Monday night in Boston, a despicable act of racism took place. There are not two baseball teams I like less than the Orioles and the Red Sox, and there are few players I cheer against more than Adam Jones. There’s a reason for that. He’s a confirmed Yankee-killer. Just brutalizes Yankee pitching. But last night he was subjected to racist taunts from the stands during the Orioles game against the much-hated Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox condemned the action in no uncertain terms as did the mayor of Boston. Boston fans have gone on social media to decry the racist and his actions. There is a growing movement to do something odd. Tonight, the Red Sox may give Adam Jones a standing ovation when he comes to bat. If you know baseball, you know how odd that is.
A week or two ago, another act took place that has set the Baptist world a-buzzin’. A group of preaching profs at Southwestern – mostly older white guys – posed a picture dressed in “gangsta rap” garb as a bit of levity in honor of a colleague who likes to rap. It wouldn’t have gone any farther except that someone did as we do today and tweeted the photo. Then the inimitable Dr. Barry McCarty retweeted the pic and it spread like wildfire. This “joke” was taken as anything but a joke on social media. Within a couple of hours, it had been taken down and Dr. David Allen had issued a forceful and unnuanced apology for the picture, decrying racism and denouncing it. That was not enough for many and this issue has continued to roil for several days. A post on this site that was put up last week is actually GAINING steam – something that posts never do after they have been up nearly a week.
If you read some of the social media, you’d think the SWBTS picture was on par with the comments at Fenway.
I have been about as disconnected as I could be from social media – dealing with issues at my church, with Pastors’ Conference preparation, and with a nasty bug of some sort. But I noticed today that this thing is still growing in intensity, and I would like to make the following (dangerous) observations. When old white guys like me opine on racial issues, we are generally walking a fine line. I will attempt to do that nonetheless.
1. The photo should have been kept off social media.
This is something I am learning – what to publish and what to keep private. That photo, as a joke between friends, was whatever those friends thought it was. As soon as it went public on social media, everything changed.
On the other side of this, it is nearly impossible to take a picture, share it with anyone, and it NOT go public. In a digital age, almost everything eventually goes public.
2. The Southwestern professors had NO racist intent when they made and posted the picture.
Was the picture racially insensitive? The answer to that seems to be in the eye of the beholder. Did it play into stereotypes? Yes. But Dr. Allen, Dr. McCarty and the others were not intending to be racially insensitive when they took that picture. They were joking with a friend. It was lighthearted. A lark. Whatever the RESULT was, the INTENT was not racism. Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t know these men.
That does not absolve them of the consequences of posting the photo, but if we are people of grace, their intent should count for something.
3. The apology given by Dr. Allen and by the seminary was as good as it gets.
They did it right.
You have seen it, haven’t you? “Mistakes were made.” “I reacted wrongly to his sin.” We even have a term for it, “non-apology apologies.” Dr. Allen and the seminary did not do that. They owned the mistake and they apologized. They attempted to give no cover or context. “We offended and we are sorry.” Their response was a model of Christian repentance. I could not find a single thing to criticize about how they responded.
4. Any Christian that does not accept their repentance is in violation of Scripture.
We are duty-bound to forgive one another when repentance is offered. They did. We must. Case closed.
5. The lack of grace in Christian social media is stunning and disturbing.
We wonder why we can’t reach the world for Christ, and I am sure there are a hundred reasons. But when you see the extreme lack of grace demonstrated by many who name the name of Christ on social media, it becomes clearer. If we refuse to live out grace how can we effectively preach it? When every effort the ERLC makes to promote racial reconciliation is dismissed as “race-baiting” – we are not people of grace. When we continue to prosecute SWBTS and the professors after a genuine apology – we are not people of grace. Honestly, if the lost world reads the comment streams of Christian blogs and the twitter interactions of Christians, then listens to our messages about the love and grace of Christ, they are likely to be very confused. We are not living what we profess.
Let me be clear: I am not confronting my friend Dwight McKissic here. If I wanted to do that, I’d do it privately. One thing I know about Dwight – he speaks his mind. If he finds new information that changes his mind, he apologizes (I’ve seen him apologize often if he misunderstood or misstated things) and moves on. He confronts often, but it is with a spirit of grace, in my experience.
Now, lest you think I am writing this simply to defend SWBTS and the professors, let me say some other things.
6. It is not for us white folks to decide what is and isn’t racially offensive.
I will be honest – and perhaps get killed for it. I’m not a gun guy (pro-Second Amendment, but I don’t own or use guns), and the gun in the picture bothered me more than garb. I thought it was silly. But can I share something many of you may not know about me? I’m not black. I’m a pasty-faced white guy from Iowa. Really white – we haven’t seen the sun in months! The picture didn’t offend me.
