every president, unfortunately, and is the primary reason so many have become disenfranchised with the whole process.
What makes it worse is that both sides think only the other side is guilty of such tactics.
All of this leads to an increasing number of people becoming more and more disenfranchised with the entire system.
For me, as a pastor, I feel compelled to rise above the fray and to seek out a third way. I believe the Gospel demands that we do that for the sake of those we shepherd. We are not called to a life of opposing views that have little or nothing to do with eternal value. We are called to challenge people to consider the way of Christ.
Neither side of the aisle can be relied upon to do that.
Sharifa Stevens
Rey:
Thank you for writing about the Third Way. I agree with you that this otherworldly, supra-political way is where our aim should be.
The government is not a theocracy, so it can never be counted on to legislate the laws of our hearts, minds, motives, or beliefs. It's role is to protect and serve the people. I think our country's government, with all of its MANY flaws, still does it better than most.
But yes, to your point, there is regular mud-slinging on all sides. You can count me among the disenchanted.
I think we will have to agree to disagree on the birther issue as racism. Thanks again for writing, brother!
Terri
race and birth certificate
It always troubles me when the first reaction to a black woman or man describing something as racism is to immediately deny the assertion. We (and I mean generally those of us who are white in this discussion but also anyone whose group has traditionally held some type of hierarchical power in a community) need to stop and listen, consider, and contemplate when this claim is made rather than jump to deny. The racism that has existed in our country for years doesn't disappear easily and it can be a subtle and pervasive evil that eats away at us. We should look carefully at a situation like this to make sure it is brought to light when necessary. I don't think Sharifa is making a hysterical, emotional statement but is arguing based on her thorough analysis of the situation based on her experiences; her study of American history and culture, and yes her emotions. I think we can trust her instincts on this one.
The "birther movement" has racist undertones because it is one aspect of the argument that our president should be feared and suspect because he is "other." He is "foreign" and Muslim. His administration has taken us "away from God." This is common rhetoric among the more ardent critics of the president (and it is working to create an atmosphere of fear and distrust among many–some members of my family included). The fact that his citizenship and birth had already been documented and proven in order to hold office and run for office made no difference–despite the legality of this process. We should and must criticize and disagree with our elected leaders' policies and decisions when we think they are wrong–Sharifa never claimed that to be racism. But the birth certificate issue is/was an attempt to force the President of the United States to prove he is "one of us" and and resulted in creating fear among many people that he is/was not.
Sharifa Stevens
RE: race and birth certificate
Terri, thank you for contributing your perspective – and for giving me the benefit of the doubt. And thank you for speaking on the phenomenon of jumping to the "oh, it's not racism" conclusion.
Sometimes, it's NOT racism.
Sometimes, though, it is.
Sandrine
Thank You
Thank you for giving voice to many of the things that I have been thinking and feeling over the past few weeks. I have remained silent in the midst of other believers cheering on the insanity of the birth certificate situation, because I didn't have the words to say without sounding overly hostile. You have spoken your mind and my mind and done so, so gracefully and eloquently.
Thank you again! And you have indeed found another new regular reader in me!
Blessings!
Sharifa Stevens
Thank You Sandrine
Thank you and bless you for your encouraging words. I am so glad and honored to receive them!
Wilmar M
No mad, not black, not woman… but above all these.
Sharifa,
I'm not here to sing your praises but to honestly open my mind to read what you write about. And almost every time I'm impressed beyond belief. I read your frustration but to call it mad is emotionalizing an intellectual position. I see the color of your skin but to call you black is to use words that should not be used at all anymore (nor African-American, or Hispanic, which is an ignorant insult to me anytime). And I see you're a woman, but your perspective shall rise above your gender and be respected not for affirmative-action reasons (reverse racism & sexism, if you ask me) yet for the valuable insight into humanity from a human who dares explore herself to the light of the knowledge and wisdom acquired from her devotion to her faith.
