The chant is awful, horrible, racist,
violent. Watching young men say it so gleefully (in 2015!) is a stark reminder
of how far we have yet to come as a nation. The rapid and strong response has
been heartening, but the questions raised by this event are deeply troubling.
What about the boys on the bus? Without a doubt, some of
them were singing their deepest sentiments.
Surely, though, not all of them truly believed that if a black man wanted
to join their merry band, it would be better if they executed him by hanging him
rather than let him become an SAE. Why would otherwise “normal” boys sing with such gusto about killing someone? We
underestimate the power of belonging, and we forget the great lengths to which
we humans will go to feel like we are part of the crowd. Even if the crowd is
dead wrong, at least it’s our crowd.
Coincidentally, I’m working on Holy Week and Easter worship
today. On Maundy Thursday, we will conclude with a congregational litany in which
the response of the congregation is the same each time: “Crucify him.” All those years ago, a group of people in a
crowd urged the execution of a man, although they were urging hanging on a cross rather than dangling
from a tree. We’ve spent the last 2000+ years trying to understand what might
have made that group of otherwise “normal” people call for the death of a man
who had helped many of them. We still don’t understand fully.
Worst of all, we
cannot rid ourselves of the sneaking suspicion that, had we been in the crowd (or
on the bus?) that day, our voice might have joined in also.
On Maundy Thursday, the litany will end with a searing truth,
enough truth to hold us until Easter’s resurrection joy:
One: GOD! I have tried to be good enough
All: Crucify Him
One: But I have failed again and again
All: Crucify Him
One: But I stand here in this place and say
All: Crucify Him
One: Because I need a savior.
