As one who is always reading the letters to the editor or posting on social media, it amazes me how much Christians differ on the many issues we face. The differences that result are because of tradition and theology. The problem I have is how we add gasoline to the fire instead of a little water on many issues that affect us all.
I believe that happens because we let our ideologies inform our theologies instead of letting theologies inform our positions on many of the issues that face our communities, the nation, and the world.
I will discuss an issue most are talking about or making every effort to avoid, racism. Racism has no biological basis, both science and the Bible agree that all of us came from a woman in Africa named Eve. All of us carry her DNA.
It is just that in the 15th century, the social construct of race was developed, developed to give a few nations justification to colonize the world. They colonized the world because those people felt they knew how to handle the resources of the colonized land better than those who lived there. After many centuries of just the human race, humanity was divided into Asian, Caucasian and Negroid. For good measure, this ideology was endorsed by the theology of the Christian Church of Europe.
Even though the oldest Christian Church is the Ethiopian Church, Christianity made Africans who came to this nation less than humans. English Common Law was even changed that forbade Christians from being enslaved. This theology resulted in many denominations being divided before the nation in 1845.
We know the rest of this story. A story that is still unfolding in our nation. For Christians of 2020, the question is, how will we theologically deal with many of the other issues we face as a nation and as Christians? Issues like climate change, immigration, gun violence, mass incarceration, and human sexuality.
Will we let ideology continue to set the tone or will we consider scripture, tradition (which at times must be re-examined), reason, and the experience of the Christian community? To do this takes time. To do that calls for reasoning. Something that many claim God gave only to humans. As I watch nature, sometimes I think that we sell the rest of creation short. To do that requires to make us individually become a part of both a wider faith community and the rest of creation.
When we consider climate change, do we consider the Genesis story where God said it was good? Good that in that context meant excellence. Do we consider what we are doing to God’s creation?
With immigration, do we remember what the Bible says about treating immigrants? Do we remember that Joseph’s family immigrated to Egypt because of a famine, or that Mary and Joseph immigrated with Jesus to avoid persecution?
Have many Christians held on to that theology of Black people being less than human and therefore, Black men and women are locked up in higher percentage than their population, and why there are seemingly daily reports of unarmed Black men and women being murdered by law enforcement?
Space will not permit me to address all the issues. Issues where we are called to be the salt and the light in this world.
Whenever you make these decisions, always consider the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46. We all want to go to heaven. Jesus died for the sins of all. However, this scripture clearly shows in the words of a slave song. “Everybody talking ’bout heaven ain’t going there.”
(The Rev. Leonard Edloe is a pharmacist, educator and pastor of New Hope Fellowship Church in Hartfield. His email address is leonard.edloe@gmail.com.)