As a matter of fact, I believe you're incredible merciful in your criticism and gracious in your tone. I mean, to mention Franklin Graham, Reagan, Rob Bell, Trump, Obama, Osama and, sigh, Hannity by name without resorting to insult is an achievement in self-control. And to discuss politicization, racism and religionism is one of those things we should more actively and courageously practice more of.
So thank you for your words, they're encouraging. Especially in the face of a reality so full of religious self-righteousness and hypocrisy, starting with the one I see in the mirror everyday. We're all products of our culture, and the issues you speak about are driven by the context of where we live (this nation).
I still remember how shocked I was 9 years ago when at church they asked us to stand up and pray for the war that was about to initiate. I simply couldn't believe a church would pray for one side, as opposed to pray for no war. I still can't believe many things, like how highly is Reagan is regarded in this country, when my country, closer to Dallas via non-stop flight than NYC, suffered six times the amount of people massacred than in September, limbs cut, women.. (we know what they do to women), and children forced to witness it all so they would fear what comes to sympathizers of The Great and True Evil" communism. And it all came with the seal of approval, and executed with every single machine gun & helicopter kindly funded by the Reagan Administration. So I'm continuously tempted to long for the day when all this will be exposed (much of it already is) and the word genocide attached to that President just as the word terrorist is attached to Bin Laden just as "first Black President" is attached to Obama. Are any of these things a human should be acknowledged for? Isn't it our duty to pray for every man, friend or enemy? Or pray for our people and let them take care of our enemies?
I don't mention it to start a new argument, but as brief evidence that the perspective is always dependent on the beholder, not the facts. The truth shall set us free, said one Man. Another wrote to us what pure religion should be like, as found on James 1:27, yet it seems our intents are the opposite. If G-d were focused on prompt justice, our world would have been consumed the day before resurrection day, two millenia ago. If He had cared about race, His Son would have made the blind see, and the dark lighter. And if He were too concerned with the destiny of one nation, I guess Jesus would have been the military leader and political deliverer many expected. But then again, that's only my perspective, as seen from the eyes of a confused brown man.
Sharifa Stevens
To Wilmar M
Hi Wilmar,
One of the aspects of community I take for granted, but shouldn't, is how essential, how vital it is for me to discuss matters with trusted people, so I can gain perspective, or at the very least, empathy.
Your post gave me both, so thank you for that gift. I would like to talk to you more about what happened in your country, since I am woefully ignorant about the scenario that you describe. To quote you, "we are all products of our culture," and some facts that are concealed in one culture, are brought into stark light in others.
I love your line about prompt justice not being an attribute of God by virtue of the fact that…we're here. True!
I'm pretty sure that we disagree on emotions (like being mad) negating or diminishing intellectual arguments. I never want to divorce the mind from the heart in how I respond, because my emotional acuity is just as vital to my relationships, ministry, and perspectives as my logic. The two are partners in my eyes.
I also don't mind being called Black. African-American is kind of inaccurate since my heritage is more recently from the Caribbean, but I am not offended by the term. And I love being a woman, and it's an attribute that informs how I see the world, and that's okay. I may be misunderstanding you, though? But in any case, I'm grateful because:
1 – I know we can discuss these things, and
2 – you are my brother.
Dieula
Terri, from above, I don’t
Terri, from above, I don't know you, I applaud you for your response. If you are in ministry, you have a great ministry ahead of you. What you did was to give value to this discussion, to Sharifa, to myself, to President Obama and millions of others in the US living as minorities. You chose to listen and not take it personally. Sometimes in conflict even if the intent wasn't to hurt but if the receiver is hurt by whatever we did or said then we must give value to the receiver in order to make peace. But if the the messenger continues to argue, deny and respond defensely the receiver will continue to walk around with the hurt and feel less and less. You have given value and dignity to this discussion and to the lives behind this article and I wish millions more can do the same so the healing can begin.
You're in my prayers Terri, because the enemy hates peacemakers!
Onevision
I don’t think so
"President Obama was harassed by this nonsense because he is Black. (No, I’m not “playing the race card.” This is not a game and I’m not playing.)"
