Horizons magazine is published by Presbyterian Women (PW) the national women’s organization of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Issue link: http://horizons.epubxp.com/i/521232
whereas women wearing hijabs are "oppressed" or even "extremists." There is no such thing as language that is neutral. Even when stating "facts," it is clear that the way we talk about facts or real-life events is meant to shape the inferences of the audience. The nega- tive effects of dehumanizing and fear- mongering language don't just stop on the page or the screen. Language shapes our perceptions, attitudes and worldview. It has material conse- quences in the world. Look at the climbing trend of the deaths of people of color, particularly black men, after someone calls the police to report something they feel is suspicious. 5 It was telling that in the wake of the protests over Michael Brown's death in Ferguson, Missouri, (and more recently Freddie Gray's death in Baltimore) some of the loudest public outrage was toward "looters" and the level of force used to control protests. Focusing on the act of loot- ing is an easy distraction and places inanimate objects at the center of discussion. The ethical appropriate- ness of tear gas, rubber bullets and military tactics for protests is worthy of conversation, but not at the expense of failing to honor the life and lamenting the death of a vibrant, living human being. Ultimately, we must reject narratives that deprive people of their humanity and elevate stories that name others with the compassion and complexity we all possess as God-breathed and made- in-God's image people. The Rhetoric of Reconciliation The church's response to violent rhet- oric and racial injustice is historically tied to the concept of reconciliation, bringing together what has been sepa- rate. The language of reconciliation suggests that all are welcome, and calls for healing between communities—in this case, communities separated by privilege and, often, zip codes. Justice- minded Christians have called for rec- onciliation since the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. When we look at the messages that have dominated the news in the past decade, reconciliation is seldom apparent. Victims of color have their backgrounds relentlessly critiqued and splashed across the headlines. Black men and women who come in contact with the police are four times more likely to come out of that con- tact dead than are white people. 6 We cannot in good conscience say that racial alienation is not a serious and deadly problem in our communities. Jennifer Harvey, clergy and author of Dear White Christians: For Those Still Longing for Racial Recon- ciliation (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerd- mans, 2014), writes about the inadequacy of the rhetoric of recon- ciliation for racial justice. She looks to our history as a church and sees a lack of progress. She notes that in the 60s, black Christians began to say that the vision of the "beloved community" rhetoric would not be enough to dismantle endemic poverty, police brutality and disen- franchisement faced by people of color in our country, and white Christians stopped listening. Repentance and Repair Once again, we were seduced by lan- guage that sounded and felt good. Reconciliation is a beautiful idea. But sadly, it has remained just an idea, because it didn't ask much of us. Reconciliation, Jennifer Harvey says, "isn't enough." It "can't begin to get us into the kind of responses that the death of Michael Brown . . . demands of those of us who claim we love justice and Jesus." 7 8