An event that happened 353 years ago this month played a major part in establishing the roots of racism in our nation and in the American church. On September 23, 1667 the Virginia General Assembly passed a law that baptism does not change a person’s status related to their bondage or freedom. This seemingly trivial event in the history of Colonial Virginia was actually a significant step in both the development of the brutal system of American chattel slavery and the distortion or the gospel. Previously there was a tradition that the English would not enslave fellow Christians. Yet there were some in Colonial Virginia that wanted to share the gospel with enslaved Africans. The law of 1667 enabled enslaved people to hear and respond to the gospel without threatening the economic power of enslavers. This was more a “deal with the devil” than faithfulness to Christ. From that point on, there was a clear separation between Black bodies and Black souls in the minds and practices of the majority of white Christians that resulted in systemic oppression not only in the form of slavery but also in the subsequent form of legal segregation. For the vast majority of white Christians, this separation was not only accepted but promoted as the will of God. We are still living with the legacy of 1667 in the form of mass incarceration, police violence against unarmed Black people, healthcare disparities, and a widening wealth gap. The names of Travon Martin, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor are just some of the most recent examples of this legacy that has yet to be completely repented of and eliminated so that we truly see and treat each other as equal beloved children of God. If you ever wonder why we still need to say “Black Lives Matter,” the legacy of September 23, 1667 is still in us as a nation and as a church.
