AI-generated summary
Central Claim: McCraney argues that Christians—himself included—compartmentalize compassion: extending love and mercy to individuals they know personally while maintaining cold, merit-based indifference toward distant groups and cultures. This hypocrisy contradicts authentic Christian ethics and must be corrected by extending the same compassion applied to individuals toward broader understanding of systemic injustices facing racial and marginalized communities.
Biblical Basis: Though not explicitly cited, McCraney appeals to foundational Christian virtues (compassion, mercy, love) as intrinsic to Christianity, contrasting them with his previous "capitalistic" worldview that demanded self-sufficiency while ignoring structural disadvantages.
Yeshuan Perspective Connection: This exemplifies the Yeshuan emphasis on subjective faith in action—authentic Christian living requires internal transformation ("what's in the heart") that manifests outwardly. McCraney's admission that he previously "did not really see" marginalized people reflects the Yeshuan concern with genuine, experiential faith over abstract ideology or institutional religion, challenging listeners to examine whether their professed Christian values align with their actual hearts and actions toward the world.
Open Transcript
Christian Ethics and Personal Growth
Live from the Mecca of Mormonism, SALT LAKE CITY, Utah. This is Heart of the Matter – And I’m your host, Shawn McCraney. Let’s keep learning together about walking as Christians in the age of fulfillment.
Prayer and Reflection
We will get to your emails and comments in a moment. If you want to call in, feel free. Show 25B Live Show on Dark and Light. June 9th 2020.
Most of you know that Mary and I have three daughters and we are very close to each of them. They have all experienced life a little differently as adults and their insights on things impact me and help me grow as a man and a Christian.
Our youngest went to a four-year Christian college for her undergrad in kinesiology. That experience was a challenge due to the culture of the school which was highly religious and legalistically minded. She had a hard time overlooking some of the institutional hypocrisy. She went on to a non-Christian school and graduated this last month with a Masters in Architecture – a grueling experience relative to academic demands.
Insights from My Daughter's Academic Journey
But what made the experience particularly strenuous for her personally was that in her community of students and professors (with whom she was constantly engaged with) there was an overwhelming (even constant) focus on what seemed like a Christian ethic, meaning that from the mouth of people who really couldn’t care less about God or Jesus there was a constant flow of rhetoric about love, equality, consideration, humility and essentially the Golden Rule.
It surprised Delaney – how “moral” the faculty and student body sounded relative to philosophy of life and the act of architecture. But what troubled her (and I mean for three full years) was that in the midst of great postulations on love and equality many person to person interactions evidenced the opposite of love and compassion. In fact some of the biggest proponents of Love, humility and equality turned out to be some of the least loving, fair people around.
In other words, while the general philosophy, even the philosophy of architecture, literally revolved around concepts intrinsic to Christianity, but when the individuals related to other individuals those ideals went right out the window in many or even most cases. This is all headed somewhere so hang with me as I follow-up on some thoughts about last weeks like show opener where I discussed the George Floyd killing by a Minnesota Police Officer. I am doing this because of the conversations I had with Delaney and her astute observations which have been hard won over the past seven years in academia.
Expanding Perspectives on Faith and Society
Now, I represent a lot of people out there who are of a certain age and mindset. When I sit with them casually in coffee houses and such there is a general tone and attitude with many of them . . . its . . . more rigid and even crotchety (if you will). I suggest that regardless of age there is always room to improve and grow in our lives as Christians and when it comes to the perspectives people my age started creating for themselves some forty, fifty, sixty years ago its not a bad things to change course . . . when a change is warranted.
Many of us can remember sitting with our great-grandparents, grandparents (and even our parents) and hearing some of their views about people, races and places and knowing in our hearts that they too could use a tune-up of perspective. So, the tune-up I am going to talk about right now is related to what is happening all around us relative to race, prejudice and the faith called Christianity.
