It is not my story to tell. On privilege, power, and speaking for other with humility.

Sometimes doing pop-theology gets awkward. I only have a thousand words to address a subject and that means I often can not give that topic enough attention to really do it justice.

Then there are times when it gets awkward because of the subject matter I have to address, and I need to address it because it plays a big role in Christianity, the Bible, theology, and our lives.

Recently I have written on feminism, gender equality, LBG+ issues, immigration, and racism. And the reason this gets awkward is that I am on the wrong side of those discussions.

I am a middle aged, white, married, straight, university educated, man. I have never known what it is like to face the prejudices many of the groups I write about encounter daily. No one has ever spat at me or poured a drink over me because I hold hands with my wife, something friends of mine who are gay have experienced. I have never been overlooked for a job because my name 'sounds foreign'. I can walk down a street without fear of harassment, or catcalling, or any slur due to skin colour. And I can ride the train home after an evening out without the threat of unwanted sexual advances. It would appear as though I have it made.

I benefit from all kinds of privilege; white privilege, male privilege, and cis privilege. And that is why some people say that I can not write on the subjects I cover. It just isn't my story to tell.

There is an element of truth to that of course. I am an observer, what is happening to others is not happening to me, or not directly at least. That does not detract from my humanity and my ability to feel the pain of others. I may not have first hand experience, but I am not apart from suffering. And no, I am not going to say that many of my close friends are women/gay/black/immigrants, that seems to be the get out of jail free card for inexcusable behaviour. Instead, I am owning my privilege. I acknowledge that I have it better than many. And in doing so, I have to make a choice. Society has given me power, what I do with that power, and you too, will decide how our society will be formed.

It is unfortunate, but it is still true, a man saying something has far more gravitas than a woman saying the same thing. Apparently we respond better to the deeper tones of a man's voice, it gives an air of respectability, wisdom, and knowledge. And this is true even in print. Mary Beard has written on this subject (please do read Women and Power, it is only short but it's a great read), here is a quote on it:

“For a start it doesn’t much matter what line you take as a woman, if you venture into traditional male territory, the abuse comes anyway. It is not what you say that prompts it, it’s simply the fact that you’re saying it.”

And that does come from experience. This will change, thankfully, but we aren't there yet. What it does mean is that I have a privilege, a power. And as we all know from Spiderman, with power comes responsibility.

To argue that those with privilege are not to use to it for those without is to go against the Bible, although you would be hard pressed to find this in many modern churches. I have heard people say that white, middle class, Christians are the most oppressed people in society right now. To them I say: please stop talking, you are only making the rest of us look ignorant. Christianity has been the most heard voice in so many government policies in recent years that even the election of Donald Trump in the USA has been attributed mainly to middle class evangelical protestants. If you have the power to decide who is in government, you really aren't oppressed. What they mean is that some of their right wing views are distasteful and they aren't allowed to suppress the basic human rights of certain groups any more. There is a world of difference in not being allowed to discriminate and being oppressed. Is it oppression of the wealthy that they can no longer employ slave labour? I don't think so.

But to not use privilege for the benefit of the marginalised does go against the Bible. Take a quick look at the minor prophets. They were repeatedly calling on the kings and priests to care for the poor, reminding them that their privilege was only given by God for them to tend to the needs of others.

And then there is Jesus, an olive skinned, Middle Eastern Jew. What does any of that have to do with most of us? Should we ignore His teachings saying that he isn't one of us, that He shouldn't represent us in any way? And setting aside the humanity of Jesus, He is still God. What does a perfect, Holy God have to do with a wayward and selfish society? Should we also silence silence God for not being as like us?

Jesus is the answer to this folks. All of humanity is created by Him and in His image. Every woman, man, black, gay, Asian. Everything which is human possesses the image of God. So even though these may not be my stories, at the same time they are all our stories. As we see another person oppressed and not cared for, so we do to ourselves, and so we do to Jesus. It is only when we restore that image of God in creation that we will realise it's none of our stories to tell, it's always been about the one who created us.