I am European by descent. I am a member of the Osage Nation by descent. I understand the privileges my white face has made possible. I also understand and feel the injustices done, past and present, to my Native American forebears and their ongoing consequences for my people today. Both of these histories and both of these heritages resonate within me. I therefore believe I understand what most whites dont understand in the racial mess that is America today. We with white faces dont see the ongoing prejudices and fears people of color yet endure. We didnt live the history and heritage our African American brothers and sisters have lived. From this isolated and detached vantage point it becomes all too easy to diagnose the problems faced in communities like Ferguson and then pontificate on what is wrong in the African American community and what they need to think and do. At the risk of raising the ire of many, I want to strongly suggest that we of European descent dont have the right to speak into these things unless specifically asked to do so, having earned that right through relationships of honor and respect. If we do, it will always sound superior and racist. God is raising powerful leaders within the African American community, men and women of godly integrity and honor, to speak into these issues. We need to trust our Lord for this. They have the right to speak and they have the integrity to be heard. We dont. Yet. Some of us just need to be quiet and pray, lifting up a situation and a wound that we cannot truly hope to understand.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 20:20:37 +0000
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