The way I have tried to see people in this world, generally speaking and in the “vast collective,” has long been based on what I called, merit. In other words, I have always established my opinions of people or people groups that I don’t know personally on what they do and what they contribute to the betterment of society. In reality that view is pretty hard-core, not too Christian and I’ve come face to face with this reality these past few weeks in conversation with Delaney who pointed out that sometimes this view, though fair-sounding, comes across as cold and without compassion and that it ironically conflicts with the way I am toward the individuals I encounter in my personal life. She suggested that I might try and introduce the compassion I have for individuals (who I personally know) into the conversations I have about groups that I don’t BEFORE jumping out.
Compassion and Worldview
When it comes to individual people whom I know, love, and serve personally, merit means very, very little in my assessment of them as a person or Christian, and compassion, mercy, and love are the primary factors present. Yet, for some reason, when the conversation shifts to “the world and the people and cultures in it,” my overall assessment of them in terms of quality, value, and purpose moves—and the compassion, love, and mercy are the last thing to enter in.
If you haven’t already seen it, there exists a disconnect in my thinking because, on the one hand, when dealing with individuals I know, the Christian mindset is present and active, but on the other hand, when assessing the world at large, I take on this sort of “callous capitalistic, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, get up and prove yourself and stop whining brute.”
This all came out (in my mind) as I dialogued with Delaney about race last week. She had watched the live show we did and pointed out that while she thought the content was good enough, “compassion” was somehow lacking in a way that she couldn’t fully describe or put her finger on. And so we talked—argued—bantered back and forth, openly, honestly, in love, and it was revelatory to me. In the end, I came to see that perhaps the reason that “compassion” for groups, cultures, races, or genders does not readily manifest itself is because when it comes to people I do not know, it has been extremely convenient for me to not really give a damn about anything related to them or their plight.
Personal Convenience and Global Indifference
In other words, if they are not in my backyard, or if it’s not something I need to deal with directly (you know, out of Christian love for an individual in need), I have conveniently allowed myself to not care about the plight of Blacks, other ethnicities, or other people groups and cultures. Instead, I shrouded my heart in the notion that “life is hard, we all have setbacks and trials, and people need to grow up, get over it, and make their way.”
So where top marks might be rewarded in my relationship with people I deal with individually—no matter gender, color, or lifestyle (which is a good place to start)—revision is needed in my long-held worldview and opinion of others. Perhaps it is in yours too? I want to make a case now for why this is important.
Revisiting Merit and Compassion
Delaney, when I told her that I see the world in terms of merit alone, asked: How do you define the merits? I said, “You know—have the merited valuations outweighed the demerits?” But as I said it, I realized something was lacking in me and my assessment of the world and that I needed to consider incorporating into my view the same things I had incorporated into my view of individuals I know, like “compassion,” “mercy,” “patience,” and “longsuffering” toward them rather than to just coldly weigh the facts surrounding their accomplishments or failures.
Delaney’s point was that I might also initially include “compassionate understanding” of people groups who have had less opportunity than myself when they have tried their hand at successful living. This was not recommended by way of making excuses for anyone, but to compassionately acknowledge that some people face a really tough go at this thing called life—right out of the gate.
I realized, hanging up the phone, that from my own upbringing and environment, I had created a view of the world population myopically and selfishly. I did not have an ounce of care for anyone who entered the world socially, mentally, physically, or racially different than myself. In fact, and I have admitted to this before, I was taught from my youth to see other cultures, races, and people groups as inferior to mine, often referring to them through pejoratives like: Lesbos, fags, beaners, kikes, chincks, polocks, retards, and of course the forbidden N word.
Admittedly, I do see people from such communities as “better” if they accomplished or overcame obstacles despite their race, gender, culture, or lifestyle, but did not allow myself to compassionately see or realize how hard life could be for some, most, or all of them along the way.
