Readings for today: Ezekiel 22-24, James 2
This morning the news came down that the three men who killed Ahmaud Arbery were found guilty of murder. This is a good thing. It is a just and righteous verdict. It gives us yet another reason to hope that we are making progress as a nation when it comes to ending racial discrimination. It also serves as a sober reminder of the work we have yet to do. It’s important to keep in mind that without the video being leaked to the media, the suspects might never have been arrested. The trial might never have happened. Justice might never have been done. So there is still much work left to do.
Many years ago, I had the privilege of serving as a volunteer chaplain at New Jersey State Prison. This is the maximum security facility for the state and, at that time, was also the location of death row. (The death penalty has since been abolished in New Jersey.) Most of the inmates had been convicted of some form of violent crime and were serving long sentences as a result. However, as I began to hear their stories and study the data from within the system, it became readily apparent to me that race and socio-economics had a significant and disproportionate influence on the types of charges filed, conviction rates, substance of plea deals, and sentencing outcomes. Those who could hire a private lawyer were far better off than those assigned a public defender. Those who were white were often treated differently than blacks or Latinos. Even adjusting for human error could not account for the disparities within the system. (For those looking for great research on the topic, check out the Equal Justice Initiative led by Bryan Stevenson at https://eji.org.)
What does all this have to do with today’s reading? I’m glad you asked. ;-) James begins his second chapter with these words, “My brothers and sisters, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.” (James 2:1) He goes on to warn his fellow believers against showing favoritism to the rich and dismissing those who are poor. Catering to the powerful while ignoring the powerless. He reminds them that God Himself identifies with the poor and powerless, including the Jews themselves who were chosen by God when they were slaves in Egypt! “Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?” (James 2:5) Tragically, for too much of our history as a nation, we have tended to let factors like race and economics and gender influence far too many outcomes. We have been guilt of showing partiality to those who are rich and powerful and white and male, giving them the benefit of the doubt. Consider not just the disparities highlighted by the case cited above but sexual abuse cases like the one against Larry Nasser or many Roman Catholic clergy or several high profiled evangelical pastors in recent years. Consider how differently Felicity Huffman was treated when compared to Kelley Williams-Bolar. Huffman is a white, wealthy, and well-known actress who bribed an SAT proctor with $15,000 to illegally change her daughter’s answers so she could get into a good college. She got fourteen days in federal prison, a $30,000 fine, and 250 hours of community service. Williams-Bolar used her father’s address to redistrict her children to get them into a better public school and was originally sentenced to five years in prison! Yes, her sentence was eventually reduced to ten days in jail and three years probation - thankfully - but the point still remains. We all have natural, sinful tendency to privilege some over others.
So what are we to do? We cling to the gospel. The gospel declares that those who were dead in their trespasses (death penalty) have been made alive through Christ! Those who were once trapped in spiritual poverty have now been made rich in faith and heirs to God’s Kingdom! Those who were once defined by their race, gender, or socio-economic status have now become one in Christ Jesus! This is the foundation on which true justice is built and it is the only way forward for the church, for our communities, and for our nation.
Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 25-26, James 3