First, the birther stuff was nonsense. We agree. It was probably just as bad that the media played into it. But hey, it was a slow news week, right? But to assume that all the harassment had its origins in racism is an overgeneralization Sharifa. President Obama's diverse travels as a child lended accusers an opportunity (albeit a ridiculous one) to go after him. Some of them I'm sure were racist. But a better overarching explanation is probably that all of the birthers disagreed with him politically. It doesn't matter if he was Barack Obama or Bill Clinton, when the opportunity knocks the opposing party will use personal matters (consequential or ridiculous) to go after them. Does Monica Lewinsky ring any bells?
On the other hand, I am surprised at how many African American friends of mine in Seminary tacitly threw their hat in with Obama despite being conservative before. I think it is fair to claim that our president benefited greatly from a lot of reverse racism in the election.
Let's not overgeneralize. I'll concede there may be some overlap, but racism is not a sufficient explanation. You are playing the race card if you think it is.
Sharifa Stevens
I do think so…
Onevision, thank you for writing, and for taking the time to read. I can't say how much I appreciate the effort it takes to give a thoughtful response.
We may have to agree to disagree on this one, though. I am not playing the race card. There is a racial undertone in accusing the president of not being from the United States as a tactical response to disagreement, politically motivated though it may be – and I think you're right; it is politically motivated. But this is a case where racism was the underpinning of a false, fantastical accusation.
Monica Lewinsky was actually in the White House with Bill Clinton; Barack Obama, however, is not foreign-born. In this way, your "opportunity knocks" theory lacks significant power.
As far as the motivations of your African-American seminary friends, well I cannot presume to know them. I can hypothesize about a few things, though:
1 – voting is not necessarily a form of reverse racism (it could be, but maybe the same argument could be made for all the white people who have always voted in white presidents?);
2 – perhaps your friends' definition of conservatism is more fluid than you thought;
3 – your friends might have thought that they had the right to choose whom to vote for;
4 – perhaps they were uncomfortable with John McCain or his running mate;
5 – maybe they wanted to see if a Black man could actually be voted into office;
6 – at 13% of the U.S. population, even if every Black person of legal voting age participated in the presidential election, it still wouldn't garner enough popular votes to put the current POTUS in office. It is fair to say that you are playing the race card if you presume that Obama's only in office because of all the Black people who voted for him.
These are guesses; as I said before, I cannot presume to know what your African-American friends were thinking. The best way to know what your friends think is to ask your friends.
Thanks again for writing!
Onevision
Thanks for taking time to
Thanks for taking time to reply Sharifa. You are right, we may just have to agree to disagree, but I would like to reply to some of your comments. Some of my comments need clarification.
With regards to my African American seminary friends I never meant to suggest that Obama was in office because of the African American vote or because of reverse-racism in general. I simply meant to suggest that just as racism is a powerful force in the US so too is reverse racism. I think (although I could never prove it with absolute certainty) that some of my African American friends are an example of this. I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt, but if both of the candidates were African American, good looking and charismatic there is a good chance they would have voted the other way. There values appeared more maliable than I first expected. So you forgot to include in your options among other things:
7– Perhaps they voted for him because of his race.
The question is, would your average joe really ever admit this if it was true? Add on to that the difficulty of discerning motives and you find that when a person really wants something they can invent all the reasons in the world to get it whether it is the actual reason or not. I didn't need that ice cream I got today, but darnit, I deserved it because I worked so hard today! 😉
My intention with the Lewinsky affair was simply to point out that politicians are being attacked all the time by opponents regardless of the merit of it.
But back to the main point. Sharifa, if you are not playing the race card (albeit unintentionally) I don't know what it is. If our president Barack Obama was born in New York City, his parents were born and spent their whole lives in America, his name was Bill Cosby, and his family had been Christian for generations we would not be having this discussion. Would racists be looking for something else? Sure. But if Clinton had a Russian name, his dad was from Moscow, he spent time in Moscow the fanatics would have jumped at it back then even if he was white.
Let's be reasonable. There may be racist birthers. But not all of them are racist even if they are a little ridiculous.
