Lutherans for Racial Justice I May 27, 2023

Those were the words of Florida governor Ron Desantis following his successful reelection bid in 2022. During his tenure, the governor has cited the dangers of “woke ideology” as an impetus to enforce restrictions on library books, criticize pandemic responses, restrict health care and sex education, eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, and outlaw education about systemic racism. [1]

However one feels about the measures themselves, the governor’s language signifies the cultural potency of the term “woke," which has become a popular way to categorize a wide array of people and ideas.

In part one of a new series titled “Awake or Woke,” (read here), The Lutheran Witness, the official publication of The LCMS, sets out to explain the term “woke” and its implications in contemporary culture. [2] We’ll do our best to fairly summarize the article and offer responses as needed. In the end, we hope readers will have a better understanding of the word “woke,” racial justice work, and what this grassroots movement of the Lutherans for Racial Justice (LRJ) community is all about.

Outside of this summer's convention, the Director of The Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty, a D.C. political lobbying organization funded by The LCMS, has denounced “the woke movement,” calling it “a pietous scrubbing of society.” [4] The president of The Minnesota South District of the LCMS authored the study What Does This Mean?, naming the former President of the Black Clergy Caucus and Lutherans for Racial Justice as promoters of “woke culture.” [5]

You may find yourself reading the word "woke" and, much like the Minnesota South District president, asking “What does this mean?”

The Lutheran Witness article begins by rightly establishing the etymology of “woke” as Black counter-cultural slang dating back a century, which warned of anti-Black lynchings in the Jim Crow South. The piece goes on to emphasize the word’s historical use as primarily “being conscious of the cause of black nationalism.” While black nationalism played a part in the history of “woke,” the term more popularly evolved to refer to self-awareness of one’s own culture as a Black American. [6]

Perhaps The Witness is trying to link what it sees as historical extremism to contemporary use, which it defines as a slogan for those “with radical political and social views.” But the truth is, “woke” has been picked up by political activists of all backgrounds over the past twenty years. As Merriam-Webster summarizes, the word "gained more widespread use beginning in 2014 as part of the Black Lives Matter movement. By the end of that same decade, it was also being applied by some as a general pejorative for anyone who is or appears to be politically left-leaning." [7]

As a result of this appropriation, the moniker “woke” is now typically avoided by those who once used it as a self-identifier. These days, it is almost exclusively used as a pejorative – by all sides.

“While many people on the right may be disenchanted with wokeness because they see it as an upgraded form of ‘political correctness,’ many people on the left may be just as frustrated with it,” notes journalist Aja Romano. [8] They continue:

We're not here to defend superficial trappings.

If driven by selfish motives, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs can do more to serve an institution's image than its workers or clients. Corporations can perform tone-deaf pandering or exploit the very communities they claim to empower. If that's what "woke" has come to mean, it's no wonder that groups who once identified with the term are now dropping it.

The Witness’ omission of this context is understandable. After all, language moves fast in the social media era. So, for the sake of discussion, let’s move on from discussion of the label “woke,” which has been appropriated and distorted so much as to lose its meaning. 

Instead, let’s turn to the bigger idea that is being proposed.

Using “woke” as a catchall, the article suggests that the views of those engaged in social justice work have a unified “worldview or a lens through which the world is understood.”

But people and groups involved in social justice work aren’t a monolith any more than Christians…or LCMS Lutherans for that matter. As an example, the last Pew Research study of LCMS membership outlines the church body’s division on issues such as civic policy regarding abortion. According to the study, 46% think that abortion should be legal in all/most cases (versus 51% illegal), more than the percentage of members who support government aid to low-income households. [9]

"There is no one Christian policy or position on (much of) crime, poverty, state assistance, immigration, global warming, etc." says Rev. Matthew Harrison, current LCMS president. “That’s why The LCMS makes few statements on policy matters, but rather urges Christians to be good citizens and to act justly when they participate in the secular realm. Christians are free to make decisions that they believe are for the good of the world.” [10]

Much like LCMS members and their wide-ranging perspectives, social justice advocates hold varied opinions on all sorts of social issues. This reality is all too familiar to the Lutherans for Racial Justice community. The challenge of coalition building (and church building for that matter!) is finding common ground amidst stark differences of opinion.

