Commentary: Racist act makes Christlike response difficult
5/11/2001 News media contact: Linda Green · (615) 742-5470 · Nashville, Tenn
NOTE: A head-and-shoulders photograph of the Rev. Sheron C. Patterson is available.
A UMNS Commentary By the Rev. Sheron C. Patterson*
When racist vandals struck St. Luke "Community" United Methodist Church last week, many people, including myself, were shocked.
We were shocked because we erroneously believed that the racial hatred tribulations of the 1950s and 1960s were over. We were shocked because we thought that St. Luke was one of those untouchable places that racist people dare not tread. We were shocked because we thought Dallas was enjoying a period of racial harmony that kept us free from public displays of unrest.
We were wrong.
The racial hatred of the past decade is alive and well. No church is untouchable to those who despise freedom, and our city's mask of harmony covers up its unrest. The hateful message and swastika written in white paint across the front of St. Luke sent a wake-up call to all of us to what's really going on. A host of natural and normal reactions surfaced in our community. They ranged from a desire for revenge and retaliation to turning the other cheek.
Certainly, prayer and forgiveness are the two most prominent and Christlike responses. In the Bible we can find direction from Christ, who urges us to continually forgive our enemies. In Matthew 5:44, we read, "[L]ove your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you." In Luke 6:35 we read, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. And do not pass judgment and you will not be judged."
Yet, honestly, those responses are the most difficult. When a church is vandalized, it is a personal attack on our community. The church always has been and always will be the central focus for us. The racists went in deep this time, and that calls for us to go deep within ourselves to soothe our nerves, heal our wounds and keep moving with the same faith we had before.
The Rev. Zan Holmes, St. Luke's pastor, preached a sermon the Sunday following the attack based on the saga of Joseph and his disrespectful family. Joseph's brothers had done all in their power to destroy him. Yet despite their best efforts, Joseph was alive, kicking and well. Most of all, Joseph was not scarred by their evil. He kept his eyes on God, and God's strength kept him free of the poison that comes with attacks from others.
In the closing scene of the book of Genesis, there is a showdown between Joseph and his family. Some predicted a fight, but through the power of God, Joseph calmly told them, "[Y]ou meant it for evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive."
With the same calmness, Rev. Holmes gave his congregation a similar message about the attackers. As a result of their cruel actions, a hate crime bill has regained new strength in the Texas senate. More and more politicians can see that racial hatred is real and raw.
In a strange way, we can say thanks to the racist vandals. They helped our cause. Most of all, we can say thanks to God, who truly works together for good in all things. # # # *Patterson is senior pastor of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Dallas.
Commentaries provided by United Methodist News Service do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of UMNS or the United Methodist Church.
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