The Broken Bible Belt
Photo by Leighann Blackwood on Unsplash
Courtesy of Personal Defense World
The South no longer wears the Bible belt. Cultural Christianity plus intense tribalism caused the leather to rot and break. Tribalism can lead to toxic by-products such as nepotism and racism. Look closely enough and you will see nepotism on parade in the Christian institutions of the Southland. And now, in the Arbery shooting, what appears to be racism once again raises its ugly head.
Pastoral concern is rightly focused on the grieving family and community. But what could the church have done to prevent this outrageous act? It’s easy to point fingers and play the blame game but haven't we had enough of this? When does the church take the stand, indicted as a co-conspirator?
This is a failing of discipleship. I’m not sure if the McMichaels are members of a local congregation, but since this happened in the “Christian” South it should cause us to wonder about their connection to a church. As a pastor, I understand there’s no way to manage the actions of every member. Some come and go and leave just a few fingerprints on the furniture. But every church, on every corner, should decry the heathenism of this crime.
Only in a culture soft on such fine-tuned hatred could this insult occur. If the church were more vocal about the idolatry of racism and pride of culture, people would be more fearful of crossing the thin line of violence (that goes for black and white congregations, alike).
Colossians 3:11-15 gives a clarion vision of the Christian man or woman and their behavior in the world. In this passage, tribalism is destroyed in Christ and replaced with mercy, longsuffering, forgiveness, and peace. Was any of that on display in the actions of the McMichaels or the State of Georgia, which took two months to bring an arrest?
Churches, no matter their geographic location, must return to sound doctrinal preaching which calls out the heathenism of their communities. Tribalism which can lead to racism and nepotism must be rejected in the church and the larger culture or this tragedy will certainly be repeated.
What good are all the mega-churches in the Protestant South if this kind of race-hating is simmering under the surface? It is past time for us to stop playing church and start living for Christ Jesus.
