As many of my friends have heard, I experienced a racist “Zoom bombing” at UCLA this week. 11 racist Zoom Bombers hacked into our class and started gleefully chanting “No-word, N-word, N-word, monkey, monkey, monkey.” It went on and on until I was forced to cancel the meeting. https://dailybruin.com/2020/03/31/racist-zoombombing-incidents-at-ucla-disrupt-online-classes-and-students/
I’ve since learned of similar stories from friends and colleagues throughout the country. After recovering from the initial trauma, I’ve been asking: What about covid-19 is bringing out the worst in people?
Moments of trial are like putting a tea bag into a cup of steaming hot water. The true scent, flavors, and colors come out.
In times of crisis, most of us retreat into our “social identities” and the values and priorities which define that identity. Social identity refers to the emotional attachment we feel to certain groups in society. Each of these social groups is defined by certain values and beliefs. Social identities are most frequently created around the “master statuses” of race, class, gender, sexuality, religion, and politics. Social identity often expresses itself in “I am” statements such as: “I am a conservative Republican,” “I am a Democratic Socialist,” “I am an Asian American,” “I am an Asian-Latino,” “I am a feminist,” “I am an evangelical Christian,” “I am Catholic,” etc.
In and of themselves, social identities are neither right nor wrong. They give us a way to find friends and affinity groups, build social organizations, and give order to society. Social identity can quickly cross the line into something bad, however, when they become defined by an “us” vs. “them” mentality: Anybody who is part of my “in group” is fully human and worthy of love and mutual respect, but anyone else is an “enemy” to be disparaged, dehumanized, and excluded. And Zoom bombed. And put in internment camps. And deported. And left to die from Coronavirus because we don’t have enough resources to take care of everyone that does not belong to our social group.
This, I believe, is why Jesus teaches us to love our neighbor as ourself (Mark 12:30-31) and even to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-45).
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:43-45
As followers of Jesus, our primary social identity as children of God must encompass a love for those like us and those most unlike us. Those from our “in group” and those who are “outside.” Not a sappy, sentimental love with no teeth, but a gritty, self-sacrificial love that costs something to the giver and seeks the full human flourishing of the other for whom Christ also died. This cuts across social affiliations of race, ethnicity, politics, gender, sexuality, religion, denomination, and whatever other social identities which may exist. And, if we say we know Jesus, then this love must extend in a unique way to whoever is most marginalized in our world (Matthew 25:31-46).
The tea bag reveals. If we say we love Jesus, then our care, compassion, and welcome must extend to all. If it doesn’t, then we are placing some other social identity ahead of Jesus and the values of his Kingdom. We cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).