The Way of Pax
by Jai Patel
I recently shared a video on my instagram story about a Punjabi man, walking around a grocery store and talking about the ills of Andrew Jackson. Jackson, who is on the face of the U.S. twenty-dollar bill, once paid a large sum of money to have a runaway slave beaten and returned. The South Asian man also discussed white supremacy and the general complicity of South Asian Americans when it comes to the unfair treatment of African Americans since the conception of this country. We tend to put our head down, work hard, get a good education, and live a good life, which is not bad in and of itself, but we often do this without shifting our head to the left or right and noticing how our African American friends and neighbors do not always get these same opportunities even if they attempt to do the same things we do. He ended the video by telling us to listen to and understand black voices, before walking out of the grocery store.
So much of what he said resonated deeply with me as a first generation Indian American man. Everything from uncles in the Indian community owning convenience and liquor stores in low-income neighborhoods to putting our heads down, minding our own business and not questioning the status quo. We buy into the narrative that tells us “‘we’re almost there’ but just not quite ‘them enough.’” As if to say, we can do all of the “right” things, move up on the social ladder, but never actually achieve the status of being white. In our community the message preached is, “work hard, get good grades, make good money, take care of your family, and enjoy your life,” but we aren’t taught to take a hard look at our society and recognize other people groups and inequitable systems that put entire communities at a disadvantage for a multitude of generations. We also aren’t taught that these unfair systems were, have always been, and still are fueled by racial oppression.
Historically in the United States, Asians have been considered the “model minority” — a myth that pits us against African Americans, saying, “See! They can be successful and move in this country without protesting and causing a lot of trouble. Why can’t you?” As Asians, and South Asians in particular, we often unknowingly buy into this myth for survival purposes, often not realizing that it promotes anti-blackness in our communities as a result. We often do our best to assimilate to whiteness in order to fit in and get ahead to the point that we neglect our African American friends, coworkers, and neighbors. In the court case United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind in 1923, an Indian man went so far as to legally argue that he should be deemed as white. At this time, only “free white persons” and “aliens of African nativity and persons of African descent” were allowed to be U.S. citizens. In his efforts to be a free man, Thind did not go to court to challenge racial discrimination but instead argued that he should be seen as part of the Caucasian race.
As non-black people of color, and South Asian American Christians in particular, we should be expressing constant gratitude for black lives; their deep-seated struggle and pain has led to the ongoing advocacy and a fight for equal treatment that we reap the benefits from today. Notable icons such as Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, C.T. Vivian, Rosa Parks as well as modern day heroes like Bryan Stevenson, Jemar Tisby, Dr. Bryan Loritts, Ekemini Uwan, Christina Edmondson, Lisa Fields, and Latasha Morrison are notable figures who I look to as leaders regarding race, justice, and the gospel. Instead of turning blind eyes and having deaf ears, we should listen to the anguish and lament coming from black communities, weep with them because of the unnecessary evils they have had to endure for centuries, and fight for the restoration of human dignity alongside them. Malcolm X famously described the pain and unfair treatment black women have faced for generations by saying, “The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman.”
Difficult Conversations About Race and the Gospel
After I shared that Instagram video, it became immediately clear that not everyone felt the same way I did. A couple of hours later, a man messaged me saying, “So why does he live in the United States, Jai? Where is this place where all good things happen to all people?” in response to the video. He went on to say that I am misled if I think there is a perfect place in this world where people have perfect thoughts, attitudes, and actions, and how this will only happen when Jesus returns. In similar instances, someone else told me that I should just “focus on the gospel,” while another told me that I must prove systemic racism to them since they don’t see it. In my attempt to do so, I realized this person’s main goal was to retain their own worldview without taking time to truly understand another perspective.
Through painful discussions like this, I am beginning to realize that these types of conversations can be unfruitful and a recipe for unrighteous frustration if I am not careful, and the person who has shown me this by modeling it in his own life is Jesus. Jesus, in Luke chapter 20, was questioned by religious leaders as to who gave him the authority to clean the temple out. Jesus, aware of their schemes, did not give an answer but asked a question in return. “Was John’s baptism from heaven or from man?” The religious leaders huddled up, realized that either answer would expose their hypocritical attitudes, and replied by saying, “we don’t know.” Jesus, in response, says, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” In a situation like this, Jesus felt no need to give them an answer since they did not truly want one. Instead, they only wanted to be right in their own eyes.
