A church in the suburbs of Chicago says it is “fasting from whiteness” during Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter.
“For Lent this year, First United is doing a mix of ‘giving something up’ and ‘taking something on,'” the First United Church of Oak Park wrote on its website. “In our worship services throughout Lent, we will not be using any music or liturgy written or composed by white people. Our music will be drawn from the African American spirituals tradition, from South African freedom songs, from Native American traditions, and many, many more.”
The announcement adds: “For Lent, it is our prayer that in our spiritual disciplines we may grow as Christians, united in the body of Christ with people of all ages, nations, races, and origins.”
A banner outside the church advertises the so-called whiteness fast, according to photos and a video posted online by Turning Point USA.
Reverend Lydia Mulkey, the congregation’s associate pastor of education, discusses the fast in a YouTube video posted by the church.
“In this fast from whiteness, of course, I cannot change the color of my skin or the way that allows me to move through the world but I can change what I listen to, whose voice I prioritize,” Mulkey said. “And so that is kind of the place for our worship services, through Lent, that we would fast for a time from prioritizing White voices.”
The fast was first announced last month at a service marking the beginning of Lent but has gained national attention in recent days.
The “whiteness” fast extends to the church’s reflections and thoughts called “evotionals,” according to Turning Point USA.
The church’s March 29 “evotional” honors the “fast from whiteness” by “prioritizing the voice of Bruce Reyes-Chow through a chapter of his book, In Defense of Kindness.”
“How we express kindness depends on our own social context, experiences, culture and privilege,” the excerpt of Reyes-Chow’s book reads.
The excerpt goes on to include a criticism of those who disagree with dangerous public protests.
“For many of us, being uncomfortable about public protests or what we perceive as aggressive expressions of frustration simply identifies our privilege and our ability to shield ourselves from the struggles that others are facing,” the excerpt adds. “Most people do not engage in public protest or in expressing anger that may put risk on their life, work, or status. So when groups of people are pushed to their boiling point, the least helpful thing to do is to silence them.”