Assumptions

“Don’t talk to me about racism. Every single person in my class got a Pell Grant except me, because I was the only white one.  Black people get everything handed to them.”

      

I couldn’t believe my ears.  Did she really just say that out loud? To me?

      

I met (let’s call her) Dolores about six months ago. It was my first time at a new dentist, and she was the dental hygienist assigned to me.  As I sat there getting my teeth cleaned, she noticed the small silver cross around my neck. “Are you a believer?” she asked.  I nodded.  She took the metal scaler out of my mouth briefly and we chatted about Jesus, salvation and churches.

     

A couple of weeks later, I was back for my daughter’s cleaning, and we again chatted about our faith. She told me about her involvement in various church activities, and I remember thinking she seemed like a real sweet person.

The other day, I went in for my scheduled cleaning. We began talking about the weather and inevitably the subject of all the recent natural disasters came up.  “But we both know what they mean,” she said. I nodded. “The birthing pains,” I replied, referring to Jesus’ warning about His return.

Suddenly, she said something in a hushed voice about Muslims that I didn’t quite catch.  Then she abruptly changed the subject to the recent protests at NFL games.  “It’s treason,” she said.  Not wanting to tick off the woman with the sharp object in my mouth but being too opinionated to keep quiet, I tried to explain—in between slurps of the suction—that the kneelers were not protesting the flag but rather racism in America.  That is when she shot back with her don’t-talk-to-me-about-racism comment. 

I immediately went into cultural diversity instructor mode.  “You have to understand,” I told her, “that you and I enjoy a lot of privileges just by being white.  For example, if my husband needs to make a return at a store and loses his receipt, he has ME make the return because they are less likely to question me than him, because he’s Mexican-American.”

She took on a surprised and slightly sheepish look.  “Oh, your husband is Mexican-American?” “Yes,” I replied. “We have a very large extended family that includes white people, Black people and Mexicans.  I have been around a lot and seen a lot, and I can tell you that Black people do NOT get handed everything.”

I wanted to say more, but it was difficult to do so when I could only talk after rinses.  Looking at the clock, I knew I had to get out of there soon to beat traffic and pick up the kids.  She changed the subject again and quickly finished up.  Ever since then though, I have been fuming.

And maybe my incredulous anger is a sign of my white privilege as well. Most Black people reading this are probably not surprised in the least.  Of course, I am aware that there are racist white people.  Our president is one of them.  So why am I in disbelief? 

Two things prominently bother me about the situation, and they are both based on assumptions, Dolores’ and mine.  I mistakenly assumed that someone who, at least on the surface, appeared to be such a devoted follower of Christ, would not have a heart or mind tainted by prejudice. Jesus taught us to love each other; in fact, it was the commandment He emphasized the most!

Dolores mistakenly assumed that because I am white, that I would share her prejudiced views of African-American people.  She also mentioned something favorable about Trump at one point, assuming that, because I am a Christian, I am a Trump supporter (five minutes on my Twitter account would kill that assumption quickly).

I am white.  And I am Christian.  I love people of all races and cultures, and I vehemently oppose social injustice of any kind. I wish that were the “stereotype” of white Christians, but it is not.  Thanks to the many Evangelicals who elected DJT, the stereotype of “white Christian” is now conservative, Republican, racist, and discriminatory.  And that hurts my heart.  And I believe it hurts Jesus’ heart, too.

I have a relationship with Jesus, maybe not as close as it should be, but I have one. And I have found Him to be the most loving, kind spirit I’ve ever encountered in my life.  For there to be so many white Christians who claim to be Spirit-filled (filled with the Holy Spirit) yet hide prejudice in their hearts and support politicians and policies that discriminate and isolate half of the entire country just doesn’t make sense to me.  Who is it that they are worshiping? Are they seeing a different side to Jesus than I am?  Are they not really connecting to his Spirit but just think they are? And what does Jesus think? Is he looking at them as modern-day Pharisees, adhering to a socially-constructed script, rather than seeking to be His hands and feet in this world?

I don’t know the answer.  But I do know that I don’t blame Him. I blame them. Love your neighbor as yourself is Christianity 101. And racism or prejudice of any kind does not belong in that class.