But I hear White people often telling Black people what should and what should not offend them. It’s not our job to do so. I have often offended people when I had no intent to offend. Perhaps the person misunderstood me. Perhaps it was unintentional. Sometimes it is willful. But after the racial history of America, it is not our duty to decide for the Black community what they can and cannot find offensive.
That is why Dr. Allen’s apology was so good. He said he wasn’t even going to try to defend the picture based on their motives (which were not racist). People were offended and they took responsibility.
My fellow pale-skinned brethren, we need to listen, not talk, when it comes to racial offense. I guess I don’t really understand why that photo engendered such violent reaction, but it did.
7. There was a lot of subtext in this brouhaha.
Back in the Wild West days (mid to late 2000s) of blogging, SWBTS was the focal point of a lot of angst. You were pro-Paige or you were anti-Paige. Baptist Identity was the hot topic of the day. Lots of you probably don’t even know what that controversy is all about. Thank God if that is true. Some of my best friends today were my blog enemies (frenemies?) back then.
Whenever something happens at Southern, there’s a lot of subtext over the Calvinism issue. When something happens at SWBTS, there is often subtext over past issues. Those who have a negative view of SWBTS tend to view things with less charity than those who are supporters.
8. We need to continue to have discussions of racial harmony and reconciliation, but this issue should go away.
The SBC absolutely must keep racial reconciliation on the hot-topic list. We cannot back-burner this one. When I hear the idea that is sometimes presented that somehow we have solved racial issues in the SBC, I want to cringe and cry. “We apologized and we elected Fred Luter, what more do they want?” C’mon man. We have a long way to go before this issue is solved. Thank God for Dr. Moore, the ERLC, and others in the SBC who are keeping this issue front and center.
But this SWBTS issue should not be used as the template. Whatever you think about the pic, SWBTS took ownership of the mistake and apologized – genuinely, in a God-honoring way. Grace is not an option, it is mandatory. Be thankful that they modeled grace here and let’s move on.
And for the love of God and all that is holy, let us begin to season our online conversations with grace every day. We cannot effectively proclaim Christ while skewering his Body online.
And…Let’s Go, Yankees.
I am way late to this discussion. Haven’t seen the photo. Haven’t read the apology.
I have been guilty of saying and doing insensitive things in contexts where I was ignorant of my insensitivity due to lack of information or understanding. Never done this particular thing or been accused of racism, but I can understand how this happpened.
That, however, is the real problem. We often want to be effective with various groups of which we are not a part. But if we can’t speak their language and don’t really perceive their likes, dislikes etc., that makes us ineffective.
I have said many times that the best way to reach people is to be friends with them. Spend time with them etc. Until we do that, we will keep making these unforced cultural errors that blunt our effectiveness.
And finally, by saying what I have said, I don’t mean that anyone has to give up their own sincerely held beliefs or culture. That’s merely patronizing, and people can sense it from a mile away. It’s like the liberal politician who holds all the right positions to attract the votes of an ethnic group, but still has no real friends among that group. Or adopting the culture of another group to show them how your night like the others in your circle. Dare I say “appropriation”?
That’s why I don’t really cotton to one group of ultra white guys telling another group of untra white guys how not to be racist. That’s why the issue of racism and other related issues have become, in the words of one commentator, “a game for the fabulous white people to play against another.” “I beat you in blacks today. I will beat you in women tomorrow.”
Instead of patronizing people or being told by other people who have fewer black friends than you how not to be racist, befriend people of other races. It’s that simple.
I wish these profs the best. I am sure they are good guys. They just didn’t understand.
People
Thanks Dave. Good post. Point #6 seems cut off, although you elaborate and specify in the paragraph. Read alone the point can be misleading. I’d say members of any race have been & will be offended at some point. Each should also be able to speak to what is offensive. If nowhere else, the Christian community ought to be able to have that dialogue with grace, humility, & forgiveness. Unfortunately, that seems rare.
I agree with most said in this post.
But I disagree with the idea that Whites cannot speak to Blacks about racial issues. It isn’t a dialogue if only one side gets to speak. And that is often the case in racial “dialogues.”
Sometimes most White people have it wrong. Sometimes most Black people have it wrong. When either side is wrong, they should be called on it. And either color should be able to call out something that is wrong.
Sometimes two sides, though they both love the Lord, are just going to disagree.
Frankly, there are many Black folks who saw no offense in the SWBTS photo.
