Today we live an age where our culture is pushing and demanding identity politics. We are to find our identity in our sexuality, our ethnic backgrounds, in a group that has or is experiencing real or imagined suffering. Rather than find common ground with others, we simply find those who hold similar views to ourselves and view those that not as we are as strange, different, or even evil.
Of course, many of the claimed sufferings of individuals or groups in the past and the present are real and should be addressed. Slavery and its long-lasting effects, racism against indigenous peoples and against Hispanics and Asians in this country need to be addressed. Poverty and oppression are real problems. Women have been the recipients of oppression and sexual abuse as well. These problems are even worse in other parts of the world. (Although perhaps conveniently ignored by the identity culture.)
But the tendency to divide and sub-divide into splinter groups to address these issues or cast blame or complain about past or current abuses is not helpful. While I believe this tendency is not helpful from a social viewpoint, it is also counter to the Gospel and counter Christian, which is what I would like to address.
I'm currently a book, Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes. The author has many years of experience with Eastern Asian cultures and has written much about honor and shame in Christian and in Asian contexts. In this book he shows how Paul, the author of Romans, wishes his readers to find their honor and acceptance in God through Jesus and in the Christian community rather than in their ethnic identity as Jew or Greek. The Jews were the descendants of Abraham and the recipients of God's promises to him, as opposed to the Gentiles. The Greeks were civilized and looked down on the surrounding nations, the barbarians. The Romans saw themselves as cultural Greeks and therefore looked down on other nations as well.
Part of the reason we seek to find our identity in various groups is that it is within those groups that we find our "belonging" or "honor" or "face." It is within those groups that we find acceptance and approval and we seek those groups to bolster our esteem.
The danger for the church in Rome was that the Jews would look down on the Gentiles, and the Romans would look down on the Jews. They found their acceptance, approval, and honor in their own group and in putting down the other group(s).
So too American (and probably others as well) Christians are tempted today to find their acceptance and honor and approval in following a certain political group (and opposing the other groups), in one's own ethnic group or sexuality or in some other characteristic. In other words, it is about one's identity. This article talks about going beyond identity politics, to finding one's acceptance as an individual, rather than as a group. But that is not enough
W. in his book on Romans points out that for Christians, finding our identity in an ethnic group, sexual group or any other groups is completely against the Gospel. "Glory is not rooted in group identity" (page 114). As Christians, our acceptance and approval don't come from our political alliances, the groups that reinforce our sexual identity or from our ethnic identity. Rather, our glory -- our acceptance and approval -- come from being in Christ, allying ourselves with him, and in our future glorification and resurrection.
I believe that as human beings, we desperately want to belong, to find acceptance, and to have face/honor/recognition. Where will we find these things? Our culture increasingly says in identity politics, others say these will be found as individuals. God says that we find these things in following Jesus and that he will give these things to Jesus' followers.
Where will you find your acceptance?
What are the ramifications for Christians today? We must refuse to be drawn into the game currently played in our culture and on social media. Although there are worthy goals on both sides of many of the debates today, the whole game is couched in terms that we Christians cannot accept. There is something more important than our sexuality, history, and skin color.
First, our acceptance and face/recognition has to come from God and his standards be reinforced by the Christian community.
Second, as Christians it is our task to reinforce each other in these standards. This is one of the most important functions of the church.
Third, we should not encourage Christians, nor should we ourselves, be involved in identity politics. As Lisa Spencer wrote in a recent article, Choose this day whom you will serve: Jesus or Skin Color?
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