The Emptiness of My White Privilege
I’m okay with being white. I’ve never been another color so I can’t really comment intelligently on what that is like. I’ve been told that my whiteness yields benefit in our nation. I won’t likely be racially profiled. I will probably never be pulled over for being white. I’ll also probably get chosen last for the pick-up basketball game – ouch, see I’m short too. But does my white skin yield anything of value?
On a recent business trip, the Lord afforded me a front-row seat to the hopelessness of the human condition. I spent some time in a casino, sort of. My hotel had an attached casino and not having been in one since before-Brad, I sat at the adjacent Starbucks! vicinity the slot machines, sipping my double short Americano, watching the action.
Some observations,
- No one pulls a lever anymore. I only saw a few slot machines with an actual lever which makes sense because the lever pull slows the play. The button is way faster.
- People smoke in a casino! Not having been in a casino in nearly two decades, I had forgotten that people actually smoke indoors in some places.
- They were giving away free bottles of vodka. A valid casino card entitled one to a nice bottle of Pinnacle whipped.
- Slot machines are an amazing source of passive income. The casino never closes and a casino worker confirmed for me that there are always people playing the slots, even during the witching hours of the early morning.
- This was serious business. Sure, there were the random few who haphazardly dropped a few bucks in the nearest machine for fun while waiting on a friend because, you know, you just never know. Yet for most, this was business. No one smiled. No one laughed. Most sat hypnotized, dragging on their cigarettes, clutching their bottle of free vodka, while mindlessly inserting coin after coin, dollar after dollar.
- There were no black people.
As I observed, a single black man walked by and I noticed for the first time that most players were older white people: old ladies with perfectly manicured perms, old men in track suits with huge glasses and confused looks on their faces, old couples sitting side-by-side not noticing one another as they fed the machines, most smoking, and almost all white.
Obviously, plenty of black people play slot machines, but I was reminded that this is what my supposed privilege buys; this is the fruit of white privilege - the pursuit of a false promise, the worship of a vain idol.
Here they sit, mindlessly dropping dollar after dollar into a machine while tapping a little button as fast as they can, hoping for the promise of cash. It never happens. No one wins except for the house. You don’t think they build these opulent altars to false hope from snack bar proceeds do you?
Legions of privileged old white people bow like zombies before these golden calfs - $tinkin’ Rich! Moolah! Treasures of Troy!
I even saw one lady hit a jackpot. The machine lit up and spit out a handful of coins with the characteristic jangling sound and I anticipated a cheer, something. She didn’t move, didn’t react, didn’t break from playing. She immediately began inserting the coins she’d just won. I guess the amount wasn’t enough to merit quitting or the prospect of winning more just too tantalizing. Another lady moved from one machine to another, looking for a hot one. Perhaps a new machine would warm up a bit.
This is privilege? This is hope? I serve a God who tells me,
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,
Psalm 146:5
Blessed is the man, happy is the man, who puts his hope in the God of the Bible, in Jesus. He is my foundation, my rock, my cornerstone. When all else in life fails, when everything seems to come crashing down around me, when the insanity of the world overpowers my senses, I remember that all things will perish, they will all wear out like a garment, but He will remain. He is the same and His years will have no end. (Hebrews 2)
And His love for me knows no bound, no end. He loved me in that while I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me. (Romans 5:8) God sent His only Son to the cross as an atoning sacrifice for my sins and that is something that can never be taken away. No matter what the world does to me, no matter what I do to myself, no matter what snares the enemy may set for me, I have been adopted as a son, a child of the King and I may forever cry, “Abba, Father!” (Galatians 4:6)
And God is no respecter of persons. He has no regard for race or age or socio-economic status or gender. In heaven, I am assured of worshipping forever alongside brothers and sisters from every nation, tribe, peoples, and language. (Revelation 7:9)
This is privilege.
Maybe my whiteness yields a certain privilege…before men. It buys me exactly nothing where it matters most, in the economy of God. The Lord simply has no regard for my white skin. I have a far greater privilege. I have the privilege of knowing the Lord Jesus, and in Him, I have an unwavering hope. You may know Him as well, no matter the color of your skin.
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Aviation Principal and Mission Support SME at Serco Inc.
7yGreat article Brad. THANKS! Hope all is well with you and yours!
President at The Talmid School of Theology
7yTrue, including the church that has completely forgotten about the Cross.
Volunteer "CARING ADVOCATE FOR THOSE AREN'T BEING HEARD "
7yI understand part of what you're saying being white or being black or any other color doesn't stop you from having the greatest privilege of all, knowing Christ. But we live on earth with people who know Christ and who are brown red yellow and they are marginalized and disenfranchised because of the color of their skin and the only people who can bridge that gap and go across the divide and say Yes White Privilege exists, yes this is happening even in the church. Are white Christians standing up? I don't see that happening very much. So what's your point that POC'S can be saved, so its ok? We didn't do anything to them we didn't make them slaves and so what I have white privilege it isn't all that great being white? All of that may be true but none of that negates the fact that racism exists and it is sin. We Christian's no matter what color can't sweep it under the rug and act like it doesn't exist or does it matter.
President at The Talmid School of Theology
7yBeloved Brother Bradford, Thank you for your insight. I am neither white nor black according to society but considered brown. I find the entire conversation of race to be a ridiculous conversation period. In my humble opinion, there is no white race, black race, yellow race, brown race or red race. There is simply the HUMAN RACE. That HUMAN RACE has unique and distinct arrays of expressions in many colors, many languages and many cultural nuances. Even in Africa our brethren understand the race issue. I teach a great deal in Africa and whenever the issue of race comes to light I ask the brethren the following question: Can a Rhino and a Giraffe mate to produce a calf? The answer is always a NO. Why? Because the Rhino and Giraffe are two different species. This would be an act of impossibility. However, can the black man, white man, red man, yellow man, and brown man intermarry and produce children. EVERYBODY yells out loud YES! Why? Because they all belong to the same specie (THE HUMAN RACE). Is the conversation about human races a valid conversation and they always answer NO! I travel extensively around the world teaching the Word of God and not long ago sitting next to me on a plane was a gentleman who went out of his way to apologize to me for being a privileged white man. I must have had a puzzled and perplexed look on my face because he felt the need to explain himself to me. After a few minutes of this long diatribe of guilt placed on him by society I decide to interrupt him. I asked him if knew Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of his life. He immediately stated emphatically that yes, he was a believer. So, I asked him why was he apologizing to me as fellow human that our Sovereign God in His wisdom, mercy, grace and love decided that he would be born white and still be made in His image. All of us, have been made in His Image! The cross of Jesus Christ is the divine equalizer to everything! In Christ Love, Brother Eddie
BA, Masters-Executive Leadership, Food Service Executive, Minister, Teacher, Mentor, Student, Spartan Athlete
7yGreat hook brother. I was looking for insight into this "white privilage" thing from a white perspective, but got so much more. God is nor respector of persons; white-black, male-female, rich-poor; we all gain equal standing in Christ Jesus! Amen! God bless you. Yours in Christ!