The “White Moderate” is still our national stumbling block
“I Am A Man Mural” in Memphis, TN. Photo by author.
Years ago, a Sudanese friend advised me to recommend Letter From Birmingham Jail to people who couldn’t understand the frustrations of those who have been historically oppressed. “You’ll be surprised at how many people have never read it,” he said.
This section of Letter has been seared into my mind for years:
I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizens’ Councilor or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: ‘I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action’; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a ‘more convenient season.’
- Dr. King, Letter From Birmingham Jail
Now, less than two weeks out from a white mob trying to violently overthrow our democracy, Dr. King’s words feel even more relevant. Those responsible for our current national nightmare are demanding unity, but zero consequences for their wrongdoing and lies. Those who believe they are on the sidelines; but, who in reality have quietly chosen a side, demand peace that simply cannot exist right now.
I’ve struggled to fully connect some of these dots in my head the past few weeks. This piece helped me work through that.
The phrase no peace without justice isn’t just a phrase, it is a logical conclusion.
We live in a time of raging violence, sharpened hate, gross selfishness, and dangerous ideologies. We also live in a time in which many people — frankly, many inside white evangelical culture — wrongly believe that they are entitled to peace, while ignoring the role that real justice (human flourishing and accountability) serves in bringing us closer to it.
Many of us are serving others today, even as the darkness of this time looms large over the country. That’s great and needed, especially now. We should help others more. We should also seriously question how we are living through this difficult time, asking hard questions of ourselves, such as:
Are we struggling toward justice, or are we sitting on the sideline demanding peace that has not been earned?
Are we using the collective loss many of us have recently experienced to galvanize ourselves toward a better future, or are we embittered by and fearful of the growing hardness of the world?
Are we hiding or yelling, or are we talking through hard things and doing?
Dr. King was assassinated at the young age of 39. I am a citizen of the city he was murdered in. He would have turned 91 this year.
I imagine if he were with us today, his fire would be even less cloaked. He would remind us that our words and actions matter, consequences matter, loss matters, and being restless matters.
Being human matters.
Anyone who says otherwise is part of our national stumbling block, and stands in the way of human flourishing.
I explore faith and American church culture from Memphis, TN. Never miss an article by signing up for my free newsletter or becoming a member. You can also subscribe to my podcast.