Sharifa Stevens
Agreeing to Disagree
Onevision,
I am being reasonable. Just because I don't agree with you doesn't make me unreasonable. :o)
I called the birth certificate strategy a racist one, and I will stand by that. Whether every birther was clued into how racist their accusations sounded, I can't say – but I believe that there are people who did not have racism on their minds when they supported this (racist) strategy.
Now that I've read your response, I'm not even sure we're talking about the same things. You are telling me that I'm calling birthers racist, and I don't mean to be pedantic, but that's not exactly what I said.
You're asserting that I forgot to mention that perhaps your friends voted the way they did because of the president's race – but that is the first assertion that you made. It was already on the table, so to speak. The way that you proposed that reverse racism is a "powerful force" in America was in line with this assertion in your original response. I'm still not sure what you mean now, if you don't mean that reverse racism won Obama the presidency.
"If our president Barack Obama was born in New York City, his parents were born and spent their whole lives in America, his name was Bill Cosby, and his family had been Christian for generations we would not be having this discussion."
I halfway agree with you. Nope, I don't think that it would be an easy road to the presidency for Cosby, but yes, I think that if Barack Obama had the "right" name and the "right" address, and his parents appeared to be Christian for generations, and he were not phenotypically Black, indeed, we would not be having this discussion.
And this is part of the problem that I'm attempting to work through in this blog post.
What grieves me the most about your replies, Onevision, is that in both responses you talk about your friends' motives without certainty and with suscpicion. If these are truly your friends, I would urge you to talk to them instead of theorizing. Please. I honestly think that this is a discussion that you should be having with them.
Onevision
Thanks again for the response
Thanks again for the response Sharifa.
The whole point about my friends was not to gain advice about how I should interact with them. Really trying to guess at their motives or deal with the "situation" (as if there was one) is not our concern here. My whole intention was to offer them up as an illustration, albeit imperfect as many illustrations are for several reasons. The point was simply simply to suggest that just as our president beneifts from discrimination a good case can be made that he benefits from reverse discrimination. It's not about my friends Sharifa.
And it's not about Obama being "phenotypically Black" if I understand you correctly. That was the whole point of my example. It may be about his name. It may be about his time spent internationally as a child. It likely has a lot of basis in that his father was not from the US. But nobody is claiming (at least that I have heard) that our President may not have been born here because he is Black. Had the same personal details surrounded a Caucasian President, I can easily imagine a segment of his opponents raising a fuss about it.
What grieves me the most about your replies, Sharifa, is that in both responses you talk about birther's motives without certainty and with suspicion. If they are truly made in God's image, I would urge you to talk to them instead of theorizing. Please. I honestly think that this is a discussion that you should be having with them.
Sharifa Stevens
When I’ve attempted to
When I've attempted to converse with you, you have mocked my words. When I have answered your assertions, you have deemed them "not 'our' concern." Where I have shared my feelings, you have dismissed them.
Your friends are not your concern, but they are mine, because where you could get definitive answers and understanding, you choose to remain ignorant. The difference between you and me is that I have engaged with birthers. You wouldn't know that, because you didn't ask.
That being said, my blog post was not about birthers. You made it about that. You made it about your friends, and reverse racism. (And I still don't get how the president, or anyone, can benefit both from discrimination and reverse discrimination. That doesn't even make sense.)
You keep arguing with assertions that I didn't make (i.e., birthers said Obama's black so he couldn't be born in America). Frankly, I'm just worn out by having to absorb your tone, explain what I said, explain what I didn't say, and figure out what parts of your illustrations you really mean me to pay attention to.
I have attempted to engage you, but lack the desire to do so any longer. I am stepping out of this dialogue because I do not believe it is fruitful.
onevision83
 “When I’ve attempted to
"When I've attempted to converse with you, you have mocked my words." I wasn't mocking your words. I'm sorry you took it that way. My intention was to use your own words to demonstrate my concern. I was hoping that you would see the through what was largely your own words the concern I have over your position.
