“How dare you as a black man talk to me about Jesus! Don’t you know your history?” Felix Aremo began his excellent, crystal clear presentation on becoming a Christian and black identity with a confrontational question posed to him by a Caribbean man in Brixton. It reminded me of encounters I have had with adherents to various spiritual systems within the “Conscious Community”. It comes from a place of lament, anger, disgust, disillusionment, despair, and unresolved emotional trauma that judges Christianity by the deep hypocrisy of Christ professors and proclaimers who at the same time were slavery, colonialism, and racism practitioners. A few month ago, an enraged Rastaman charged at me and an intern wielding and then throwing a bottle of rum whilst drunkenly yelling about how I as a white man have oppressed him. While I personally have done no such thing, I could not and did not disagree with his general understanding of history - and told him so. People and systems have oppressed him and his ancestors and shamefully have done so with a “Christian” identity.
Aremo powerfully reminded us that while the history of injustice cannot and should not be ignored, it is one of the the lies of a racist society that African history begins with slavery. The theme that African Christianity does not begin with the Slave trade was appropriately repeated throughout the presentation as it is crucial to addressing the pushback from Afro-centric cults.
Before colonialism, before slavery, before Islam, Africans were Christians. They were disciples and deacons, missionaries and martyrs, preachers and pastors, from the earliest days of Christianity. An African helped Jesus carry the cross. Africans were present when the Spirit came down at Pentecost. God intervened directly by his Holy Spirit through Philip to make sure Africans heard about Jesus, leading to the first recorded post Resurrection non-Jewish convert to Christianity- a black African from Cush.
Church history tells us of African men like Tertullian of Carthage (In modern Tunisia), who a 150 years or so after Jesus death and resurrection was one of the leading Christians of this day, who gave us the language of “Trinity” with which to articulate the essential three-in-oneness of God. There are women like Perpetua and Felicitas, resilient African women also of Carthage, who gave up their lives as martyrs for the faith. Perpetua is recorded as saying:
We were in the hands of our persecutors, when my father, out of the affection he bore me, made new efforts to shake my resolution. I said to him: ‘Can that vessel, which you see, change its name?’ He said: ‘No.’ I replied: ‘Nor can I call myself any other than I am, that is to say, a Christian.’
Perpetua’s confidence was in the God of the Bible and her identity was rooted in Jesus Christ.
Aremo again made the point: Africans have been making inspirational contributions to the Christian faith from the very beginning, long before African slavery and colonialism. Why then the idea that Christianity is a white man’s religion?
Aremo noted that some who say this have a point worth considering - namely that Christianity was cooped for white supremacist systems and structures, like slavery. The TransAtlantic African slave trade was an economic system that made many people very wealthy. It had evolved from the days when slavery was not racist and did not necessarily claim slaves as less than human, when a European could be enslaved as well as an African. This fell out of fashion for various reasons, but to sate guilty consciences for the kidnapping, transportation, purchase, and enslavement of one particular type of person, that is black Africans, post-Enlightenment white Europeans used used science and philosophy to promote the idea that black people were less than human. But this did not satisfy everyone, and with the revitalisation of churches during the evangelical revivals, theological reasons were needed. The Bible was twisted then to falsely claim that black men and women were uniquely condemned (sometimes referencing the “Mark of Cain”, other times the “Curse of Ham”).
Aremo said that even Christians embraced these notions of white superiority because, frankly, they were more shaped by their environment than by God and and his word. Some even believed Jesus was a white man instead of a brown skinned carpenter from Israel!
Slavery was abolished, but racist ideas, systems, and patterns of behaviour have continued. Today, we must still distinguish between true Christianity and cultural counterfeits. Yes, Christians are people and people have a massive capacity for evil, and even the best of Christians do not always behave “Christianly”. Wrong beliefs and the destructive behaviours cultivated therefrom must be clearly refuted, and the truth reaffirmed: Christianity is not consistent with racism or injustice. White slave-masters knew this - many didn’t want their slaves to read the Bible, because they may run or rebel, since the masters’ lived so contrary to Christian principle and since the heart of the gospel is a hope filled message of liberty. Tragically, Aremo reminded us, men like Frederick Douglass observed that religious people were inexplicably often the worst, most cruel and violent masters a slave could have. Yet African slaves still trusted in and worshipped Jesus. Why?
Sometimes we are made to think that these black Christians (and, by extension their heirs) had been brainwashed, or were weak minded. Aremo argued convincingly that this is an insult. These people were not stupid. They became Christians because they experienced Jesus for themselves. Even men like Frederick Douglass noticed the vast difference between the Christianity of the nation and the Christianity of Christ.
Black people have suffered, and like many in the world, are still suffering. In the case of black men and women, their skin colour and social status can negatively impact access to education, employment, police assistance, and justice. What does Christianity have that can positively impact black people, when so many of these systems were created by people who hypocritically paid lip service to Christianity?
