Status Quo
The journey of life is filled with opportunities to discover and learn new things. It amazes me sometimes just how much I do not know, and I am constantly given chances to learn new things about myself and about my world. In reaction to these teaching opportunities, I could either be a learner, or I could be content with what I currently know. I am so grateful to be on this journey with people who are also learners and who are challenging me in what I think I know. It is amazing just how much I do not know. I often feel that the more I learn, the less I know.
One area that has been very challenging for me recently is the idea of privilege and power. In my forty-plus years on this earth, I have too often operated in ignorance regarding these areas. It was actually more comfortable to navigate life before I was aware of them, but I am grateful to be stretched in these areas. For many, the word power could have negative connotations because too often we see power abused. However, power itself is not bad, rather how one chooses to use their power. Peter Scazzero defines power as “the capacity to influence” (242). He later states that we are “stewards” of our power “to come under people for their good, for them to flourish” (254).
When it comes to privilege, again there are often negative associations. Those without it feel looked down upon by those who have it, and those who have it could separate and isolate themselves from those without it. We are more aware of privilege now than we have ever been. There is a strong temptation for those holding power to feel guilty, and for those who do not hold power to resent and despise those who do. This is an area that I continue to be more and more aware of just how unaware how privileged I am. The more I discover, the more I realize just how much I can leverage my privilege and power for those who cannot.
Two other words have been bringing clarity to this area for me. They are status and role. According to Ralph Linton, status is defined as “a collection of rights and duties” which are “distinct from the individual who may occupy it” (Grunlan 90). A status, in other words, is my place in society, which is different than my role in society. Linton writes “(when a person) puts the rights and duties which constitute the status into effect, he is performing a role” (91). So essentially, when I operate out of my status, I am fulfilling a role. You could say that when my role is perfectly aligned with my status, I am operating efficiently. But is that always the best thing for society? Sure, things may run more smoothly as each of us performs the roles dictated by our status. However, what happens when we settle for what our status decrees?
For some in society, their status is placed upon them by others. They have no say in many aspects which make up their status. There are other times when we assign status upon ourselves. Yet, thanks to our increased awareness because of social media, less and less people are settling for status quo. Our roles are not bound by our status. However, I must also recognized that I have privilege and power ascribed to me in this culture simply due to factors over which I had no control. Did I determine into which country I would be born? How about my skin color and gender and height and eye color? Was I born with a learning or social disability? These (and so many more) were granted to me completely without my control. I must be careful not to wield them carelessly, or with a sense of entitlement.
It is interesting to note my internal reaction when these things are brought to light. I could choose to learn from the experience, or I could get defensive. Why do I get defensive when my worldview is challenged? Why do I feel attacked when my preconceived notions are confronted? Back in 2013, in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, three women created a movement called “Black Lives Matter” (Herstory). As the group has grown in numbers and familiarity, some have pushed back with retorts like “all lives matter” or selecting a group they are familiar with and declaring that their lives matter. What is glaringly missing in these reactions is that no one is saying these other lives do not matter. In fact, most of those other lives have always mattered. Bringing awareness to the oppression and killing of one social group is completely reasonable, and actually necessary.
I am a white man. I am tall and handsome. (Just ask my wife.) I am also humble. (Just ask me.) It has only been the past few years that I have begun to realize that my skin color and gender directly affect the tone of the room into which I walk. When I think about the few times I have felt threatened by something over which I had no control, it pales in comparison to my brothers and sisters of color who day-in and day-out face that reality. As one who has not experienced the effects of racial bias, as I become more and more aware of its harsh reality, my role should turn to more of an ambassador. If I view my privilege and power from a Christian perspective, I have been called to invade the culture into which I am placed with the grace and redemption and reconciliation of the kingdom of God.
Some believe that we are making progress in society, while for others, it looks like we are taking a step back. It was only a few decades ago when “colored” people were unable to drink from the same water fountain as “whites.” I would like to think that the years following the Civil Rights Act of 1964 were progressive in the area of racial healing, and that equality came quickly. Yet here we are, 53 years later, and in many ways things seem to be declining. Just this past week, an owner of an NFL team made the news in an alarming fashion. Bob McNair, owner of the Houston Texans, in comments on players demonstrating during the national anthem said “We can’t have the inmates running the prison” (ESPN). These words, coming from an older white man from the south with lots of power and a position of authority, rightly upset a lot of people. Most of the team’s players demonstrated by kneeling during the anthem for the game on the Sunday following his comments.
As much as there is an urgency to “getting it right,” we must also exercise patience and grace to each other. I am in a different place in this process than you. Our Lord is committed to completing this work within us. We must find the balance of earnestness for change while patience in the process. I believe grace must be extended while we exercise perseverance and persistence on the journey. As I say that, I fully recognize that my status in society allows for me to call for patience, while there are others who are way beyond that point. I respect that.
Status and role, with the proper understanding of power and privilege, affect how I conduct myself in society because I know my proper place as an ambassador of the kingdom of God. I love the words of the Apostle Paul when he wrote, “we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20 ESV). My status as a redeemed child of God directly defines my role as His representative to a world desperately needing His love. My status as a white man in society bears similar implications of which I am becoming more aware.
The more I learn about social injustice, the more I realize I do not know. I want to be a learner. I want to recognize my status and role are seen differently by others than they are by me. None of us are truly objective. Frankly, it is a bit overwhelming. Part of me is ashamed by my ignorance, while another part of me wants to bury my head in the sand. It is just too much. What is wonderful about the digital age in which we live is that anyone with a good idea and good communication skills can get a movement started that gains momentum quickly as it resonates with more people, and as they share it in their spheres of influence. True ignorance is harder and harder to justify. I almost need to cover my ears and yell “La-la-la-la” in order to drown out the voices of my brothers and sisters who are shouting to be heard. Am I willing to listen? Or will I settle for the status quo?
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Works Cited
ESPN, ESPN.com news services via. “NFL Texans Kneel during Pregame Protest over Owner’s Comparing Players to ‘Inmates’.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 29 Oct. 2017, abcnews.go.com/Sports/nfl-texans-plan-pregame-protest-owners-comparing-players/story?id=50797581.
Grunlan, Stephen A., and Milton Reimer. Christian Perspectives on Sociology. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2001.
“Herstory.” Black Lives Matter, blacklivesmatter.com/about/herstory/.
Scazzero, Peter. The Emotionally Healthy Leader. Zondervan, 2015.
