Trouble I’ve Seen

Trouble I’ve Seen
by Drew G. I. Hart, Herald Press, 2016.
Find this book here.

If you’re looking for a good introduction to issues of racism in America and the church, Drew Hart’s Trouble I’ve Seen is a great place to start. Hart writes out of his own African American experience to distill and expose issues of racism that we still face today.

Although many people believe racism is no longer an issue, Hart outlines the history of race in America and how systemic oppression and discrimination continue to plague Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour. He also shares his own experiences of racism, even in the church.

Because language around race is often misused, Hart also spends a significant amount of time explaining exactly what is meant by “race,” “blackness,” “whiteness,” and more. To be sure, race is much more complex than where we are from or what our family background is, which can bring clarity when attempting to dismantle systems of racial oppression.

Hart’s insights and solutions are rooted in the life, ministry, death, and resurrection or Jesus Christ. He brings a fresh understanding of Jesus and His subversive nature to this discussion. Jesus shook the foundations of His time to bring in a new world order. He aligned Himself with the oppressed and marginalized, something Hart calls the church to do as well.

If we want to follow Jesus, we need to align ourselves with racial minorities and those who have been marginalized. It’s a challenge which needs careful and prayerful attention, especially in our time. 

Notable Quotes:

“Blackness is a visible marker that justifies suspicion, brutality, and confinement by white society. In America, being black has always been defined and understood by the majority group in negative ways: criminal, lazy, obnoxious, ugly, and depraved.” (p.15)

“Colorblind ideology is the twenty-first century continuation of white Christian silence to racism.” (p.21)

“As his disciples living in a radicalized society, we must reenvision what types of prophetic words need to be spoked in our day to unveil the hidden evil forces of oppression and hierarchy, which have been permissible in our society for too long.” (p.66)

“White American Christians…must move decisively toward a counterintuitive solidarity with those on the margins.” (p.87)

“White Americans have benefited from some of the largest government handouts in history (beyond, of course, the stolen land and stolen labor).” (p.103)

“To follow Jesus meant to renounce domination and alignment with the world powers. Instead, people who followed Jesus exemplified justice, mercy, and faithfulness in their lives, the weightier matters in Scriptures that are often neglected.” (p.116)

“Loving others we have been socialized to devalue should be a familiar practice for the church.” (p.120)

“The church in particular needs to be an alternative community that demonstrates to the world that truly loving all God’s people—especially those we are socialized to believe don’t matter—is possible.” (p.130)

“…the entire biblical narrative reveals a God who chooses to move and work most forcefully in the cracks, margins, and edges of society.” (p.170)