Aremo moved to an examination of the big picture of Christianity. Of foundational importance is what biblical Christianity believes about “Identity”. The teachings of the Bible actually dignify black people, as they are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). But there is a problem. Yes, black people are familiar with problems, but there are solutions - ignorance can be addressed by education, injustice can be addressed by equity, media portrayals, prejudices, and barriers can be addressed with better and more representation. This problem runs deeper - it is the rejection of God. This rejection of God leads to the rejection and mistreatment of human beings, of different colours, cultures, and creeds, and for a variety of reasons, but ultimately because we have rejected God and his good design for humanity. Racism is evil because it is saying that God is wrong, that he made a mistake, and that some people are not worthy of respect. Aremo again pointed out that black people understand this very well as long-time victims of such prejudice, but confessed as a black man that being a victim of racism does not make someone innocent of sin - all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The issue is not just violence, hatred, or marginalising behaviour against black people but rejection of God himself by mistreating someone he says has value.
In the same way the person who punches a two year old has a problem bigger than the child they have injured, namely the angry parent who is about to injure them, our biggest problem isn’t a wounded person (though that is a problem!) but an angry God.
What is the solution? Not the fictional white Jesus with long hair and soft hands but the historical brown skinned carpenter Jesus who was popular not among the elite but the poor, ministered compassionately to the oppressed and exploited, followed by fishermen and outcasts, prophet to the powerful and the powerless, the eternal Son of God come to represent us to make peace with God. He lived, died, and rose again to make a way for life with God. The Father takes us from being enemies to being his children, adopts us, invites us to call him Dad, and empowers us to become to like him. This includes loving people that God loves, because God loves them, including those our society treats as unloveable, or those we ourselves find unloveable because of their harmful attitudes and actions. This should not make us passive in the face of evil and injustice but lead us to oppose it, even while proclaiming it is only Jesus who can reconcile and restore us.
Many live in hope of a happy world where there is justice, equality, and love. We do have to oppose injustice wherever we find it but progress tends to be local, and temporal. In the 1830s, slavery was abolished in Britain but its 2019 and various forms of slavery still exist today. We can’t shut it down and even if we could, what about all the other problems?
The Christian hope is realised with the return of Jesus. When Jesus comes back, the Bible teaches it won’t be as a baby in a manger, not as a man dying on a cross, but as King of the universe coming to destroy evil and establish his rule forever. Those who reject God and his people will not be apart of his new world, but now he patiently pursues us to make peace with him and with our neighbours. This hope leads us not to social withdrawal but social involvement, and a conviction that our efforts will succeed. Without this future hope, social involvement may seem like a fruitless task, but the path of love and justice is the right path. God will right all wrongs and wipe every tear from our eyes. He will commend those who have lived life for others and cared for those in need as they trust in Jesus.
Aremo brought his captivating presentation to a close by reiterating that from history and the Bible it is apparent that becoming a Christian is not a betrayal of black identity. Black men and women share a common ancestry in a couple made by a loving Creator for relationship with him in a perfect world, and while our rebellion has made that world far from perfect, it remains that we were made for God. Is believing Christ a rejection of Black identity? No. But perhaps there is a more urgent question to be asked by us all, whatever our skin colour: Is rejecting Christ a denial of our humanity?
It was a helpful evening. I was told that there were more black people present at the event than usual, which was encouraging. My response to the satatement was, "But are there fewer white people?" The answer was yes, much fewer. This is unfortunate, because the subject discussed is not a black issue but a human issue, not a matter of black or white but of right and wrong. Why do I think this is so important and timely a subject?
There are some who believe in a White Jesus, because they themselves are white and want a Jesus who conforms to their image and ideas. There are others, often in reaction to the previous group, who believe in a White Jesus, because of the way supremacists and racists have coopted Jesus for their own prejudiced agendas - they therefore want nothing to do with this Jesus. The past few years have seen the advance of white nationalism, as fragile white people feeling dethroned after centuries of imperial power and dominance try to re-establish themselves and their countries as kings. I have also seen the rise of Afro-centric spiritual systems of varying beliefs, practices, and arguments as black men and women run to groups where they feel their natural created dignity is respected, where they can all be kings and queens. The gospel points us away from ourselves to a reconciliatory, peace-creating Saviour and tells us that there is a higher throne, upon which Jesus is King.
It is a vital subject that affects us all, in some way, but is of particular importance and relevance to our multicultural urban communities. I hesistate to speculate as to how many pastors were there, but it cannot have been many from what I could tell. Of course pastors are busy - I know because I am one, some churches meet on Tuesday nights, Waterloo is far... Any number of legitimate reasons could be produced. But whetehr they could come to the event or not, pastors must make time to listen and learn about the stuff that impacts their church, their community, and their city. If we are not thinking through and addressing these things, we are ignorant of what our congregations may be grappling with on the streets, and are neglegent of their care, general upbuilding, and specific equipping.
For further reading/listening:
Salt website: https://salt.london/
Recording of talk from which notes were taken:
Kayode Adeniran, "Christianity: A white man's religion?": https://salt.london/articles/christianity-a-white-mans-religion/
Great to hear you enjoyed attending the Salt event Ryan. We thought Felix spoke so well and informatively. These are some excellent notes. Best, Jeremy (from Salt)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jeremy. I agree - he was very helpful. Thanks - hope they help someone! Every blessing, Ryan
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