With the understanding that there is no one unified theory of social justice driving all efforts, let's explore what social justice looks like.

The Witness article describes contemporary social justice efforts as the pursuit of equity. “This equity differs from the traditional notion of equal opportunity. It strives for equality of outcomes,” the article laments, meaning “the redistribution of resources, denying rights and privileges to groups that are considered advantaged, privileging oppressed groups…”

This “equality of outcomes” criticism is one that the LRJ community often hears in response to our efforts. Since these conversations usually lead to debates over abstract linguistics and economic theory, let’s use a pragmatic example of what equity in a racial justice context actually looks like for an LCMS school or congregation.

LCMS Lutheran pastors are trained to preach sermons by bringing a sin problem to the congregation’s attention. So too, equity work starts with awareness of a problem – one that is directly impacting our neighbors today.

THE PROBLEM

According to a study by researchers at the University of Memphis, Black children are three times more likely to fatally drown than white children. [11]

Any tragedy like this is worthy of intervention. And if your vocation calls you to help reduce water-related deaths of any kind, that’s a beautiful calling. But the fact that Black children are impacted in such a disproportionate way deserves further investigation, especially for a Lutheran institution that serves any number of Black students, congregants, or community members. 

THE CONTEXT

In the 1950s and 60s, swimming pools were racially segregated, meaning there was a lack of access to pools for Black Americans. A study from the USA Swimming Foundation found that if a parent does not know how to swim, there is only a 13 percent chance that their child will learn how to swim. Today, 64% of Black children can’t swim, compared to 40% of white children. Unfortunately, the past isn't just in the past as Black Americans continue to pay a generational cost for historic racism. [12] 

THE RESPONSE

A faithful LCMS school or congregation might find itself led by the Spirit to compassion and respond with the love of Christ. What would such a response look like?

Perhaps they’ll partner with their neighborhood to invest in swimming pools, instruction, or broader education – especially in communities that are at the highest risk for drowning. LCMS members might even take civic action to improve access and safety for swimming pools. Notice that the response does not require the community to steal resources from white pools so that more white children drown as an “equality of outcome” framing might imply. We, in the Lutheran tradition, do not serve a god of scarcity as if one neighbor must lose when another benefits, but a God of mercy.

Per Martin Luther:

A congregation or school might also investigate its own history as it relates to pool segregation, not for the sake of punitive justice, but in helping address a problem to which it may have contributed. This is what advocates refer to as “restorative justice”. Trauma specialist Johnny Page says restorative justice creates space for people and groups “that caused harm to come face to face with their actions in a way that’s positive rather than just strictly punitive.”

In The United States, the word “justice” more likely brings to mind images of vigilante masked crusaders bludgeoning criminals than it evokes The Good Samaritan. Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III, the author of Dancing in the Darkness: Spiritual Lessons for Thriving in Turbulent Times, says there’s a good reason for that.

"Justice in the American sense has been punishment and retribution,” notes Rev. Dr. Moss, describing the biblical or divine version of justice as “renewing versus destroying.”

Renewal. That’s the game.

From maternal mortality rates to historic red-lining practices in housing, it's easy to find opportunities for renewal, especially when it comes to racial divides. We can only speak for ourselves, but when we're at our best, a Spirit-driven hope of renewal is what motivates our work -- not a delusional pursuit of a utopian world that “cannot exist this side of paradise,” as the second article in The Witness’ series states (which we’ll have to leave for another time to address in full).

The Lutheran Witness series is being written by Dr. Adam S. Francisco. Having received his PHD from Oxford, held faculty positions at Concordia Theological Seminary as well as three Concordias (New York, Irvine, Chicago), and served as Director of Academics for 1517, Dr. Francisco is a well-qualified academic and faithful Lutheran. Our purpose is not to denigrate him nor anyone in The Missouri Synod warning against the dangers of “wokeness” or social justice efforts. They are clearly doing so out of a fervent belief in and defense of the gospel.

“We should never look outside of God’s redemptive work in Jesus’ death and resurrection to save us from our sins,” Dr. Francisco rightly notes.

While this is an apt summary of humanity’s relationship with The Creator, warning readers that “the pursuit of social justice and equity in woke culture is informed by assumptions irreconcilable with the Christian worldview” seemingly renders the church impotent to faithfully meet temporal needs through Spirit-led vocations.

