"When White Folk Woke..."

I was doing some thinking about that famous passage in Matthew 25, and relating it to other theologies (Liberation/Black/Feminist/Womanist/etc) and trying to see God through some different lenses to help me understand God better. (For the record, I'm less and less a fan of the "White male middle-class God" and the "Fluffy, blond-haired and blue-eyed Jesus" of Western culture...)

Anyway, I got thinking about safety and the access to and provision thereof for all people. I got thinking about "woke", and how it's so taboo for white people to be "woke."

I did some research (you should too), and decided that I don't want to be "woke" because that's not appropriate. I do want to be accused of be aware of what's going on and the injustices around me though... But I'm going to call that "Love".

​Anyway, here's a poem I wrote:

When White Folk “Woke”

But “ALL lives matter”!
The cry rings out
From those who don’t have to watch their own back.
Those who don’t know
What it is to be:
Ethnically other;
Female;
Non-binary;
Neuro-atypical;
Differently abled;
Or, heaven forbid,
A combination thereof.

“ALL lives matter”
The gospel cries out
To all those who find
Love and acceptance from
Both Jesus
AND their neighbour.

But what if your neighbour doesn’t show you love?
What if your neighbour doesn’t live like
Your life matters?

“Stay woke.”
Better watch your back.
Keep your eyes open.
Why?
Because you’re black.

1938.
Lead Belly sees
Police brutality, Discriminatory action,
His advice?
“Best stay woke, Keep your eyes open”
Why?
Because you’re black.

“Stay woke.”
Better watch your back.
Keep your eyes open.
Why?
Because no-one else is watching it for you.

Black lives have always known
“Black Lives Matter”
And the advice
Has ever been:
“Stay Woke.”

Fast-forward to 2014,
And even after to 2020:
“Woke” is wakened.
Two words become one
And more eyes are opened...
Or rather...
White eyes begin opening...

And suddenly “Woke” is a thing.
And not always a good thing.
And those whose mantra we’ve acquired
Are still watching their own backs.

When white folk “woke”
The "Right” claimed
“Cancel Culture”
“Political Correctness gone awry”
And behind the scenes
Black lives still cry
“Our lives matter”

When white folk “woke”
The “Left” claimed
“Social Justice
For one and ALL”
And behind the scenes
Black lives still cry
“Our lives matter”

But what will happen when woke works?

When “Woke” works
Black eyes can close
In rest, at peace,
Not resting in peace.
Because someone else
Is watching their back,
Living like Black lives matter.

One step further
And enough white folk “Woke”
To stop police brutality,
To remove the need
To watch black backs
Because Black lives matter too.

When “Woke” REALLY works:
Men will watch the backs of all other genders;
The able will be champions of accessibility;
The rich will empower the poor;
The educated will educate;
The liberated liberate;
Humanity will let the earth breathe.

And here I am,
A relatively able-bodied,
Neuro-typical,
Cis-gendered,
Educated,
Employed,
Financially independent,
White,
Middle-class
Male.
Awakening.

And realising there are
So many backs I need to watch,
So those who have
“Stayed Woke” for so long
May rest their eyes,
And know peace.

May my eyes be opened
More than that may I see
May my heart be “Woke”
To love those who need
Freedom from fear,
a helping hand,
My voice to champion their rights.
May I have the backs of those
Who have had to watch their own,
Alone,
For too long.

Because this is theology.
This is liberation.
This is preferential treatment
Because for too long
I have received the preferential treatment.

All lives only matter
When you wake to,
Recognise and acknowledge
The irrepressible
Undeniable
Irremovable
Image of God
In the very fabric of humanity.

And whilst I wake
Let me not rob black lives of their voice,
Their word.

Instead I’ll borrow from God:
​Love.