In this historic national election, we have moved beyond stereotypes to elect the first person of African Descent as president of the United States of America. When Barack Obama stood in Grant Park and said, ". . . tonight, because of what we did, on this day, in this defining moment change has come to America." I wanted to break out into the Sam Cooke song "Change Gonna Come." It has been a long, long time coming and many people have paved the way. He said as much, but a change has indeed come. Even in the church, the change has been coming for a long, long time and some of us are realizing that change now.
I participated in a conference in late October that brought together pastors of African Descent who serve in predominately-white mainline protestant congregations. There are about thirty-three in number who serve such congregations in the ELCA. I have been serving in such a congregation for the last five years. At first, it was hard; it was particularly hard because of my symptoms of internalized racial oppression. Some of the symptoms of this oppression are: beating the system, blaming the system, avoiding contact, denial of cultural heritage, lack of understanding or minimization of the political significance of racial oppression. I suffered from the last symptom.
Now don't get me wrong, I have experienced incidence of racism. There were many in the congregation who were sure because of my race and ethnicity that I was not smart enough, that my education was inadequate and that I was not up to the task of being a pastor in a highly educated, white community. I have been mistaken, as I have walked through the church building, for the janitor or the cook, fine occupations but not mine. My insecurities and feelings of inadequacy brought on by what the world says about African Americans at first got in my way. I suffered from what W.E.B. Dubois calls a “double consciousness,” that is when blacks look at themselves through the eyes of the other. In this case it is through the eyes of white America. When the congregation called me after three years as associate pastor to be senior pastor some of my private feelings of fear and trepidation had to be laid aside. I realized that the power of God's love had helped me change and had helped the members of the congregation see something beyond the stereotypes.
I believe that what helps all of us to accept change is God's love. The scripture tells us, “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is born of God and knows God . . . God sent God’s only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that God loved us and sent God’s Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:7-11). When we exhibit love, not love in a naive sense, l-o-v-e that has to do with listening, observing, valuing and engaging -- then stereotypes, racism and prejudice are overcome.
Something beyond the stereotypes, I believe that is what the entire world sees when they see President-elect Barack Obama. I believe many in the country see an American who wants the best for his country, an American who has a heart for the people and an American because of his education and experience is well able to be commander-and-chief. I hope that he will enter into this daunting position with this same sense of l-o-v-e. I am confident he has learned this listening, observing, valuing and engaging while working as a community organizer on the Southside of Chicago and knows that he is loved by God and is able to love in return as he takes on the highest office in the land.
What I also hope, is that we will listen to our new president. I hope that we will observe how he handles all the pressures and crisis of this position before jumping to conclusions; that all Americans will value his culture as he values the cultures and mores of other Americans; and that we all will engage in conversation and responsible behavior that will set this 2008 election as not just an historic moment in this country, but as the moment when change truly did come.
What are your hopes?
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