#blacklivesmatter. This is true. Now what does the Christian do?
I can think of no other popular phrase in my lifetime that has provoked the many diverse responses to these three words. There is great confusion, disagreement, and side-taking in the discussion about #blacklivesmatter. Social media and the public square are canvased daily with those who demand it be spoken and those who wish it would go away. Somewhere in the middle of this are Christians trying to remain relevant and find their footing in the discussion. If we were honest, to say the path is slippery is an understatement. For the mindful Christian, it’s a lot like trying to climb uphill in a mudslide, hoping to avoid the mud. Mix in a little cancel culture and its firing squad of relevance and the path becomes near impossible. Thankfully, Christ said He’d handle the impossible. So, up the hill we must go.
Like almost all things in the relativism of 21st century society, there is no firm line. We find Christians on both sides, some as advocates and others as adversaries. The advocates believe the adversaries lack compassion and the adversaries believe the advocates lack wisdom. It’s an epic standoff to be sure. Unfortunately, it is played out in competing social media posts that contain no context, showcase little thoughtfulness, and only hope for more fireworks, not real solutions. Whether you be an advocate or an adversary, I believe the Word of the Lord is that we stop making fools of ourselves and start making sense. Selah
This is my attempt to make some sense. I don’t believe the advocates and adversaries are actually as far apart as they seem. It’s just that no one is taking the time to stop shouting and explain themselves. If they did, I think we would begin to recognize the stark difference between sentiment and movement. They are not the same.
On the one hand, there is the sentiment behind #blacklivesmatter. The Christian has no quarrel here. They do matter. They matter tremendously. They matter to Christ and should matter to His Church. All black lives matter; the born, the unborn, the rich, the poor, the righteous, the unrighteous, the law-abiding, and the law-breaking. This is a basic universal truth for followers of Christ. Every human life, regardless of ethnicity, matters. Saying #blacklivesmatter in this context isn’t an afront to the statement that “all lives matter.” It simply indicates that in particular circumstances, we must emphasize that black lives matter. Jesus took moments to emphasize to the Jews that Samaritan lives mattered and this didn’t devalue the Jews in any way. I believe the sentiment behind #blacklivesmatter is what most Christians are underscoring when they post about it on social media, or join a protest, or wear a t-shirt. They want people to know that they truly believe #blacklivesmatter and that this firmly squares with the Christian command to love our neighbor. They mean nothing more than black lives actually matter and should be valued and defended. Amen to that.
In reality, I think most of America agrees with what I have said above. I can’t find the people who say loudly and proudly that black lives don’t matter. I know they exist, but they hold very little power in American society and even less in popular culture. Look around. The collective consensus of the American public is that #blacklivesmatter. I know of no one who says George Floyd’s death was acceptable or that Ahmaud Arbery deserved what he got. Those voices may exist, but they have no platform. From a purely Christian perspective, I don’t know any pastor or leader who supports the notion that blacks are inferior human beings and should be treated as such. They may exist. But, they do so in a secretive and diminished capacity. They’re not meaningful Christian voices. The Christian response has been fairly consistent. Christians believe the sentiment that says #blacklivesmatter and no one is really debating this. Here, advocates and adversaries stand on common ground.
Where we begin to diverge is when the sentiment meets the movement. Saying #blacklivesmatter is not the same thing as supporting the #blacklivesmatter movement. While the sentiment may be compatible with Christianity, I am certain that the movement is not.
Before challenging what I have just said, answer a few questions for me. Have you read the #blacklivesmatter movement’s literature? Have you been to their website where they explain themselves in detail? Have you read through their resources and tool kits? Have you listened to interviews with their founders? Do you know their core beliefs? Do you understand their agenda and what their goals are? Do you know how they interpret #blacklivesmatter and what they say must be done so that #blacklivesmatter? Have you looked at the larger platform of the Movement for Black Lives? Have you read their literature and their goals? If not, I don’t know that you know what you’re talking about when you say #blacklivesmatter.
I don’t have the space needed to thoroughly explain how the movement itself stands in opposition to Christian thought. Cultural Marxism is the default position of most critiques and it’s a good starting point. #blacklivesmatter’s founders have admitted to being Marxists and the expanded platform of the Movement for Black Lives is a basic Marxist manifesto. Marxism is rooted in atheism and has proved irredeemable in practice. But it’s more than this. The same way that the “anti-racism” movement has unchristian qualifications in order to be considered an anti-racist, the #blacklivesmatter movement stands in direct opposition to orthodox Christian beliefs if one is to truly prove their allegiance to #blacklivesmatter. Take the time to read their literature and that of the m4bl. Radical sexual fluidity and orientations; physical altar building to false gods; a basic state of lawlessness; end to private education; etc. Trust me, it’s in there.
Here's the issue. #blacklivesmatter means one thing to compassionate Christians and another thing altogether to its founders. And, no matter how much Christians want to commandeer the sentiment, its founders will always determine what it actually means and where it is actually meant to steer society. Hear me Christians. You are not in control of what #blacklivesmatter means in the public square. The people who are driving the movement are. So, you may have one thing in mind when you say #blacklivesmatter or attend a protest; but the movement has something totally different in mind and it opposes your beliefs. I can assure you that your Christian beliefs and convictions have no real place within the movement, no matter how much you believe the sentiment. Its founders don’t think you actually support the sentiment unless you subscribe to the entire movement. For this reason, #blacklivesmatter is more than just problematic for the Christian. The two are actually antagonistic to one another.
So, what do we do? Though I believe most Christians mean well when they say #blacklivesmatter, my historical education knows that a sentiment can never truly be separated from a movement. Therefore, though I believe #blacklivesmatter, I cannot use their slogan, or their terminology, or join their protests. They are shouting for and protesting far too many things that are in conflict with my faith. To my black friends and those in my community, I want you to know that I will live my life in a way that makes #blacklivesmatter true, even though I cannot support the movement. I will love you and prefer you just as Christ has commanded me. However, I see great suffering in our society for all lives if the movement accomplishes its goals. For that reason, I must oppose #blacklivesmatter even though I believe it.