Identity politics is as old as the Old Testament. Identity politics is defined as “a tendency for people of a particular religion, race, etc., to form exclusive political alliances.” The definition fits the chosen people of the Old Testament. They repeatedly formed exclusive political alliances; always around their status as chosen people of Yahweh. The political interpretation of their sanctified identity meant others, such as foreigners, were forced to submit to them. Isaiah, read this Sunday, offers an example, “Foreigners who join themselves to Yahweh, ministering to him … and becoming his servants … and holding to his covenant … will be acceptable.” Old Testament identity politics forms the basis of U.S. identity politics.
There are many examples of U.S. identity politics. Examples include over 240 years of alliances between supremacist politicians over citizens forced to submit. Another is the identity of the richest 1% forcing submission of working laborers. An additional example is the identity of men forcing submission of women; denying women voice, votes, education, and work. The U.S.’s long history of white supremacist identity politics forcing submission of people of color is an additionally disturbing example. So deep is the identity politics of supremacists it taints the recent coining and definition of the term. The definition above is partial. Omitted is its supremacist conclusion. The full definition is, “a tendency for people of a particular religion, race, etc., to form exclusive political alliances, moving away from traditional broad-based party politics.” The concluding clause reveals the definition’s supremacy. It deceives readers into believing ‘traditional’ party politics have always been broad-based. But that is a supremacist lie; a wealthy, white, male supremacist lie. Traditional politics have always been and remain narrow-based supremacist identity politics – specifically wealthy, white, male supremacist identity politics. Their long list of identity politics includes founding father slaveholders; slave labor camps; Electoral College, Indian Wars, reservations; the Three Fifths Clause and the one drop rule; the Mexican-American War; forming the Southern Baptist Church; Dred Scott; the Confederacy, its Civil War; KKK; Plessy v Ferguson; Jim Crow discrimination; segregation in business, culture, education, employment/hiring/wages, health care, housing, law, politics, the sciences/eugenics; internment camps; State’s Rights; denying the vote; Treyvon Martin, ad nausea. If white supremacists are proud of their heritage then they need to be proud of their heritage of identity politics and not project it onto people of color. When people of color form political alliances it is for the sake of their shared human identity. It is for the sake of rising above the submission forced upon them by white supremacists and their identity politics.
Another person of color, Jesus, 2,000 years ago, had some followers who tried to practice Old Testament identity politics. They aligned against a foreigner, a Canaanite woman with a suffering daughter. They tell Jesus, “Send her away.” Jesus violates the Old identity politics saying, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you … and the woman’s daughter was healed.” Let humanity be our identity and community be our politics.
Prayer: Spirit of Unity, help us heal the supremacist divisions and suffering that surround us.
Question: In what ways might I be letting white supremacy frame social conversations?
August 20, 2017 Gospel Matthew 15:21-28 Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time