Should Anyone Be Okay With This?

Last week I came across a website full of Bible studies for women! The content appeared to be wonderful: studies, opportunities to share with others, articles. I bookmarked it right away and started following a few of the authors with Instagram accounts. There was just one thing about the website itself, the theme. The flowering vines and pale colors just screamed "Lifetime Movie Channel." It made me feel a bit-- I don't know, old? Well, can't judge a book by it's cover, right? Apparently, you can.

My cover is white. My parents were both of English and Irish descent-- just to name a few --and I had nothing to do with it. I did not pick this cover, but my cover says exactly what God intended it to say: this is a daughter of Mine, created in my image and according to My design. My cover, however, does not say who I am. Like that Bible study website, I am much more complicated than that. Who I am, or how I will respond, or what I will choose, or where I live, cannot be explained simply by looking at the color of my skin. That is why, when I saw a post on an author's Instagram account, I was compelled to respond.

The author posted something about arrogance. A follower responded with: 

"...Hope this doesn't sound arrogant... But this also requires the work of discerning arrogance. I am finding white women in particular have very fragile emotions. And if I don't make them feel good in my deliveries, then I'm arrogant. Or hate filled. Or divisive. Or not pointing to Jesus. Anyway, I just felt led to say that..."

I thought to myself, "I am not okay with this statement, but this person is looking to dialogue. This is a good thing." I responded:

"I don't think this sounds arrogant, but I do believe it sounds racist. Please tell me how skin color determines character. Life experiences can certainly lead to fragile emotions, but skin color? If I say I find most Asian women to be optimistic, despite the assumed positive nature of such a comment, it is still a generalization based inaccurately on skin color/ race -- a racist statement. Do we find Jesus making character assessments based on a person being a Gentile or Samaritan? Or do we find Him loving them as individuals created in the image of God?"

 The author and owner of the account then responded to me:

"...women of color who are brave enough to express hurt and wounds due to racism won't be called racist here on my page. So I ask that the conversation ends here.

 "Let me encourage you to sit with the discomfort of her comment, rather than argue with it. The point of this post is unity - even with those we disagree... I pray that my content spurs you on to see Jesus as our great reconciler."

Does anyone have to sit with the discomfort of a race-based opinion about character, or personal preferences, or ability to complete a task? Can any of those things be determined by skin color? Let me tell you, if a white woman had made that statement with regard to a woman of any other color, I would have been offended for her! What are we doing to ourselves? I'm sorry if I don't get it, but should anyone be okay with this?