Jesus and the Disinherited

Fear, according to Thurman, is a defining psychological element of the disinherited. There are many kinds of fear, and Thurman describes a variety of fears that generally stem from social insecurity and have “roots deep in the heart of relations between the weak and the strong” (37). Violence begets fear, even if it is only the threat of violence, always looming. The threat of violence manifests as the understanding on the part of the oppressed that “any slight conflict […] may bring down upon the head of the defenseless the full weight of naked physical violence” (38). This threat creates a state of constant fear. Thurman invokes the story of David and Goliath and considers whether Goliath may have died in a state of “outraged dignity” after perceiving David’s lack of preparation and respect (39). Thurman relates another personal anecdote about a trip to India, where he conditioned his body to avoid stepping on the ground at night in case of poisonous snakes. He explains that the disinherited are similarly conditioned to act in ways that “reduce their exposure to violence” (40).

Fear and its learned behaviors are passed on to children and thus perpetuate limitations on freedom. The strong are free, and the weak are trapped and frozen. Thurman describes segregated trains in the Southern United States, where Black porters must ride in the Jim Crow coach, while white members of the train crew are free to move about the train as they please. In Thurman’s childhood home in Florida, white people often visited Black churches, while Black people could never attend white congregations. Thurman notes that God is commonly depicted as white in church iconography, while Satan’s imps are black. Again, he compares Black American communities with Jewish communities throughout history as groups that experienced extreme segregation.

Fear and helplessness can make somebody feel “deeply and profoundly humiliated” and create a condition in which “the very self is weakened, corroded” (46). Again, Thurman posits a rhetorical question: “Is there any help to be found in the religion of Jesus that can be of value here?” (46). He presents several instances of Jesus’s preaching on fear. After his time in the wilderness, Jesus reads a passage on deliverance and liberty from Isaiah in a synagogue. In Matthew 10, and again in Luke, Jesus tells his followers not to fear their oppressors. Finally, Thurman cites the Sermon on the Mount as a source of biblical consolation. For Thurman, the concept that “God is mindful of the individual” is essential in combating fear and providing “a basic self-estimate [and] a profound sense of belonging” (49). Thurman recalls his grandmother’s insistence that he and his siblings were God’s children and argues that this realization is the first step toward self-worth and courage. He discusses a conversation with a young German woman, who remembers Hitler’s profound ability to give the disillusioned youth of Germany a sense of love and self-worth.

Thurman describes a conversation with Lincoln Steffens about the relative abilities and specialties of intellectuals to illustrate his point that a feeling of self-worth allows an individual to better understand their strengths or weaknesses, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of their enemies. This perspective also allows an individual to take more risks and live with greater integrity. Thurman stresses the importance of teaching self-worth and knowledge of God to children, who otherwise “seem destined to develop a sense of defeat and frustration” (54). A childhood of hope, growth, and learning is crucial for healthy development, and the children of the disinherited are often robbed of carefree childhoods.

Thurman concludes his essay on fear by arguing that Christianity provides a model for hope and higher purpose. Despite overwhelming difficulty and obstacles, this model leads to self-worth, courage, and “a profound faith in life that nothing can destroy” (56). Thurman once asked his mother what would happen if Halley’s comet fell to earth, and she responded, “Nothing will happen to us, Howard; God will take care of us” (57). Thurman explains, thus, that faith is instrumental in overcoming fear.