Melody and I just got back from the Unavoidable Conversations conference in Metairie, LA. And… wow! Both the speakers and discussions around these small tables were incredible. So much encouragement for our souls. (I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about it in the coming weeks.)
One of the topics was the Bible, essentially attempting to answer the question “in our deconstruction, what do we do with the Bible?” No, we didn’t run around the issue of pain and abuse caused in the name of Jesus and backed up by Bible verses. The speakers and those of us in attendance addressed it head-on. I know that many of us can’t read the Bible on our own because of past harms. The wounds are still wide open for us. If the wounds have healed, there’s still the phantom ache whenever we hear a passage or see the book or listen to a sermon. This pain cannot be ignored, and (speaking as one of your pastors) it is my responsibility to provide the environment where this religious hurt can be healed fully.
This abuse via the Bible is one of the many ways the Church has harmed people. And it is causing people to give up on her, the Church, and even give up on God in some cases. Be honest with yourself, how often do you wonder why you’re still “in”: going to church, believing in God, loving Jesus, in community? And, if I’m honest, even as a pastor and Spiritual Director, I still ask myself this question.
But it was Lisa Sharon Harper who shared the balm for this wound. She said that people who are leaving the Church are leaving “White Jesus” and need to discover “Brown Jesus.” She said,
“If you really want healing, come to Brown Jesus.”
Sit with that for a moment.
For me, Brown Jesus is the main reason I stay. This masculine body with a feminine spirit. This voice from an oppressed group, shouting from an occupied land. This person who offers a prayer of forgiveness to his executioners with his final breath. This poor, itinerant preacher who shook up the established cultural religion. This God-man who suffered alongside the penitent and unrepentant alike. This very Word of Divine Love embodied among us.
Leave White Jesus – and all the toxic whiteness that comes with him – behind. Take a look at the Gospels again through the lens of Brown Jesus. And as you do, may you experience the Divine healing you need.