All Lives Matter?

Of Course All Lives Matter. But that’s NOT the point!

Actually, it belittles and nullifies the point of Black Lives Matter.

When you say, “All Lives Matter” then you are protesting against those that are protesting for “Black Lives Matter.” What you are saying to them is, “No, Black Lives Don’t Matter” because they all matter. Put your sign away and go home!

Of course, all lives matter. 

That’s a given and has been a given all of my life.

There is no need to protest or contest that. There is no need for a movement for that.

But there is a huge need to support BLM as human beings, and especially as Christians.

Of course, being the white guy that I am, so often blinded by white privilege, I forget that when BLM first began, my first response as a good Christian was, “Well Jesus died for all lives so why doesn’t your sign say that?” But I was fortunate to be living in a home with three of us old farts where the other two were black guys that have advocated and fought for human rights all of their lives. It didn’t take long for me to see the light, believe me. But it also didn’t take long for me to forget. Because one of the main privileges of white privilege is that I can forget. I can not talk about it for years, especially if I isolate myself in a bubble of sameness like so many Christians and Americans do. I am so grateful that I kept pushing myself to cross boundaries everyday. I refused to live, work, raise my kids, send them to schools, or worship in segregated settings. Of that, I am so grateful. And I am so grateful to my kids for reviving this critical conversation with me again, as they recognize the richness they have gained being immersed in diverse settings. And as they are finding ways to become better allies and to become active in advocating for oppressed groups, which many of their friends are members. And as they too are struggling to understand their own privilege and oppression, being mixed race.

https://dbaronirvine.wordpress.com/2014/06/29/boundary-spanning/

The issue is this: can we be allies and support those that have been hurt in so many ways? Or is our privilege and need for dominance going to get in the way? Being allies means we must follow their lead. Part of the privilege that I couldn't see for a long time is that I always felt that if I'm really going to be "all in" then I have to take charge. My ideas and strategies have to dominate because that's how I have always made my best contribution. But NO. That's the last thing that is needed. To sustain change it must be authentic which means it has to be grass roots and led by the people that are the focus of the advocacy. It is them that are breaking the chains of oppression, not me. It is not about me!

One BLM leader in a large city said that their biggest barrier has been well-meaning while liberals. That sort of speaks for itself. In Detroit, I read an article where they were considering asking whites to not not be involved unless invited for a specific event. I'm glad they didn't have to go that far because there is a lot more power with more people, especially when we learn how to use our privilege for something bigger than ourselves. As allies, the main thing we must learn is to get out of the way. And that starts by listening to those that matter and be a resource, but stay out of the way and let them lead. There was a local startup movement in my city, Poor People's Movement, something that has been around in different forms from the time of Martin Luther King Jr. I was asked to be on the planning committee. I saw up close and personal what happens when someone tried to get involved without understanding what it means to be an ally. We never did get it started because that person would not get out of the way and kept trying to take charge. It was very sad to watch. What a waste.  

For more, see Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack of White Privilege

And Becoming Trustworthy White Allies by Melanie Morrison, both of which are so basic that they are profound and transformative for me at least.

House on fire analogy: breaking it down in very understandable terms and pictures.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristatorres/burning-house-black-lives-matter?fbclid=IwAR03JC0PfkyT6XN0UloUQW8MNGD8D_hG5m2zOyd9W0lvfVfuIVfXW4NqJUo

Video: https://www.tiktok.com/@giv.sharp/video/6832735871846993158

It is like walking up to someone that believes that abortion is wrong while they are picketing and saying, "All Live Matter." "There is no need to stand up against abortion. Go home!"

It is like going by a table that is raising money for breast cancer and saying, “but all cancers matter.” “You can’t just raise money for breast cancer, what about all of the other types?”

From my experience, it is mostly Christians that I know that are contesting BLM with ALM. What they seem to miss is that they are undermining one of the central messages of Jesus and the bible. How can we be a defender of the oppressed if we are Christians?