"When I have answered your assertions, you have deemed them 'not 'our' concern.'" Bringing up my friends was just an illustration to support my main point. It really wasn't intended to be an invitation to explore the nature of my relationship with them. That's what I meant by 'not our concern.' I didn't mean to write you off. I only meant to redirect. My main interest was to express a quite different opinion of the role of racism in the birther movement and whether it can entirely be attributed to racism.
"Where I have shared my feelings, you have dismissed them." Your post again was not about my friends. I brought them up as an illustration and perhaps in poor judgment. I simply meant to redirect the conversation to the birther movement and whether it could be attributed to racism or not.
When you spoke to the birthers, did they say that Obama was probably not born here because he was black? Do the birthers you spoke to represent all birthers?
The title to your blogpost is "Bin Laden and Birth Certificates." You state very directly in a poinient sentence: "President Obama was harassed by this nonsense because he is Black." By nonsense you are referring to the request for documents to prove Obama's citizenship. This is commonly called the birther movement to my knowledge. How was it not about birthers even if it did not mention them directly? Further "because he was Black" indicates unfair treatment because of race. Racism. I hate to parse words, but how could it be read any differently?
People can benefit from reverse discrimination. It is self evident. The last presidential election was historic (and how grateful I am that that wall has been cracked a little further), but it is difficult to argue that some people were not influenced to vote for him in part because he would be the first Black president. In my opinion that is not a good enough reason to vote for a president. That I suppose is open to debate though and another issue.
This is the assertion you made and this is the assertion that troubles me: "President Obama was harassed by this nonsense because he is Black." I assumed by the "whole hearted birth certificate episode" you were referring to the birther movement–those questioning Obama's citizenship based upon the "missing" birth certificate.
Interacting on blogs can be very upsetting especially when there is sharp disagreement, I know. My tone has been direct, and I could have couched my concerns in a better way. I'm sorry for that Sharifa. I meant no personal harm and I'm sure we both could have done better at that. It is always difficult to engage through text instead of vis-a-vis. Tones come across more negative than they were intended. I hope you'll give me the benefit of the doubt. But I also hope that you will reconsider your statment as well because I do know people who questioned Obama's birth certificate and I don't think it is fair to accuse them of partaking in the clamor "because he was Black" and they were not.
Wilmar M
We do agree…
I'm sorry Sharifa for devoting so much of my comment to arguing against your "mad black woman" mention. I agree with each of your statements in the response, I just meant that the first line of your blog post was confining your arguments to circumstances.
And I intentionally didn't want to comment on other aspects of your post to not let my own frustrations against religious public figures come out. Franklin Graham? C'mon! The Samaritan's Purse work in Haiti was completely politicized by inviting Sarah Palin to visit "in order to highlight the cholera epidemic"!? Is that a joke? I guess Mr. Graham has daddy issues and just can't find either the relevance nor the sound-minded balance his father achieved and therefore corrupts his whole organization's purpose by using to serve some other person's need for photo-ops. See? I better not comment on specific names. Even Obama upsets me sometimes for being too much of a conciliator and too right-wing conservative on key issues like health care, taxes and international trade.
But then again, I believe what your heart desired to share was a concern for our own attitudes as believers in light of world events, and you have a gift of challenging readers with strength, while not abusing the use of words like …G-d. Politicians should not be allowed to use it anymore. Heck, even we shouldn't be allowed to use it anymore in arguments, discussions or anything other but prayerful or worshipful devotion to the Heavens. What happened to taking The Name in vain? Is using it to question's a Presidents faith or to celebrate another man's death not a vain use of it?
Anyway, I really loved your blog post, mostly because it challenged me to ….reread your last paragraph over and over again, until I find a way to be known as a man deserving to be called a believer.
Sharifa Stevens
Oh!
See, Wilmar,
The problem is, I don't know how you really feel. LOL!
cAPSLOCK
Well ranted…
I could feel the heat! 🙂 It was fun to read.
I think "birthers" are quite goofy. Same as "truthers".
Whether or not the view of birthers is racist depends on the individual, and the perception depends a lot on perspective as we see in these comments.
