How Love Stands Up to Hate

I am a “moderate” racist, if such a thing can exist.

Like many Americans and some United Methodists, I’m disturbed by the rise of race-based or ethnically motivated harassment in the United States. As a Christian who tries to live out the examples and teachings of Jesus, I wonder what I can do to lessen the tension and, if need be, intervene before harassment or bullying turns violent.

Since I can’t see what to do without removing the log from my own eye, I started by taking a remarkable assessment – the Implicit Association Test sponsored by Harvard University. I took two tests – a skin-tone test, and a race test.  According to the IAT, I have a “slight” preference for darker skin over lighter skin, and a “moderate” preference for white people over black people.

That’s how I ended up calling myself a “moderate” racist.

Of course, the IAT is as subject to human error as any other tool. For example, I sometimes have trouble these days with my typing because of arthritis in my well-worn hands. Neither my eyesight nor my hand-eye coordination is what it used to be. So does that mean that the IAT’s results are skewed by the physical conditions of older people or people with disabilities? IAT’s own research suggests not – it has tests for both age and disability – but still I wonder.

What I know for sure is that we have entered an era in which Jesus’ call to care for others poses the greatest challenge for Christians in my lifetime. Signs of hatred based on skin color, race, perceived ethnicity, and sexual orientation are growing. The Southern Poverty Law Center documented more than 700 reported incidents of hate crimes in the days after the 2016 presidential election. Many of those who committed these incidents referred to the hateful rhetoric of the president-elect as motivation for their actions.

Whatever the motivation, there is no doubt that we who profess to follow Jesus must be prepared in coming weeks and months to defend the vulnerable. Fortunately, “defending” the vulnerable need not mean getting into a physical or verbal confrontation with a bully.

Anna North of the New York Times has done the best job I’ve seen of tracking hate crimes, offering ways to help those being harassed, and listing organizations that can help with attacks against people. Her suggestions include:

You don’t have to confront a harasser. A better option, as shown in the accompanying cartoon, is to side with the person being harassed, often by engaging them in some benign conversation, such as asking for the time. Ignoring the harasser is better, because he or she will more than likely go away. Siding with the person being threatened, as Jesus did on many occasions, gives him or her both dignity and control over the situation.

Ask an authority for help. Look for the authority figure nearby – law enforcement officer, store manager, even another bystander who can give you more safety in numbers. The point is to break up the threat.

You can still help if the incident ends quickly. Suppose someone calls another shopper a derogatory name. You can still ask if he or she needs help, such as walking with him or her to the car or going together to store security or management.

In addition, you can report incidents of bullying and harassment. Again, Anna North of the New York Times has gathered names and contacts for such reporting. These include:

·      The Southern Poverty Law Center tracks hate crimes in America. SPLC recommends contacting local law enforcement first, the making a report to the center.

·      The Anti-Defamation League offers an online tool for reporting anti-Semitic threats. It also gives advice to stand up to bigotry.

·      The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund is gathering reports of harassment. To report an incident, email info@maldef.org.

·      The Council on American-Islamic Relations offers legal help to those who have been threatened or harassed because of their religion.

·      Lambda Legal Help Desk offers help for those who experience discrimination because of sexual orientation or gender. Lambda Legal also offers a resource list including suicide prevention and crisis hotlines.

·      The Human Rights Campaign offers help that’s aimed mainly at victims of homophobia or transphobia, but that can also apply to others as well.

From a United Methodist perspective, the notable thing about these resources is that none of them refer to any help from local congregations, which the denomination views as the primary location where ministry and mission occur.

In an effort to find out what’s going on among congregations, United Methodist Insight has set up a survey to hear what local congregations are doing to help victims and combat hate crimes in their communities. We will use the results of the survey to compile a directory of local congregations to which victims can turn for help and support if they suffer hateful harassments, bullying or threats.

Take the "Love Stands Up to Hate" Survey.

A veteran journalist and certified spiritual director, Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight.