Since having Mya come into our family I can sense a passion rise up in my heart against the injustice of racial discrimination that is somewhat unique to my experience. I have always felt angered and deeply confused by racial hatred, but now that I have a black daughter, I feel a unique sort of righteous anger. It's different now imagining someone discriminate against my daughter. My Grandma (no, she doesn't read my blog or even know what the internet is for that matter) telling off-color jokes about "negros" won't go over anymore around the Thanksgiving table. Not that we put it up with before, but I'm sure it will be received with a bit more ferocity if those types of jokes get mentioned again.
Your passion to fight against injustice increases when you see someone you deeply love experiencing it.
I don't look forward to the challenge of racial discrimination, but I am glad that God is already using my anticipation of it to turn my heart towards those that have a different story of suffering than I do.
4 comments:
Zach,
I praise God that He is using your adoption of Mya to turn your heart to an even greater indignation about racism. A good father is, almost by definition, going to be more upset about someone insulting his daughter than he is about that same person insulting "just any woman." (Of course, no woman is "just any woman"-- hence, the quotation marks.)
However, I think as Christians, to truly think in a rigorously Biblical way, perhaps we should challenge this "fatherly" mindset a bit-- not to say that it is *wrong,* but that it should go deeper, in order to speak consistently of the righteousness and love of the God who creates and saves.
Why do I hate racism? Why should anyone hate racism? From a Biblical viewpoint, of course, racism should be hated and opposed (in ourselves at least as much as much as in other people), because it is a sin against fellow human beings who are created in the image of the one true God.
From a human, and especially parental, viewpoint, it is probably inevitable that parents will react more strongly against the racism that is shown toward their children than that shown toward others. There is a very good and commendable aspect to this reality, as there is in a husband especially defending his wife against sexist, or otherwise degrading, remarks.
It might be even more amazing to a lost, often selfish world though, if Christians consistently reacted very strongly against racism toward *all* people-- not in a self-righteous way, but in a fiercely loving way which speaks of the love of God for all people (created in His image) and of His especially fierce love for His people, whom He saves, indeed, from every tongue, tribe, and nation-- thus providing another reason for all Christians to strongly oppose all racism.
On a personal note, I grew up in the Deep South as one of very few white people whom I knew that actively, vocally opposed racism. This was part of God's common grace to me at the time, as I was not saved and could easily have become as racist as many of the people in the area in which I lived. Actively opposed to racism as I was though, living in the Deep South, I suffered for that opposition, which is probably part of why I am so passionate about this subject! I praise God that He has kept that passion alive within me, hopefully granting me greater humility (post-salvation), in the face of my own sinfulness in so very many ways that I don't even always recognize!
Chris,
I don't disagree with anything you say here, but was just observing some raw emotional changes as a result of our adoption.
z
As I have experienced this in my family (extended family) in marrying Carlos, I completely agree with you. It will be a challenge at times. Our family (Carlos and I) have vowed to be completely intolerant of ANY racial discrimination. In my home, growing up, it was a part of life to speak disrespectfully of people of other races. It was taught to me and, now, I hate it. May the Lord bless you in this special endeavor.
thanks for your post, zach. i always appreciate your honesty and vulnerability in each of your reflections on your adoption ... it's raw and real and needed, i think. thanks for the example. and btw, your daughter, Mya, looks adorable in that picture!!
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