Sustaining Allyship
I hate the cause of it, but I am grateful that the scales have come off the eyes of many white Christians. We have seen the reality of white supremacy* that our brothers and sisters of color have been telling us about for many years.
People are speaking out for the first time. Now we must prepare for the sustained, lifelong work of being an ally for racial justice.
As I have experienced the scales coming off I find myself paralyzed at times leading to silence due to some combination of these elements:
A sensitivity to virtue signaling (Defined as the action or practice of publicly expressing opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one’s good character or the moral correctness of one’s position on a particular issue.)
Overreaction to White fragility (Defined as discomfort and defensiveness on the part of a white person when confronted by information about racial inequality and injustice). Simply put a fear of upsetting my fragile white friends.
Fear of saying it wrong and hurting the very people I am trying to serve. This fear is well founded but should not lead to silence. Continued learning and proximity to marginalized people will help us to do this less and less.
Fear of exposing myself to the purity test. I know that I do not live out my ideals 100% of the time, in this or any other way. I know I have not in the past and I know I will not in the future.
Privilege leading to apathy. Undeniably this is a major factor.
The good news is the Gospel addresses each of these.
What is the antidote to this paralysis?
Counting the cost beforehand and moving forward.
The Cost of Being a Disciple: Luke 14:25-30
Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
My friend, Rev. David Swanson, says it this way,
“It’s been a while, but I can still remember getting clear about having to choose between white people’s comfort and the well-being of people of color. My priorities got way simpler after that.”
I must face the reality that all of the factors that lead to my silence are based on the comfort of white people. Mostly me.
If we are going to sustain this work, we must know this is coming so it doesn’t make us revert to silence again after we face it.
Some tensions to anticipate and manage
Amplify the voices of the marginalized AND use your platform to say the things that need to be said to fellow white people
Learn from people of color AND Don’t put our burden of responsibility to educate ourselves on to people of color.
*If you are not yet comfortable with the term white supremacy I encourage you to read and explore this term. The people I have learned the most from use this term more frequently than racism. I have continued to learn and understand why this is a more accurate and precise term.
**I recognize that this is a generous take on white people. There are some who aren’t experiencing paralysis because instead they simply deny the existence of white supremacy. This writing is intended for those who have crossed that hurdle.