It is difficult for Christians of color and white evangelicals to talk about racial justice, culture, and personal experiences. Navigating the authenticity of a conversation, gauging one’s genuine sincerity, and discerning whether it’s wise to unpack loads of pain, bad experiences, and trauma takes a physical, emotional, and spiritual toll. Usually, as Christians in a situation like this, we have one of two responses: 1) We argue with the end goal of maintaining our already established views to the point that we only care about being “correct.” 2) We disengage completely and cut-off everyone who disagrees with us in a manner that is ultimately unhealthy. Both ultimately breeds, harbors, and distributes negative and unproductive energy, which leaves us unsatisfied in the end. I, personally, have been guilty of attempting both of these approaches in my slow journey of understanding race and societal justice from a biblical perspective. Truthfully, I can understand why we find ourselves using one of these two methods. Yes, each ultimately dishonors God, ourselves, and those we are speaking to, but are the result of painful experiences, racial trauma, and levels of distrust. In other words, I am beginning to realize that these responses come from a deep place of hurt, whether intentionally or unintentionally committed by the other party. Neither of these ways leads to restoration and healing, which means there has to be a third way, a way of pax.
A Third Way
Pax is the latin word for peace and is equivalent to the idea of shalom, the Hebrew word that perfectly captures God’s intention of justice, wholeness, and restoration. In her book The Very Good Gospel, Lisa Sharon Harper unpacks the original Hebrew meaning of shalom as not merely perfect peace within an object itself, but perfect peace and interconnectedness of all of creation. God’s shalom has to do with how all things are in perfect relationship with each other. She says, “The original hearers and readers of Genesis 1 would have understood that the writers were not merely saying that each part of God’s creation was very good but rather that God’s mighty web of interconnected relationships was forcefully good, vehemently good, abundantly good!” Jesus is the embodiment of pax and offers Himself as the third way in which to approach and dive into holistic living.
Jesus says in the book of Matthew, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” This is an outside-of-this-world mentality that directly contradicts some of our most basic instincts of causing harm to those who have harmed us or disengaging to further our denial. Whereas some may view this statement as a means to deny the severity of injustice and wrongdoing, Jesus’ view of love does not let wrongdoings be swept under the rug as if they never happened. He is saying that the highest, most honorable, most godly form of love is when someone stands up for human dignity and flourishing AND cautiously approaches their enemy with honesty, dignity, and respect. True love is when justice and compassion meet and walk together hand-in-hand. This is the way of pax. This is the way of Jesus.
For me, when I post things on social media about issues of race and justice, I do so with a posture of pax — I make sure my words are formulated in a peace-filled way that keeps the focus on Jesus. I also choose to intentionally respond to people who disagree with words of peace as well. Sometimes this means not responding at all. Other times it means saying things like “Thank you for sharing,” asking follow up questions to gain clarity, and adding views from my perspective if it is fitting for me to do so. In the situation with the man who disagreed with my IG post on Andrew Jackson, I asked follow up questions about whether he thinks our mindset should be “if you don’t like it, then get out,” if injustice is an appropriate price to pay to live in this country, and if we should simply allow injustices to occur because our lives will never be perfect until Jesus returns. I also mentioned that, as Christians, we typically have a hard time acknowledging injustice and racism, can lack humility in being honest about this, and often perpetuate these issues in overt and covert ways. He responded by suggesting that we should meet in person since the things he said can be miscommunicated. He also said, “if there is a systemic injustice against blacks it is mostly coming from the democratic party’s policies,” and quickly followed that statement by asking me how I think the Black Lives Matter organization would lead if they got everything they wanted. Although the thoughts and questions he posed were fair, I did not have the time or energy to unpack all the things he wanted me to. I didn’t say as much as I wanted to in this conversation, or perhaps as much as I should have. As I continue to learn, grow, and be more honest with myself and others, these are some of the ways I want to respond to difficult conversations moving forward:
3 Questions To Ask Ourselves Before Stepping Into Difficult Conversations:
- Is the content I’m about to post worth facing critical feedback or backlash over? Does the person disagreeing with me actually want to learn from my position and understand my experiences or are they arguing for argument’s sake? These types of conversations can be draining and unproductive if we are not careful.
- Am I willing to think the best about the person I’m speaking with and answer their questions with respect? In other words, will I intentionally choose to not attack their character and do my best to not make them feel ashamed, even if they might be ignorant? If the conversation is not worth our time and energy, we have the freedom to not respond and/or block the person if their actions are repetitive and toxic.
- Which of my friends and community can I connect with as a source of refuge? Who are the people who can affirm my thoughts and emotions, while also being open and honest with me? We deserve to take care of ourselves and a like-minded community is often God’s answer for us when we find ourselves in situations like this.
Jai Patel (B.A. in Business, Communication and Philosophy, University of Texas San Antonio) is a first generation Indian American who is passionate about helping people experience their newfound identity in Jesus Christ and unpack the beauty and complexity of their cultural and ethnic heritage. He has served on staff with Cru, an international campus ministry, as well as a local church, discipling and equipping college students to rest in the finished work of Jesus, thrive in their walks of life, and usher in God’s Kingdom to a lost and broken world. Jai currently works as an editorial assistant for Pax, is getting his MBA at Louisiana State University at Shreveport, and lives in Houma, LA with his wife, Priyanka.
