Deafening Silence

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil; God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” – Rev. Dietrick Bonhoeffer

I am as guilty as the next person for remaining silent, in the face of bigotry and hatred that seems to be consuming our nation and the world. It has been easy to rest comfortably in my silent, white privilege. No more, I say. Events in Charlottesville, Virginia last weekend were the tipping point for me. I can no longer remain silent. To do so would make me as culpable as the murderous members of the KKK and NeoNazis. Silence is deadly.

 The Rev. Martin Niemöller wrote about silence during WWII:

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
 
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
 
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
 
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

 His words ring true today. To modernize them, we could say:

‘First they came for the Blacks and Hispanics and I did not speak out – because I was not Black or Hispanic.

Then they came for the lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered and I did not speak out – because I was not LGBT.

Then they came for the Muslims, Jews and Sikhs and I did not speak out – because I was not Muslim, Jewish or Sikh.

Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.’

I never dreamed that I would ever see Nazi flags flying in modern times, let alone in the United States of America. Yet, last weekend that is precisely what I saw. And in the course of this past week, I have witnessed the President of the United States quickly denouncing the deadly violence of ISIS in Barcelona. Yet, he was slow and indecisive in any denouncement of the domestic terrorism by the KKK, NeoNazis and other white supremacists in Charlottesville last weekend. 

Let me be clear – terrorism by any other name is still terrorism! Terrorism kills. And it incites fear that serves to silence those that the terrorists want to oppress, control and eliminate. 

The domestic terrorists of Charlottesville claim that this is about a historical statue. What they fail to own is the misguided ideology of white supremacy. I freely admit that I have been on the fence about preservation or elimination of “historical” monuments from U.S. history. I am a history geek. My quandary over preservation or elimination of historical monuments, especially after visiting Auschwitz, has rested on preservation of the underbelly of human history to prevent such history ever from being repeated. But now I recognize that Confederate symbols serve only to fuel racism, bigotry and hate in our nation. In that case, I conclude that such symbols must go.

The domestic terrorists of Charlottesville also claim that this is about Christian values. I contend that they have NOT read the Gospel. Jesus of Nazareth advocated for the “least of these” – the poor and the oppressed. He sowed love not hate. I am sick and tired of self-proclaimed Christians using the Bible and Jesus as weapons against those who are different, those who have no voice, and those who are powerless. 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote over 70 years ago: “We must finally stop appealing to theology to justify our reserved silence about what the state is doing – for that is nothing but fear – ‘Open your mouth for the one who is voiceless’ – for who in the church today still remembers that that is the least of the Bible’s demands in times such as these?” He was executed by the collapsing Nazi regime in April of 1945. I cannot and will not permit history – bigoted, white supremacist history – to repeat itself.

As one called to Christian service and ministry, I stand with and for a God of Love. I stand with and for my Savior who to calls me to “love your neighbor as yourself”. I cry out for those who are powerless and voiceless, as Christ did in a time and a land of Roman occupation and oppression. And I stand and speak out against racism, bigotry and hate in the United States of America.

I can no longer be silent. Can you?