flyer than angels

race, jeremy, and the kingdom:

Today I want to talk about Jeremy Lin. Big surprise right?

But I want to start with a question:

What are you first?

Does it mean more to you to be Christian, or to be Black/Asian/White/Hispanic (insert your race/ethnicity/gender here)?

What are you first?

The identity that you hold most central, or core to your being is often times revealed in a moment of conflict, struggle, or opposition.

What has struck me most about the Jeremy Lin “phenomenon” has not been the fact that the dude can actually ball, that he rose to prominence from out of nowhere, that he is the equivalent of the modern-day “Rudy” story, or that he has captivated a worldwide audience with his skill, athleticism, swag, and humility - rather, it is has been how quickly the story has shifted from the things which matters most, to the things which matters least.

The Facebook News Feed has almost become the gauge of the local, national, and international consciousness about any issue. Who needs CNN when I can just check FB and immediately find out what topics are trending, and what issues are being discussed by those in my generation? My, how times have changed, lol.

The Joy of Jeremy + The Pain of Prejudice

When Jeremy Lin first burst on the scene, my News Feed was blasted with various articles, posts, and videos about this new kid on the block, and even more so, how he’s a believer in Christ. While many of my friends who were not Christian focused on the fact that Lin is Asian-American (and rightly so), almost every person that was Christian made it a point to mention that this guy was in fact a believer first, and the mention of his race came a distant second.

In the context of a Madonna Superbowl halftime show that was steeped in occultism, and Nicki Minaj’s Satanist Grammy performance, it was amazing to see God respond in such a bold way: Jeremy Lin in the largest media market on Earth, New York City. It’s the modern-day story of Joseph, Daniel, or David - rising out of relative obscurity to highest of places. Heck, after his scoring explosion and game-winning shot against the Raptors, I even found myself drinking the proverbial Kool-Aid.

But then, almost suddenly - the content of the posts started to change. Word of an ESPN headline with a racial slur in reference to Lin’s first loss began to circulate, and with it outbursts of anger, disbelief, and offense. People called for the writer’s head - and they got it, as he was fired almost immediately. Now don’t misunderstand - I completely agree that what was written was inappropriate, offensive, and down right wrong - but I wonder if many of us have failed to see the spiritual implications of recent events.

Exposing the Scheme

Racism is one of the oldest demonic tricks in the book used by the enemy. Based out of pride and fear, it causes division, hatred, anger, prejudice, and discrimination both within and without those use it. Not only that, but it also creates an atmosphere of hypersensitivity, where grace is missing, and judgment is in abundance. It’s one of the strongest weapons still used today that keep people divided. Not only that, but it’s also one of the chief methods used by the enemy to distract us from what unifies us.

The Kingdom of God is about unity. It’s about a celebration of differences, harmony, love, and joy that comes as a product of being children reborn and renewed through God’s grace. By grace our identities are changed to no longer be conformed to the patterns of this world, but instead to walk as children of light, as citizens of heaven. What unifies us in the Kingdom is greater than what divides us - whether it is race, gender, socioeconomic background, or anything else that we may encounter.

Let me submit something to you: Could it be that God chose Jeremy Lin, an Asian-American in a league without them, so that he would shine that much brighter for His glory?

Instead of race being a factor to rally around (which ultimately makes Lin the hero), why aren’t we (meaning us well-meaning Christians) rallying around the God who has shown us once again that He makes the improbable probable? 

A debate about Jeremy Lin and his race, however valid, ultimately robs us of an even more fruitful debate, which would be Jeremy Lin and faith. And that is what I believe is Satan’s intention in all of this. Distraction.

Jacob, Isaac’s son and Abraham’s grandson, was distracted at the place called “Bethel,” and ultimately missed that God was in his midst the entire time. Martha was distracted with much serving and missed the significance of the Lord sitting right in her living room, seeking to teach her and her sister Mary. When we are distracted by lesser things, we often times miss the intentions of God for greater things.

When our focus is on Jeremy Lin the Asian rather than Jeremy Lin the Christian, he ultimately becomes just another celebrity that we exalt and want to emulate - and while that may be precious and valuable in one community, I believe it cheapens what God wants to accomplish in the greater scheme of things.

And when our response is focused more upon one person’s foolish offense, rather than on giving grace - it shows what at the root we consider to be our truest identity.

The Heart of the Matter

A few years ago, I messaged a friend back in the States because I was angry with the level of ignorance and subtle racism I was experiencing here in South Korea. Many of the people I interacted with daily (and who grew up in diverse, multicultural communities) continued to confuse me with another Black guy in our congregation, and while also making insensitive comments about my hair texture, skin color, among other things. Needless to say, I was not pleased. I began to rant on and on about how “those people” didn’t understand me, and expecting him, a Black man himself, to empathize with my suffering.

However, I was not ready for his response. After I finished venting, he simply asked me one question:

“Marcus - Are you Black first, or are you a Christian first?”

Meaning, “what matters more to you, your race/ethnic identity/culture/gender/etc, or who Christ has made you to be?” I was silent. I knew that my truthful answer to that question exposed quite a bit about how I saw myself, and how I saw the world. The truth was I identified more with being Black than being a believer - and everytime someone said something racist, I drew from that identity (one that has been characterized for centuries with being marginalized and resenting it), than the other one (characterized for thousands of years with being marginalized and covering it).

Now, in light of everything, ask yourself the same question.

What are you first?