“The woke worldview is but a secular attempt — and a misguided one at that — to describe and remedy what can only be prescribed and corrected by the One who creates life and sustains humanity,” The Witness’ article says in its closing paragraph.

How do we square this conclusion with the fact that since the 1950s, the congregations of The LCMS have passed 39 resolutions to condemn racism and racial discrimination? [14] The latest resolution from 2019 encourages members to work towards racial reconciliation, “praying that those who advocate racist ideologies and those who are deceived by them be brought to repentance, and that justice and healing come to those who have been wounded.” [15]

If Lutherans are derided as “woke,” even when The LCMS in convention has condemned racism and called Lutherans to address it, does this mean the convention has erred?

Alternatively, it appears that both the 2019 resolution and LRJ continue a legacy of faithful Lutherans rallying their church to action against racism:

• In 1968, Concordia Theological Seminary President J.A.O. Preus (who would be elected LCMS President the following year) responded to the U.S. government’s Kerner Report on racial disorder by writing, “There seems to be no question that the Kerner report was correct in stating that the real problem is a white problem, namely, white racism.” [16]

• In 1977, Rev. Dr. Dickinson wrote the book Roses and Thorns (published by Concordia Publishing House), saying that in churches, racism receives “more allegiance than handbooks, constitutions, symbolic books, or even the voice of God himself in the pages of his Holy Word.” [17]

• In 1994, the CTCR created a report on racism, which says, “The church, aware of its history in the United States, must continually employ methods—grounded in the Word and sacraments and in the proper distinction between Law and Gospel—to expose, condemn, and remove [racism]. Not to do so is to participate in perpetuating institutional and cultural racism and to hinder effective and God-pleasing outreach with the Gospel.” [18] President Harrison continues to cite this report and the 39 synodical resolutions as the church body’s stance on racism. [19]

Should these statements from faithful, respected Lutherans be dismissed as “secular” or “woke”?

While one might appreciate The Witness’ interest in defending the faith, this article (and broader use of similar talking points) serve to establish a false dichotomy. Both seemingly remove the possibility that the Christian and the social justice advocate could have any areas of agreement. 

And yet, by and large, Lutheran churchgoers trust that God can work through medicine like chemotherapy to treat cancer and meteorology to help us avoid harmful weather. LCMS leaders learn from and partner with those outside the Lutheran confession when it comes to life issues, even when they might come from a so-called secular perspective. In fact, The Lutheran Reporter commended LCMS involvement in this year’s March for Life: “Catholics, Protestants, ‘Nones’ and atheists all joined in to encourage the United States to treasure and protect life.” [20]

If Lutherans are encouraged to unite with the non-Lutheran and even secular world in support of life issues, might it also be possible for us to learn something about addressing racism from those who serve vocations in the fields of history, sociology, psychology, medicine, education, and criminal justice?

Dr. Adam S. Francisco, the author of The Witness article, seems to think so.

“As free sons and daughters of the King, we are also freed up to work on our neighbor’s behalf in and through our various vocations—whatever they may be,” writes Dr. Francisco in his conclusion to 1517 Publishing’s edition of Martin Luther’s “The Freedom of the Christian.” [21]

As Martin Luther wrote:

Dear “masks of God,” we may indeed be called to speak out and work toward justice for the oppressed in a variety of ways, even as imperfect or incomplete it may be this side of eternity. We are each called in our Christian freedom to “not use [our] freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Gal. 5:13).

In the end, whether you consider yourself “anti-woke” or “woke” or “not political” – we can all set these labels aside and, together, actively pursue racial justice that would better serve LCMS congregations, schools, and communities.

“We supposedly have Christians who are against social justice, but I don’t believe that,” says Justin Giboney of And Campaign. “I think that everybody supports social justice…some people just limit it to certain groups and give it to others depending on how it conveniences them.” He goes on, “No one is going to sit around and watch someone in their family be unjustly imprisoned if there is something they could do about it.” [23]

One of the great joys of Christian life is the knowledge that in Christ, every person on earth is now a member of your family, a beloved image of The Creator.

Masks of God, assemble.

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Lutherans for Racial Justice (LRJ) is a grassroots coalition committed to fostering multiethnic church and school cultures as we pursue racial equity, justice, and healing within the communities of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). LEARN MORE.