TGC Author Wants Those ‘Reparation Dollars’ so much it Hurts
A Gospel Coalition contributor continues to pine for that sweet mammon, comparing Zacchaeus’ robbery and reconciliation in Luke 19 to black folk getting reparations in the 21st century, describing how Christians must “introduce the language of repair (reparations) in all of our conversations about race.”
Naturally, we’re talking to none other than the PCA’s own Duke Kwon, the woke-as-a-joke lead pastor of Grace Meridian Hill. When he’s not thirsting for those white dollars, he’s busy being served by the gay rights activist he employs as his personal pastoral assistant at his Church.
Kwon has even written a book on why white people (and Asians and Hispanics) must give people a whack ton of money in order to be properly reconciled with their black neighbors, and in fact, that true reconciliation can never happen and race relations can never be healed without a sacrificial monetary compensation.
Speaking at a newly unearthed Q shindig in 2019, Kwon explains:
“Zacchaeus was transformed by the shocking welcome and grace of Jesus in Lukes 19. And how then did he respond? Well, he repented. But not just by feeling badly or by saying sorry, but by promising to give half his possessions to the poor and to pay back fourfold to whomever he had robbed.
Because true repentance repairs what was ripped and returns what was ripped off. Even my preschool-aged son is beginning to understand this rich theology of repentance. Daniel Tiger, the wonderful cartoon spin-off of Mister Rogers neighborhood -the prophet Daniel Tiger- has been teaching him to sing, saying ‘I’m sorry is the first step, then how can I help?’ Saying ‘I’m sorry is the first step, then how can I help?’
‘How can I help’- that’s a reparation question. Will the church learn to ask that question? ‘How can we help?‘ ‘How must we help?’
You see, reparation is to be handled charitably but it is not charity. It is not retributive but it is still owed...
He continues later in the message.
And when it comes to our racial sins there’s no place the church is more obligated to pursue this ministry of repair than in the church itself. In other words, we need to be seeking ecclesiastical reparations. Church reparations. What does that mean? What does that look like?
First, church reparations means changing our vocabulary. It means introducing the language of repair in all of our conversations about race. Let’s no longer talk about reconciliation without also talking about repentance, and lets no longer talk about repentance without also talking about repair.
About Author
Of course treating brothers and sisters in Christ as individuals that are together part of the Church of Christ as a whole is antithetical to his message. Divide and conquer within the Church is a tactic that is specifically pointed out in Scripture as coming from Satan.
According to his unbiblical logic, wouldn’t the unbiblical response question how much public assistance money has already been transferred from “whites” to “blacks” over the past many decades already? It’s in the trillions.
“We want money!” Been there, done that.
We need to appreciate and be content with what God has given us, help each other out as individuals, and grow in love for God and others… in a biblical rather than worldly way.
Using Zacchaeus as an example could go the other way also. Since Zacchaeus’ sin was over charging people for their taxes, maybe it’s time people who live off of welfare to return that stolen money to the people who worked for it.