“You were not meant to live life constricted. The oppressors of this world have told you to play nice, be civil. They tell you to control yourself. But by this, they only mean they want you easy to be controlled. Don’t be mistaken, your anger doesn’t have to look like that of those who seek to destroy you. There is an anger that affirms dignity instead of degrading it. For humanity, for those you love, and for yourself – you can rage. You can shout in the dark for things you don’t even have the words for. Your anger is sacred, a protector of goodness in a menacing world. Do not cage it up, letting it chew through you from the inside out. Send the teeth where they’re meant to go.” (Black Liturgies, Cole Arthur Riley, pages 108-109)
In honor of black history month, I hope to bring you more writings from black voices in our time. Riley’s book – Black Liturgies – has been an absolute treasure to read. She lifts up points of view in life that help me lean further into my faith, and confess my personal privilege in life as a white cis-gender woman. I chose the quote above for a couple of reasons. First, there are a lot of people in our world that are “feeling all sorts of feels” about the current climate in the United States. I wanted to acknowledge that even as people of faith, we have these types of feelings as well. Second, I wanted to give permission to experience rage; righteous, justice focused rage.
There is something to be said for the act of “permission giving.” This week, I was talking to a family member who was very upset; oscillating back and forth between anger and sadness. After a few minutes of listening, I was honestly kind of at a loss as to what to say. I paused, caught my breath for a moment, and said, “you have permission to feel this way. You have permission to be upset and angry for this hour or even the whole day. But tomorrow. Tomorrow is a new day. It is a new opportunity to try again.” I’m still in awe of the rest of the conversation. What could’ve been difficult on both of our parts, ended up being life-giving.
With all that has been happening around us, I want to acknowledge the anger that is rising in all of us on some level. Couple that with confusion about the streaming news headlines, it is exhausting. As people of faith, we are held to a little bit of a different standard. And, as United Methodists, we are accountable even more so to our theology of mercy and piety. My personal anger is coming out against “white-Christian nationalism.” This is not the Christian faith that I claim. It is certainly not the faith of our denomination. The United Methodist Church has deep roots in advocacy for women, children and persons with disabilities (all vulnerable populations.) We are who we are today because of the journeys that we have taken with prohibition, racism, and conversations with the LGBTQIA+ community. I want to rightfully rage – that the Jesus that we preach and teach every day is not the Jesus of hate, homophobia and racism. When I take my thoughts and comments to social media, it is not to be political. It is to show that not all Christians are evil. It is to show that I am a “safe person.” It is to show that from my pulpit will always be the lessons and values that reflect the values of the living and written word in Jesus Christ.
I hope you will join me in this healthy rage. We have permission to do this good work. As Riley wrote, “For humanity, for those you love, and for yourself – you can rage.” I am raging for my niece, a young woman ready to enter the adult life. I am raging for all the people who have “come out” to me, knowing that they have refuge in God’s grace. I am raging for those with disabilities and the good lives that they long to live. I am raging for my beloved Church – so that it will always be a beacon of hope against the rising tide that is attempting to white-wash the Imago DEI out of all of us.
Facing the Storm with Faith 