I have realized that human beings are story tellers. In fact I think it is how memory works. I remember my blue squeaky hammer toy I had in my crib as a tiny child. Now I have told the story, and remember it again. I have not forgotton my hammer because it is woven into my narrative. By this same means I can choose to tell the stories that support the narrative I want to believe and ignore the ones that contradict it. Over time I will improve the stories and tell them better. Like the alcoholic who just drinks "to take the edge off", I have learned to justify myself with a network of stories, memories, opinions, and beliefs.
This is why I pray each day to see only the will of God. This is why, broken failure as I am again even today I strive to enter the rest of His will.
It is easy to fall back into defending myself or telling the stories which put me on righteous high ground.
Hmm. I am afraid the relevancy of what i have written might only make sense to me.. sorry if it does. This has been a long day haha. I will stop now.
I grieve for Osama.
I enjoy your blog Sharifa.
Sharifa Stevens
Telling Stories
Even in the wee hours of the morning, cAPSLOCK, you're able to bring a unique and viable thought to the conversation. We are what we rehearse. We are storytellers. And we are most familiar with our own stories. That is why it is so important to listen to the stories of others, see where they mesh and where they collide, and most importantly, match those stories with the Grand Story of the Bible.
Thanks for your words. :o)
Hannah Nedrow
Weak and Strong Form Racism
Totally agree with you on everything you said. A note on racism: in my book, severe-form racism is treating certain people worse because of their race. Mild-form racism is treating certain people differently because of their race. Both forms of racism may exist totally unconsciously. That is, people can and do engage in racist behavior without waking up in the morning and saying, "I am a racist. I will do bad things today." I feel the painful effects of mild-form racism frequently because I am in the weird condition of being a white person living as a legal permanent resident of South Korea. I speak (and read and write) Korean and have voting rights here, but when politicians stand on the street corners handing out their literature (which is often), they completely ignore me. I had have only one person in years try to get me to vote for them. You'd think I'd be relieved, but over time, I just feel hurt. They assume that because I am white, I must be a visitor here not a legal resident. Similar sorts of incidents happen almost daily, and they do hurt. Even though I realize that people have no intention to hurt me, that doesn't mean that their action are meaningless. In the same way, when we treat people differently because of race or national origin, we do cause hurt. In my mind, the bruhaha over Obama's birth certificate is a combination of both racism and discrimination over national origin. If Obama had been born to a white mother and a Scottish father, I doubt we'd be hearing panicked exhortations that Obama might really be Scottish. People may not actively intend to be racist, but the truth is that they are treating Obama differently as a black man than they would treat him as white man.
Sharifa Stevens
re: Weak and Strong Form Racism
Hannah,
Thank you so much for adding to the conversation! I really appreciate how you categorized racism into severe and mild forms. I think you're right; most people are not getting up in the morning and plotting how to be racist. But the effects of their behaviors still hurt, and may still be labeled racist. It's such an ugly term that I think that's why there's so much automatic pushback against it (and I'd be curious to know what would be considered racism in the eyes of some of the people I have recently chatted with).
As far as your election story – I know that starts to wear on you over time…it's a subtle, consistent rejection that burdens the soul. It hurts. I'm sorry.
As far as the Scottish scenario – well, you know I agree.
Dieula
Having a Passport is Enough Proof!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I went to get my children's passports done today and guess what they asked for? Their birth certificates!!!!!!!! I wonder if President Obama has a passport? I wonder while he was getting his passport done if he ever had to furnish his birth certificate which would further demonstrate how nonsensical this whole birther discussion is. The reality is there is a racial undertone, no matter how you try to slice it. It pains me that we all don't see that. I guess if you've never been on that side of the fence it might be difficult to show empathy but we don't ever have to be sexually victimized to be able to show empathy.
Wasn't McCain born outside of the US; Panama Canal Zone? When he was a candidate I don't recall any controversy to this magnitude which may have resulted into ruling him out as a presidential candiate. Yes I know what the law says but would the law be enough for someone like President Obama, if the shoe was on his foot?
I once heard this quote that I continue to hold on to as I gauge whether a situation is racially fueled or not: There are two dangereous positions; racism in everything and racism in nothing.
