Jul
14
Forgiving Liam Neeson
“Forty years ago, Liam Neeson roamed in Black neighbourhoods across Northern Ireland looking for an innocent Black man to attack—a Black man like me….” — Samuel Sey
I have recently become aware of the writings of Samuel Sey at the Slow To Write blog. Sey is a Ghanaian-born Canadian who writes with brutal honesty — including re his difficult childhood & youth — mostly about matters of “Christ and culture”. Topics often include racism and immigration, and, in addition to being a talented writer, he brings a somewhat unusual perspective to the discussion.
I just read a piece Sey did back in February that I decided to share an excerpt from. It is a response to Liam Neeson’s public confession of once having sought retribution against random Black men for the sexual assault against one of Neeson’s relatives, as well as to the many harsh criticisms and attacks Neeson weathered because of it. I hope you find the piece worth the read.
“Neeson isn’t the first White man to make innocent Black men guilty of crimes they didn’t commit. He isn’t the first White man to roam the streets looking for innocent Black men to kill. He could have become one of many White men throughout history who have taken innocent Black fathers and sons from their homes forever. Almost 5,000 Black Americans were lynched between 1882 and 1968, and many of the victims were killed by White men who felt the rage, racism, and revenge that Liam Neeson did against Black people.
Liam Neeson’s story is difficult to read. But it was more difficult for him to confess it. Neeson’s demeanor and words throughout the interview suggest that he is deeply remorseful. He admitted that he was ashamed and horrified by his actions. The interviewer mentioned that Neeson’s voice trembled as he shared the story. And Neeson’s expressions during his interview at Good Morning America affirms that.
However, Neeson’s confession received condemning reactions from people. They labeled him a racist. They compared him to the Ku Klux Klan. They urged others to boycott his films. They petitioned movie producers to remove him from their movies. Other celebrities also shamed and mocked him.
These reactions made me think about the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant from Matthew 18:21-35. Jesus shared the parable directly after Peter’s question about forgiveness. Peter asked Jesus when is it okay for people to stop forgiving others. Jesus answered: never….
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant is about Jesus, me, you, and Liam Neeson. Jesus is the king, I am the servant. Jesus is my king, I am his servant. I am a sinner. I have sinned against Jesus all my life. The wages of my sins is death and hell. But Jesus had mercy on me. He died on the cross for me. I begged him for mercy and he forgave me. He covered my sins with his blood and love. And that’s why I’m willing to cover Liam Neeson’s sins with love.
Liam Neeson is my fellow sinner. I may look like the kind of person he wanted to kill 40 years ago, but he doesn’t owe me anything…. I owe Jesus more than anyone could ever owe me. I have done worse to Jesus, more than Liam Neeson has ever done to people who look like me. Therefore, just as Jesus covered my sins with his blood, I should cover Liam Neeson’s sins with love. And that’s why I love Neeson’s deep remorse today more than I hate his deep racism from years ago.
And if you’re an unforgiving person today, you’re a bigger problem than Liam Neeson’s racism from several decades ago.”
The full post is roughly twice as long, but I recommend you read it. A couple other highly-recommended posts are “The History and Heresy of Black Liberation Theology” and “Our Fathers, Our Failures”. Prepare to be challenged….