David R. Brumbelow
I disagree with Patterson and Allen often – I would be one of those mentioned as being “predisposed” to take shots (no pun intended) at them for doing something that has caused outrage – but I admire how they’ve handled the aftermath of this. I never for an instant think that these men are racist – I’ve seen nothing to demonstrate such – in fact, all I know and have seen demonstrate that the opposite is true. This specific issue needs to be put to rest. Good men (whom I disagree with on numerous theological issues) did something unwise and – dare I say it – stupid – but haven’t we all? When we do something stupid or insensitive – we as Christians should genuinely be contrite, sincerely apologize to whom we’ve offended – learn from errors so as not to repeat it and move on. Christians who are offended ought to extend grace, forgivness and love also move on – no longer holding it to their account and certainly not in any way holding accountable others who had nothing to do with it. —————- I want to say a few things here. Been wanting to see them for some time. I want to say from the outset that this is in no way a calling out of my friend Dave Miller who wrote the above well written and agreeable post. Instead, These are general comments regarding the underlying issue to the Twitter pic controversy. This just seems as good of a place as any. I feel this may not be popular with some – and will potentially make some brethren angry – this is not my intent but here goes…. I strongly feel that the “us vs. them” mentality in issues related to race/skin color is unbiblical, non Christian, anti gospel and therefore ultimately destructive. This mentality plays out in various ways. This is true whether the “us” is the offendee or the offender… Or the “them” is the Offendee or the offender. As Christians, We’ve all got to stop using skin color as a basis to castigate one another. Further we must stop holding and advancing world views that are largely (and in some cases seemingly exclusively) based upon skin color and culture rather than based our our intrinsic worth and unity as human beings and more specifically upon the gospel – where, as scripture says, there is… Read more »
I forgot to add this in the above post:
There is no “us” and “them” – when we act and behave as though there is we trample upon the idea of the intrinsic value and equality of all human beings as well as the the unity of the body of Christ – unified into one family by the same Lord, faith and Spirit to the glory of God the Father.
Dave Miller,
My friend, it is high time to drop this and move on. The guys involved apologized with ownership of their deeds. Their boss apologized for them without excuses.
I believe it is time go let it go. You, Dwight, and Rick Patrick need to tell everyone to exhale and move along with life.
I only addressed it because the discussion here was gaining steam rather than dying down.
I have no idea what Rick said about it. Haven’t read anything he wrote on the topic.
Jesus addresses 800 years worth of racism in less than 24 hours. When we conform to his method and stop with the artificial divides (like “white church”, “black church”, “white/black Christian”) – we can too.
– paraphrased from this Tony Evans sermon.
http://erlc.com/resource-library/erlc-podcast-episodes/oneness-embraced-racial-reconciliation-the-kingdom-and-justice
SUCH a good sermon! My mind was blown repeatedly.
I found the discussion on this podcast very helpful.
https://www.raanetwork.org/current-events-notorious-s-o-p/?utm_content=buffer14f45&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
I disagree that we should just forget this ever happened and move on. We will never learn anything that way. I do agree that we should extend grace to the men in the photo. The reality is that if I were on the preaching faculty at SWBTS, I would have been one of the guys in the photo rather than the guy saying, “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.” Because that’s the case, I want to learn from this so that I don’t do something similar in the future.
I did not say “forget this ever happened.”
It did happen. It was recognized by the parties responsible as bad and done in poor judgment. The “learning from this” should be rather simple and fast.
However, Southern Baptists can’t seem to do that. It had to rehashed. It had to be debated. The Civil War and its causes had to be revisited. The individuals of past years whose names are on buildings of SBC entities had to be brought into question as to their worthiness for such an honor because of their position on slavery.
An error in judgment was made. Public apology and private repentance. Remorse has been recognized. It is time to learn from this, have personal gut checks, and move on.
Amen, CB.
Boston, the hotbed of liberal thought and action. The most segregated school system in the USA . So in a country of over 300 million we are going to spend time over the actions of maybe 4 people drunk at a baseball game who are clearly stupid. There is no national dialogue needed on this issue any more than stop selling beer at a baseball game. Way to go self righteous, liberal Boston and elite northeast USA. I am ashamed of you. Would not happen in Atlanta.
“Would not happen in Atlanta.”
I believe that is true. I know a lot of things do happen in Atlanta, but I agree that what happened in Boston would not have happened in Atlanta.
The Southland has greatly changed regarding issues of race, changed for the better. Yet, almost every time a person in media speaks to problems regarding racial tension, the Southland is referenced as if Jim Crow was still a rock hard reality in the entire Southland.
eric c, I am glad you point this out. You’re right. “Would not happen in Atlanta.”
In many cases those crying “racist” are the ones who are operating with negative intent. In many cases those crying “racist” are just furthering “political correctness”.
This denomination has called my ancestors “racist” has made discrediting and slandering statements about my families history and heritage and to make matters worse used false and incorrect historical statements to do so. In this forum I offered to help one associated with that action gain a better historical foundation, but apparently he was not interested.
The reason I make these comments is that the one sided nature of most instances will never solve a problem. They didn’t in the past and they will not in the future.