Blacks and whites alike are afraid of this race issue. For whites; they don't want to be judged racist especially when their intent is not that at all. And for blacks, they're afraid of pulling out the race card out of fear of being judged as emotionally unstable or hypersensitive and not a team player. For both groups, whenever that label is used, it demeans and hurts us to our core and forces us constantly look over our shoulders. Both groups become hypersensitive.
I believe the body of Christ has a responsibility to uphold justice and be fair to all especially to those who are so different from us.
Jon Kever
confession of a recovering people-pleaser
Distilling this kind of content/critique takes a gifted person. Your clarity and passion encourage me to be a better preacher and communicator, Sharifa. One of the difficulties of blogs from my perspective–and I suppose language altogether–is that interpretation requires us to move beyond the words of the speaker toward the person speaking (and to some degree, I think, that requires us to move away from ourselves). It seems blogs make this particularly challenging.
There's a sense in which propositions can be judged on the merits of their constructions (Are they valid? Are they sound?). But there's another sense in which really understanding them (and more importantly, the person(s) speaking them) requires a host of tools we often set aside in the heat of battle. Intuition and relationship and flexibility and humility and pretext and context and the list goes on… What I love about your post(s), and about your responses, Sharifa, is your outright mastery of so many of them. It’s a lot of cognitive and emotional work. It’s pastoral. It's like watching a well choreographed dance. And while I’ve been known to cut a rug or two in my time, right now I’m sitting over in the audience, jaw-dropped and mesmerized.
As you know, I’m not generally a fan of pot-stirring. I like harmony; it likes me. But I want you to know (and I suppose the rest of the world), that I’m in full agreement with your words and your heart to the degree I understand them—every racism-claimin’-non-game-playin’-angry-black-woman-most-recently-of-Caribbean-decent last one of them. If and when I’m asked, as a pastor, how to think about these issues, I’ll probably send them to your blog (and then promptly to Sandra’s).
Bless you my sister. I’m proud to be your friend.
Sharifa Stevens
Well, Bless My Soul…
Jon,
I am stunned. Thank you for this precious gift.
I know the weight and value of this.
(See, now you're just gonna make me cry!)
I am, for the first time in 2 days, speechless, brother.
You're proud to be my friend? I'm blessed to be yours.
Sue Bohlin
We need a LIKE button.
Just sayin'.
Sharifa Stevens
Right?
We do need one. You should make that a ticket. LOL.
Njoki
Makes Me Think…
Got a link to this from a friend on Facebook. (God bless Facebook!) Thank you for sharing from your heart on this one – and for being so thoughtful, sincere and respectful in all your responses. I've struggled with these same questions and this was honestly refreshing!
I can't lend anything to this discussion specifically, but it does make me think a lot about how we, as a society, deal with the ugly elephant in the room – especially when it's an elephant that mires our past and present with pain. Where I come from, tribalism is that prevailing evil, and it rears its ugly head in all forms – from the very subtle, very "personal" generalizations or reservations about another person's motives, character, abilities, beliefs (etc.) that are influenced by the tribe they belong to; to the "harmless" jokes about accents and stereotypes; to the outright hatred and dehumanizing that has caused horrific wars and genocides in Africa. Trouble is, tribalism is such an ugly, dirty word! Surely, it should be reserved only for the vilest offences and those who commit them! It's hard to take an honest look in the mirror and say, "I'm guilty of this." It's as if somehow, admitting it brands me. Suddenly, I'm the same as the vilest offender, and the inherently good and decent person I believe myself to be no longer exists.
We forget – as Christians – that we really are. We are the vilest offender, justified ONLY through the grace of God and by Christ's sacrifice. I think we cheapen grace in this way, too… by believing that we really aren't so bad (or that we can't possibly be so bad), and that we have some merit to stand on. We get defensive when anything or anyone challenges that notion. Sadly, it's become more convenient to find a "happy medium" with sin. As long as the stench isn't too bad, and the elephant stays in it's place and doesn't charge through the room, trampling people and furniture, we're okay. As long as I am standing far enough away from it, I'm content to believe that we must all be okay.
