White Jesus (A Poem)
July 30 | 2020
WE were merchants, explorers,
traders, enslavers,
colonizers, segregationists,
plantation owners, lynchers,
“missionaries,” “civilizers,”
commanders of the world
— per destiny.
All in the name of Jesus.
The “English Israel,” “chosen people,”
“providence of God.”
Exploitation, subjugation,
Social ordering of the world.
Violence, brutality…
The economics sure made sense!
And White Jesus?
Well, he made no difference.
THEY were oppressed and powerless.
Home but never home.
Mistreated, abused,
With no rights of their own.
Dignity stripped away,
Praying their souls to stay,
And saw through…
The white religion of the “master.”
A true God could not be
God of the “slave master.”
Condoning greed, hypocrisy,
and power over…
the property of whiteness,
bound to slavery and trapped,
within a box of human constructs.
A true God is free;
Transcendent, independent.
Stands against supremacy;
Bad news for rulers-over.
The cross is a critique,
of violence and oppression.
And Resurrection!
Affirms ALL the life of God’s creation.
God’s brown skin,
hung from a tree,
in solidarity.
A gospel not for souls,
but imminent reality.
An exodus, a liberation,
(not just for one nation)
And freedom!
From the invention…
of WHITE JESUS.
Inspired by: James Cone, The Cross and the Lynching Tree; Kelly Brown Douglas, Stand Your Ground; and Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning.
Also, Eric Metaxas, who needs to get his life together.
And Hamilton 😉
Pic cred: Magda Ehlers
