Reparations

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, (Matthew 5:21-23)

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6:15-16)

          There was a letter to the editor in today’s Erie Times News saying that it is time for the US to pay reparations for slavery. The writer quotes Ta-Nahisi Coates, “Until we reckon with our compounding moral debts, America will never be whole,” and claims that $100 trillion is a good figure. The author seems to have the idea that this is something that some virtual entity called “the US” should do. It’s a national, corporate sin for which the nation owes this debt.

          First, I find it disgusting that anyone could put a $100 trillion price tag on what was done to those who were taken from Africa to be slaves (many didn’t make it) and those who were held as slaves in America. There’s not enough money in the world to pay reparations to those individuals. Nor is there enough money in the world to pay for all the other crimes that have been committed against Blacks. By why stop there? There’s also not sufficient money to pay reparations due to the Native Americans (including Latins,) or to Asians, or to any other group of people. There’s just not. How can you say that $100 trillion is enough to pay for even one of those crimes?

          Part of the problem is that the idea seems to involve an America that is separate from the American people. It’s like suing a company because the insurance will pay it, meaning no one gets hurt. “America” pays the millions of trillions of dollars in reparation that it owes everyone for every wound it has caused, but life goes on as usual for the people of America. Well, no – the hope would be that we would learn our lessons, willingly pay our part of the debt owed, and never do anything so horrible again. Except, according to some, we do it without even knowing. That means the national debt, and the personal debt can never be paid.          

          If we are to pay reparations for all of the wounds caused to groups, should we not also pay reparations to the individuals we have wounded? Should we not pay for every time we have lied to people? Every time we have demeaned, ridiculed, bullied, dehumanized, shamed, gaslighted, humiliated, cheated, tricked, slandered, gossiped about them? According to Jesus, those things are the equivalent of murder. Should we not pay?

          Quite probably, the person who wrote the editorial would say that we should take care of the big stuff first. That’s because it’s easy to spend other peoples’ money. Strangely (or not) those who insist that reparations should be paid are not handing 90% of their paychecks, or very likely even 10% of their paychecks to a fund from which the reparations can be paid. Neither are they turning over any funds to pay for the wounds they have personally and individually caused others.  

          Let’s say we paid out all the money to all the aggrieved people. Would their wounds instantly heal? Would they be whole? How quickly? Would that really pay the debt? What about the babies born next year, who haven’t received reparation? Or the next generation, or the next? Even if we pay, will that actually solve the problem?

          Scripture teaches us the only real answer. The wounded person being bribed or paid off doesn’t make their injury go away. What brings healing is forgiveness. That doesn’t mean we ignore the pain or injury. That doesn’t mean we pretend it never happened. But it recognizes the impossibility – and the insult – of reparations.