Mike Mewborne
Art, faith, education, social commentary, and daily happenings.
(Source: thelovelyfew)
Japanese poster for The Empire Strikes Back, 1980, illustrated by Noriyushi Ohrai.
One year ago today I played a show in Charleston, SC. It was on a Monday night. It was a wonderful night. People danced, it was hot, we got paid, I had the most amazing dinner, I got to see old friends… it was everything you could want out of a gig.
And I’ll never forget it. Not because of those things. Two days later I would watch on the news as reports of a mass shooting spread to the entire country, perhaps the world. Charleston was added to a list of towns it should never be associated with; a list no town should be on. Aurora. New Town. Columbine. Our bass player was in the same bar that night, playing with a different band when the city went on lockdown.
There’s a lot to think back on, and in the wake of the horrible events in Orlando, there’s a lot to talk about. The one thing I keep coming to, though, is the issue of racism in America. If the Emmanuel massacre taught me one thing, it is that white privilege is real. This was profound for me. I remember thinking that week “What if a copy cat comes into my church on Sunday? What if it’s me? What if it’s my kids? What if it’s my wife? My friends?” Frankly, as a high school teacher, I have some training on how to respond in such a situation, which is already super messed up, so I thought through things like alternate exits, things I could turn into weapons (Do people carry concealed weapons to church, and am I ok with that?)… but I was hit by the realization that probably nothing was going to happen, not because I live in a pretty safe place or go to a small church, but because I and most of the people in my house of worship are white. That horrible reality brought so many other things to light. There’s so much I don’t understand, so much I’ve been protected from simply because of the color of my skin, the same way those people had been targeted and murdered only because of the color of their skin. I have a masters degree in teaching social studies, but I didn’t get it until that week.
I also learned what Christianity should look like. Those family members stared that boy in the face and forgave him. Can you comprehend the strength that takes? The courage? That is what Christianity should be. There was nothing political there, nothing to gain… it was the teachings of Jesus lived out in an unimaginably difficult situation.
They took action. They said something. They spoke up.
It is time again to be brave, and not limit our faith to prayers, though they are important. Our faith and hope and love should drive us to act. To love the people around us, to look out for them. To ask hard questions. To become better versions of ourselves. To cast off our own bigotries. To listen to others. To live out our ideals in peace.
Peace.
May 21 at Redux in Charleston, SC. Photo by Dries Vandenberg.
Get tickets to our upcoming show with The Hadleys on May 21 at Redux in Charleston here.
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