Proper 18 (B) + Change your mind + 9.6.15
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| https://csrd.asu.edu/healingracism |
M. Campbell-Langdell
All Saints, Oxnard
(Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9,
22-23; Ps. 125; James 2:1-10, (11-13),
14-17; Mark 7:24-37)
“Do not rob the poor because
they are poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate; for the LORD pleads their cause
and despoils of life those who despoil them (Proverbs 22:22-23).”
Wow, them’s fighting words!
And in the book of James today we hear some choice words about how we shouldn’t
overly value those with wealth over others who might darken our doors. Obviously
in James’ context there was discrimination happening against those who were
poorer. And the truth is that discrimination has a history going as far back as
the human race. And it can be about race, social class, religion or any other
of a myriad of differences.
Today we hear from our
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and our President of the House of
Deputies Gay Clark Jennings that we are celebrating a special day with our
African Methodist Episcopal or AME brothers and sisters. I even called up my
colleague here in town, Pastor Cox, to let him know we were participating. It
is called “Confession, Repentance and Commitment to End Racism Sunday.” And
this work of ending racism is more important than ever this year, when we have
heard of so much death and hurt on the part of people of color.
So I should insert a small
disclaimer here. I am very aware that I have lived a sheltered life, and in
many ways blessedly so. But I remember, as I am sure we all do, the first time
I really felt the sting of racism. I was about twelve or so and about to
celebrate my birthday party with a fancy tea party at my grandmother’s country
club. I was so excited as it was going to be very fancy and just my closest
friends were coming. Including one very special friend—my oldest and best
friend Mukai, hailing all the way from London, England. But there was just one
problem. My mother had known this club to limit entrance to the clubs to only
whites and those who passed as white during the 1960s. And my good friend is of
African diaspora descent. Though raised in London, her father is from Zimbabwe
and her mother from Jamaica. So off my mother and I went to the office, and we
actually had to ask the club if there would be a problem with my friend
attending. They actually looked a bit stricken and said, “Oh, no, we don’t do
that anymore!”
Anymore.
The fact that we had to ask in
the 1990s makes me realize that racism is not a thing of the distant past. In
fact, we all know that people are still mistreated every day. For being
different.
So, what does all this have to
do with today’s scriptures? Well, I actually see some strong similarities with
our gospel reading today. But before I go into those, a couple of words about
prejudice. Prejudice is just what it sounds like. It is a pre-judgment, often
designed by the brain to keep us safe. And these are not always bad. A
pre-judgment that a frail elderly woman wrestling with packages needs help is
often not a bad thing. A young woman who, exiting a club at night and seeing a
man eyeing her oddly, returns back in for a friend to walk her home, is
exercising what is often a good pre-judgment, or prejudice.
But sometimes prejudice is
borne of negative experiences or things that we have learned and heard in our
context. You know, you grow up hearing about “all [insert ethnic group here]
are loud, rude, bad drivers, greedy,” etc. Or maybe you were hurt by someone of
a certain group once and it is hard for you to trust anyone of that group just
in case they are like the person who hurt you. These make sense, but they can
cause a lot of damage.
Jesus is a part of the
Trinitarian expression of God, yes. But Jesus was also a middle-aged Jewish man
in Palestine under a very oppressive Roman rule. He was likely mistreated by
several people before getting to the point in his life when he encounters the
Syrophoenician woman. And he was clear—his mission was just to the Jews, to
reform Judaism. He wasn’t about to start a new religion! And here comes this
woman, and she breaks every social code he knows. She is a woman talking to a
man who is not of her own family, and to top it off she is not even a Jew! In
fact, she is a gentile in the region of Tyre. Now, if the Jewish peasant class
that Jesus was a part of suffered under Roman rule, these Syrophoenicians
actually had it OK. They somehow prospered with the arrangement.[1] So
now imagine Jesus, not as the powerful Savior that he indeed was, as much as
the downtrodden peasant approached by a fancy lady who looks like she’s got
nothing to lose. The nerve! He thinks. And he passes judgment.
She begs for healing for her
daughter, but he is not open to that. He just sees her appearance, and perhaps
all the prejudices he has heard about gentiles in that so-called pagan region
of Tyre. He even calls her a dog.
Now, many of us here own dogs.
Precious things. Loyal, scruffy. Fun to play with. Those are not the animals
Jesus likely has in mind here. Think of the wild packs of dogs I used to see in
Chile—they would roam the streets, scrounging for food, and could be quite
vicious if you cornered them. Not friendly or lovable. This was the kind of dog
that people usually saw in first century Palestine. Ouch, the lady is called a
dirty dog!
But what’s amazing is what she
does next. A commentator I read pointed out that, just like black people began
to take the word black, often used pejoratively, and reclaim it in phrases like
“Black is Beautiful” during the 1960s, this woman takes the word dog and claims
it.[2] She
says, even the dog gets to eat from the crumbs of the master’s table. Wow, what
humility, and what faith. And Jesus responds to that.
If we can learn from Jesus
here, I think it is not in whether we have prejudices or not. Those are
ingrained in us, and as we can see, even Jesus got a bit “judgy” at times. But
we can be open to changing our minds about people.
Later, Jesus heals another
gentile, a deaf and mute man, and he says “Ephphatha” or “Be Opened.” And Jesus
went from being closed to being opened. Maybe we can trust our intuitions, yes,
but also be aware of when prejudices arise from places of pain. And then we can
be open to changing our minds. We can begin to judge rightly, acknowledging
that all have sinned and God loves all of us. And through this, the Holy Spirit
might yet do her healing work, and bring a needed balm to a hurting world.
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