Personal Disparities in Recognizing Injustice
I started to see the disparity, and in becoming a Pastor the vision began to broaden forming some good deep roots on individual interactions - but the fact of the matter is, even till last week, I have never really let any compassion or real love enter my heart for people of color, the plight of women or the disabled people at large. Worse yet, I did not really “see” them at all. I was indifferent to their existences, and therefore their plight. Of course I do not apologize for trying to love and serve all individuals that I know personally – but my daughter pointed out that THE WORLD VIEW was lacking in my head. She is right.
What she was able to see was the opposite of what existed in her Graduate Program – a place where many people espoused great love and compassion for the world view, but individually treated each other like shit. In me, she saw a man who treated individuals with love and compassion, but had zero compassion for the world!
It’s really been convenient for me to lump all racial injustice, misogyny and the trials and mistreatment of disabled people into this distant group of “what can I do about them” and justify this indifference as acceptable in my heart. See this is the key – what’s in the heart. And while there is not much I CAN actually do about world social injustice, I can do something about what lies in my heart toward it – and therefore what comes out of my mouth – about it.
Christianity and World View
And this is my point for you believers out there tonight. I think that in some ways, Christianity as a whole is guilty of what I was guilty of – only really caring about those we know (which is often not even the case) and not stepping up and caring from the heart for the literal plight of those we don’t.
This week I have had to really dig down and examine my heart and what I discovered was that I have seen the world through these eyes: I’m a healthy white male, born of privilege (relatively speaking) and have had opportunities given to me that billions of people could only dream of – all because of the color of their skin, their cultural differences, their disabilities, gender or sexual preferences.
I refuse to suggest that these obstacles are a justification for a life of failures, but what I learned from Delaney is that it goes a long way to first include, assess and realize that people of color, in this world, no matter their socio-economic status, enter life a hundred yards behind the starting line of most whites – just in the day to day of life.
Certainly, all human beings have obstacles and biases against them – we are bald, we’re obese, we dress badly, we have acne, bad teeth, too skinny, short, too tall, female, male – whatever. But a person of color has the added obstacle of being seen differently because of the color of their skin (LISTEN) IN ADDITION to also being . . . bald, obese, acned, bad teethed and too skinny, short or female.
Recognizing Unfairness
Callously, I have never allowed this to enter my assessments of the people of the world. I have simply said to myself, “What do they merit” all the while ignoring the collective fact that the ability to merit in many cases has been blocked by the color of their skin – plain and simple as that. We’re not talking the exceptions – the sports figures or rappers – we are talking the general day to day experiences of trying to get ahead in life.
Thinking about it, and knowing my personality, if I was born black, I would be leading the charge today against racial injustice - brick in freaking hand because I really hate unfairness – truly. And yet I had a giant blind spot where I was unable to see how unfairly life really is to certain people groups.
I know the response – life is unfair to all of us. No doubt. We all have wounds and hurts that are cut deep into our souls from mistreatment and injustices. But this does not erase the fact that if you are white, and if you are male, and if you are healthy, and if you are heterosexual, and if you are fairly attractive, your day to
The Power of Love and Unity
Day experience with the world IS VERY VERY different from a person of color. I have again conveniently ignored this. And it must now be taken into account for me to become the best version of myself or the best version of how God made me.
What motivated me in my previous views wasn’t general hatred. It wasn’t banality. It was something probably worse – it was “calloused indifference.” The change I am seeking for myself and promoting to you (if you are so led) is not for political involvement, not for joining some protest – it's just a change of heart or perspective- one that sees the need for more compassion, more love, and caring for all peoples of the world but especially the alienated, the disenfranchised, the abused and maligned FROM the heart.
A Call for Compassion
In my estimation the complete Christian, which I have not been, is a lover of God and all people from the heart, with an abiding concern for all world injustices and plights and then of course for anyone who crosses our path. This being said, I want to echo the sentiments I shared last week which said that the ONLY real hope we have in this world to eradicate issues like racism is Jesus. He is the great equalizer! That is why Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And added in Colossians 3:14
“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
No matter what the world suggests or attempts, perfect harmony is only possible in Agape love – which is possible in Him as love is patient, love is kind, loving is longsuffering. This is why James called it the Royal Law, and Christians refer to it as the higher law.
