In recent days, the charge of being racially “woke” has been leveled against The Salvation Army, a ministry I served in for thirty-four years prior to retirement, and continue to worship in. There have been posts on social media, and a few of the mainstream media have taken up the call, some who have twisted the facts of the matter enough to boost clicks and potentially impact donations to an organization that has served the marginalized of our world for more than 150 years.
As I understand the kerfuffle (always wanted to use that word), it began as a person or people took issue with a curriculum that offers a framework for small groups of people within the Salvation Army to discuss the topic of racism. The critics were concerned with the use of a couple of the resources in the curriculum, and pulled a phrase or two out of the package to find fault with the intent and the content of the study.
Ah, the resulting hand-wringing. “The Salvation Army is woke!” – meant in a derogatory fashion. “Don’t give to that organization – they believe white donors should apologize for being white.” That’s not what the curriculum said. Commissioner Ken Hodder, the Army’s national leader, has responded with a statement and video, but what do you say? The proverbial cat is out of the bag, even if the cat isn’t as ugly as claimed. Like so many other scenarios over the past few years, how do you combat misinformation and innuendo? Is it better to ignore it, hoping it will go away (news cycles are fickle), or address it head on, attempting to clarify and correct?
Social issues are complicated. Social justice is complicated. It’s tempting to suggest that an organization like The Salvation Army should stick to helping the poor and refrain from talking about any of the “isms.” For many years, it’s been quite successful in doing so, although a few complaints have cropped up from time to time, generally coinciding with the beginning of the Christmas fund-raising campaign, the nightmare of the PR folks.
To broaden the discussion beyond The Salvation Army, what is the church to do? “Stick to Matthew 25,” comes the counsel. Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, invite the stranger in, clothe the naked, care for the sick, visit those in prison. That’s what Jesus said to do. But is that enough? Or should the church, the body of Christ, be asking why someone is hungry, thirsty, unwelcome, naked, sick or in prison? Did the self-proclaimed people of God have anything to do with the societal structures, historically and culturally, that lead to hunger, nakedness, or incarceration?
Is there room in our actions for self-examination, as Jesus suggested in Matthew 23? His words are strongly phrased, often headlined as the seven woes. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees [religious leaders], you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” Might it be that a curriculum on racism asks us to take a look at the inside of the cup and dish?
On Dr. Andy Miller’s recent podcast, Dr. Matt Friedeman talked about a guiding principle within his church: “We want to run to the sound of the pain.” Yes, there is pain in being hungry or homeless, and the church is called to respond to that pain. Yet racism has also brought pain to many, both historically and still today. Just read some of the comments around this kerfuffle if you don’t believe me. Perhaps, as challenging as it's been to The Salvation Army in the past few days, maybe this “exposure” will actually bring about more honest dialogue on race than any curriculum could have done.
I’ve been accused of being a radical woman, and I’ll stay true to form in the eyes of those who see that as a negative. I want to be woke. I want to run to the sound of the pain of my brothers and sisters of color. I see you. I want to hear you, to listen to your stories. Let’s talk honestly about race, about racism, and about racial reconciliation.
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