Does this matter? What would Jesus do? What did Jesus say? How did Jesus live? What does your God say? What does the bible say?

In Jesus' parable, people were classified as sheep or goats, separated according to whether they fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, visited the prisoner, etc. Those that did not align themselves with the least of these and provide them with what they need were cast into hell. (Matt 25:32-46)

 

BLM is the same thing except that it is not just a matter of hunger, thirst, and prisoners, it is a matter of life and death for people because of their skin color.

I am sure that if Jesus were here, he would align himself at least with the least of these, and probably do a lot more.

All lives can’t matter unless Black Lives Matter.

This is Christianity 101. Don’t tell me you are a Christian if you don’t get the simplest of Jesus’ teachings. Does his words matter to you? Does the bible matter to you? I think not in so many churches in America.

In the bible, God is the defender of the poor and downtrodden, the orphans and widows, the thirsty and hungry, the least of these, the oppressed and victims, the refugees and foreigners, the weak and worn, the tattered and torn, the battered and bruised and broken, the misfits and outcasts, the disabled and minorities, and any other oppressed group.

Jesus was accused of being a friend of sinners as if the religious leaders of his time thought that he would consider that an insult... because the religious leaders of that time did!!! He called them out for their hypocrisy. Jesus did not hang out with the powerful and the influential people, he was a friend of “sinners,” in others words, he hung out with those the religious leaders despised because they were weak and had no voice, no influence. This is justice demonstrated at the ground level. This is not an insult, it is intentional and a central part of his ministry.

Poor and Needy: Click here for 20 Bible Verses about the Poor

God Is the Father of the Fatherless

God has a special place in His heart for the orphan. In fact, the Bible says He is a father to them. All people understand what a good father should be, even if their own father wasn’t ideal. God presents Himself as a Father—someone who loves, cherishes, protects and values His children.

• A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. — Psalm 68:5

• You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror. — Psalm 10:17–18

• The LORD watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. — Psalm 146:9

• But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. — Psalm 10:14

https://www.compassion.com/poverty/what-does-the-bible-say-about-orphans.htm

“Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune.” James 1:27

“He is a father to the fatherless and an advocate for widows. God rules from his holy palace.”

Psalm 68:5

“Learn to do what is right! Promote justice! Give the oppressed reason to celebrate! Take up the cause of the orphan! Defend the rights of the widow!”

Isaiah 1:17

“You must not afflict any widow or orphan. If you afflict them in any way and they cry to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my anger will burn and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives will be widows and your children will be fatherless.

Exodus 22:22-24

As we consider this mercy ministry, it is important to consider that God promises tremendous blessings to those who care for the needy. 

Proverbs 19:17 says, “The one who is gracious to the poor lends to the Lord, and the Lord will repay him for his good deed.” 

In addition, in Deuteronomy 14:29, God promised to bless the work of Israel’s hands as they provided for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow.

“He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” 

Proverbs 14:31 (NIV)

So as you see and as I already said: In the bible, God is the defender of the poor and downtrodden, the orphans and widows, the thirsty and hungry, the least of these, the oppressed and victims, the refugees and foreigners, the weak and worn, the tattered and torn, the battered and bruised and broken, the misfits and outcasts, the disabled and minorities, and any other oppressed group. The reason why this is a central message in the Bible is that until the lives of all of these people in this list matter, then all lives really don’t matter at all.

Too often I wonder how we can say we are Christians and then deny God’s words, Jesus’ words, the Bible. I’ve always been taught that if I say I believe something, then I had better live it. Otherwise I am a hypocrite. I need to be a person of my word that aligns with my actions that originates in my values and beliefs. I have no doubt where I stand when it comes to fighting for the basic rights of other people, especially those that we have given no voice in our society. We must all ask ourselves if we will choose to follow the right thing, our heart, our values and beliefs… or our politics.

But no one has a right to tell anyone else what to think, believe, or how to act. The only thing we can all do is examine our lives against the standard we have set for ourselves, remove all illusions, and follow the truth wherever it may lead.