The Vulnerable Courage to Tell the Truth

Multitudes of white Christian men equate manhood with being an aggressive, authoritarian protector and provider. Many model their militant masculinity after the Warrior Jesus depicted in Revelation. At the end of the last book of the bible, Jesus has fire in his eyes and leads an army riding a white horse. What white Christian men need to know is that the book of Revelation speaks in code and symbol to subvert supremacist violence. 

On the white horse, Jesus carries a sword—but it comes out of his mouth. His words are his weapons. He wields the vulnerable courage to tell the truth even if it costs everything. The robe Jesus wears is dipped in blood—but the blood is his own. Earlier in Revelation, Jesus shows up as the slaughtered lamb. His nonviolent witness threatens elites so much they had to crucify him. This is the same Jesus of the Gospels who sheds tears and tells the men to put down their weapons. 

The real Jesus taught humble service and open-hearted tenderness. There is no doubt that, today, he is weeping over gun collections, the Capitol insurrection and every other form of male intimidation. White Christian pastors need to go public with this biblical truth, even if half their congregations never come back. It’s time for an honest conversation because that’s what Jesus would do—and if we don’t confront the counterfeit now, it’s going to cost us a lot more later.