Love: The Higher Law
I can’t unhear the lyrics in the U2 song One Love, when they sing:
You say, love is the temple!
Love the higher law!
Love is the temple!
Love the higher law!
You ask me to enter
And then you make me crawl,
And I can’t keep holding on,
When all you’ve got is hurt.
Love certainly is the temple and it is the higher law, but it comes with a high price - the sacrifice of the self and all of its prejudices, biases and even hatreds, because only it can “binds everything together in perfect harmony.” This love will not happen in our world, it will not happen in our flesh, but as Christians it ought to happen for everyone everywhere . . . and first in our hearts.
From last weeks live show we read
TO last weeks live show
Madison Coon
o
36:40... and at what other time in human history could this perspective have been attained lest an environment as we now have and that other world that surrounds us... good point
1
Madison Coon
Madison Coon
5 days ago
9:09... the absolute truth of the reflection of truth
1
M H
M H
6 days ago
Dangit.. there are great points in this
I just think no one will click on "Live Satan" if I post it on fb...
Maybe they will
Idk
1
Bobby Johnson
Bobby Johnson
5 days ago
Oh man, thank you for answering my question much love to you guys.
1
Duane Dahl jr
Duane Dahl jr
6 days ago
1000 is also "perfection"....Adam lived 930 yrs, but because of sin, He died 70 short of 1000...The Book of Jubilees chapter 4...
1
Michael Carr
Michael Carr
6 days ago
Good stuff
4
Madison Coon
Madison Coon
5 days ago (edited)
27:50... lol, your patience is wonderful and humor
1
Bobby Johnson
Bobby Johnson
5 days ago
Dude you crack me up haha.
1
Kris See
Kris See
6 days ago
We are here, people are here, Jesus did peaceful protest in the way he lived, and in the way he rode into town on a donkey, as he turned tables. What you do to the least of these(us, other humans and beings) you do to God.
It's unproven that George Floyd was knowledgeably passing the one counterfeit (alleged counterfeit) bill.
Status quo is not to be accepted, we are meant to push the rock, to stand up for what is right. Each individual standing now, legally protesting according to your first amendment.
Rioters and looters are not part of that movement.
Trump is the most obvious one at the moment trying to misuse the pretense of being a Christian.
As you say, peace and forgiveness is key, as proposed by George Floyd's brother Terrence.
?
Comfort the grieving
Heal All who are so harmed.
3
FiSH!xGANG TV
FiSH!xGANG TV
5 days ago
1
FiSH!xGANG TV
FiSH!xGANG TV
5 days ago
Do you love.
Michael Carr
Michael Carr
6 days ago
You are right
Understanding 1000 Years
FiSH!xGANG TV
FiSH!xGANG TV
5 days ago
An open conversation is necessary to build genuine human and earthly connection. Through spirit, mind, and your body. Only believing in the one True KXNG
Reflections on Light and Dark
Then from last night's show on Light and Dark we read:
M H
13 hours ago (edited)
I suggest that these ideas you presented also extend to the heavenly city, where there's always light, and no day or night, and then outside of the city, where it's dark, and that the light and dark metaphor holds there as well. Possible that that's also why those that remain outside of the city choose not to come in through the open gates? What do you think?
1
Margaret Tani
Margaret Tani
12 hours ago
Love your show. Thank you
Addressing Paranormal Beliefs
Cythz
Cythz
13 hours ago
loved it
Cythz
Cythz
13 hours ago
loved it
S B
S B
10 hours ago
What do I say to a coworker who believes in paranormal activity? She loves to mention personal experiences, TV shows, and 'paranatural sites' she has explored. I think it's a folly, but I don't know how to bring the light in. Thanks!