wfn.org | Commentary: Racist act makes Christlike response difficult

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

May 11, 2001  News media contact: Linda Green·(615)742-5470·Nashville, Tenn.
10-31-71BP{235}

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.

*************************************
United Methodist News Service
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