I can't help but love that part in Romans 12:2 (NLT) that says, "…let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think…." I so need Him to do that for me!
On a personal note, Hi!! I don't know if you'll remember me, but you and my hubby sang together in 'Voices' a couple of years ago. It was definitely a pleasant surprise to "run into you" like this!!
Sharifa Stevens
Elephants in the Room
WOW. Facebook is an amazing thing. I wonder if there are less than 6 degrees of separation among people now, LOL!
Njoki, how could I forget you? You have been like a kindred spirit to me since the time I met you. I hope you and your husband are well.
I really appreciate readers like you and Hannah bringing a global perspective to the "Elephants in the Room" syndrome. No matter where you live, there are always the Elephants. Race. Caste. Tribe. Shade. Economic status.Gender. Education. Region. Origin.
And we can decide to intentionally respond to these Elephants every day with Spirit-directed self-examination and engagement with others. Or we can paint the rooms around our lives in the Elephant's matching shade, and pretend it isn't there.
We are all the vilest offenders. It is beneficial to be reminded of that. It makes the Grace of Jesus that much brighter.
Dianne Miller
what we will be known by
Sha, I'm just now reading your excellent blog and I couldn't agree with you more on all points. I am so confused and don't "get it" when political party affliation excuses all kinds of poor behavior and ungodly character especially among Christians…and I've lived long enough to see it in both parties.
Your comments to those who have commented were worthy of grace and truth. We do need to remember what we will be known by as Christ followers. Thanks for this blog, you've said what I've been thinking.
Sharifa Stevens
I agree, Dianne.
Do you
I agree, Dianne.
Do you remember when GW Bush was president? And Clinton? And Bush Sr.? And Reagan? I could go on and on. You're right; there's ugliness and hitting below the belt on both sides.
(And honestly, the more intricate and removed a web we weave via social media, I think the more ugly things will get. People are meaner when they 're looking at a webcam or a cursor rather than in their opponent's eyes.)
We so need God's help in navigating how to treat one another, how to vote with our daily actions as well as our ballots, and how to have healthy expectations when it comes to both from our communities of faith and our government.
Crystal L
Bon Courage
Hi Sharifa,
I loved your blog the first two times I read it, but only felt compelled to respond after I perused the other comments. I admire your kind, dignified and informed approach in answering your readers (an exhausting task both mentally and spiritually, no doubt).
As a fellow writer, I understand the courage it takes to speak out on controversial subjects–knowing that critics are waiting in the wings. Please do not allow your unique voice to be silenced. We need to hear it. Honest, thoughtful, and respectful dialogue is rare in this world of online anonymity.
Sharifa Stevens
Merci!
Thank you for taking the time to write a note of encouragement, Crystal. You have no idea what a cool drink of water your words are. I was parched today – but no more.
Chin-up to you as well, fellow writer, and talented sister!
T-Dubb
This is a great post, the
This is a great post, the harsh reality is that people are often socialized racists, which causes it to be ingrained but yet hidden, and more often than not they are oblivious to the presence of it. Thanks for this post that seems to have been motivated by a sense of righteous indignation.
charlsa
Preach!
My sister Sharifa- Preach! I love to read your posts because I know they are passionate and authentic, and they are tempered with wisdom and truth. I have no idea what it's like to be a black woman in this culture- i will never pretend to. the only thing that is comparable in my life is simply being a woman in this culture. No matter how sweet and caring a man is, he will never ever know what it is like to walk in my woman shoes. Likewise, I will never know what it is like to walk in the shoes of a person of color. It's important for you to shed light on situations such as this for us ignorant to the struggle of your heritage. (and i mean ignorant in the non-inflammatory way) 🙂 So thanks for that, for stepping up regardless of the feedback you may get. And I'm with you on the bin Laden thing. It's so hard for me to hear and see people be thrilled that he burns in hell now. However evil, the only difference between me and him is that I trusted Christ and received his grace. There but for the grace of God go I….