Racism: The Same Stars, Sun, Moon, and the Same God

I have to preface this bit by stating that I’ve spent precious time getting my heart right before writing this. My emotions started out with anger, then disbelief, shock, which led to discouragement, that took me to listening to others views, which led me to the Bible. Diving in head first to read about Jesus, His ministry, and His responses. While my heart is in a calm place my stance is firm, my beliefs unwavering, and my cry for action remains loud. 

For those of you whose faith may be weary, who may not believe in God, who have been hurt by a Christian, who have questions allow me to say, hang on! This piece isn’t to shove my belief on you as much as it is to share just how GREAT, just, and loving God is... to share with you the truth. To shed light on what we are called to do, how to act, and how to respond in troubled times, racism, brokenness in general. 

Are we to take action? 

Yes! 

The Sermon on the Mount was full of some of Jesus’ best teachings. But one particular verse, Matthew 5:9 was full of a challenge and promise in one phrase, “ Blessed are the peacemakers because they will be called the children of God.” Jesus sends us out as peacemakers. Bottom line. We live in a crappy world. Full of hate. But, He is sending US out. That requires action. My thoughts go straight to Martin Luther King who was also a Baptist minister whose beliefs led him to speak out on behalf of the hurt, the oppressed. We live in a world filled with confliction, thanks Adam and Eve. Where the choice to stay silent or speak is always at our doorstep. Now, we do have direction on when to speak and when to stay silent. However, once our hearts are right and full of good intent we are then called to speak and/or act. Staying silent in such times as this truly isn’t an option. Getting our hearts right first, is and should be a priority. We have a greater chance of being heard when our voice is strong and filled with peace. 

In John 8 we have an example of Jesus diving in, in a rather sticky situation. The lawmakers and Pharisees brought to town a woman caught in the act of adultery. The town began to make a case against her to Jesus. Now, mind you, what they were doing wasn’t far from the law against such acts during this time. She was to be stoned. And then we see Jesus getting his hand dirty while writing in the dirt. Now don’t ask me what He wrote because I don’t know. But, what we do see is Jesus showing His forgiveness and mercy. At this point, only a sinless person could throw the first stone at her. Now, who is sinless? My point. In this particular passage I think the Pharisees wanted people, even Jesus to pick a side but we see Jesus flipping the script to what only He can convey. With racism, we must get dirty (we must understand) before we make comments or take stances. It is our duty. We don’t get to decide what’s fair or unjust. We also don’t get to decide what hurts someone or doesn’t hurt someone. And mostly, we don’t get to stand up and say, “but, wait, slavery ended years ago!” No! No! Slavery is alive and well, my friends. We are enslaved, everyone. We are enslaved with hatred. With ignorance. With silence. With fear. Shall I keep going? While your version of slavery ended years ago, the oppression, the judgements, the comments, are all still alive and holding them captive in what so many refer to as the land of the free. You know that is true. Please understand this: we have all been guilty of remaining silent where action was due. However, if we learn from that past moment chances are we are acting. If we continue to remain silent in whatever diverse situation it may be, it now becomes a choice. 

*Note: I am not saying go out and be disrespectful. I am also not saying that if you feel led to take a stance by protesting, don’t. What I am saying, is that racism needs addressed. Whether that’s home conversations, diving into your own heart, writing something, etc. it needs to be addressed. We may not have segregated schools anymore but we do still have heart issues concerning “different“ types of people. We have judgements and assumptions coming out of the wazoo. I also want to state, I’m not in agreement with police forces being taken away. I am however in agreement with the process of such societal duties becoming more serious, where an officer is held to accountability. No warning for a first offense but the same treatment as we mere humans would receive in the court room. Also, I believe all lives matter. However, this isn’t about other races right now. It is about black lives. It is about a societal view that has enslaved not only those who still carry it from their parents onward  but to the black lives that have to still think about every step they take throughout their day because of us.* 

On we go. John 4 is the story of the woman at the well. Here we see Jesus taking a seat at a well, sending His people to get water. A woman approaches the well to get water. We then get to see Jesus ask one simple question full of intent. Which led to an amazing conversation between Jesus and a woman of questionable practices, of different ethnicity, with different beliefs. This particular story is foreign to a lot of people. To sit down with “someone like that” truly is absurd. But this scene, well, to me, is Jesus’ ministry on Earth rolled up into one powerful moment. During this time in History no respectable man would be seen talking to this woman! Yet, here’s Jesus breaking all social barriers, positions, etc. to share His Fathers love. He simply cared. So many people want to speak before they sit down. They don’t even know the person, race, etc. they simply live by the mainstream. I don’t know about you but to me, that’s full of ignorance and racism and is far from the love we believe in. Nelson Mandela stated , “ Where you stand depends on where you sit.” I urge you, to sit first. To begin conversation with a simple statement or question. We don’t see Jesus beginning the conversation with, “ you're a sinner!” We see him begin a life changing situation with simplicity. 

While your statement of action looks different than mine - it has a distinct trickle effect. It carries over to a friend, your child, your child’s friend. Staying silent isn’t an option. Have conversations. Share stories from the Bible but most importantly LIVE OUT what you’re teaching and standing for.... change has always and will always begin with you. 

I will end with this quote from Dr. King, “ We aren’t going to have peace on Earth until we recognize this basic fact of the interrelated structure of all reality. Now let me say secondly, that if we are to have peace in the world, men and nations must embrace the nonviolent affirmation that ends and means must cohere. One of the great philosophical debates of history has been over the whole question of means and ends. And there have always been those who argued that the end justifies the means, that the means really aren’t important. The important thing is to get to the end, you see. So if you’re seeking to develop a just society the important thing is to get there. And the means are really unimportant. Any means that will get you there. They may be violent, they may be untruthful means, they may even be unjust means to get to a just end. There have been those who have argued this throughout history. We will never have peace in the world until men everywhere recognize that ends are not cut off from means because the means represent the ideal in the making and the end in process and ultimately you can’t reach good ends through evil means because the means represent the seed and the end represents the tree.” 

We are called to plant seeds of love, of action, of using our voice to produce trees. Search your hearts. Your conversations. Address you first, then pour out onto your children the importance of love, of standing up for the oppressed, being a voice for the voiceless and mostly the importance of sitting down beside the broken... bearing one another’s burdens. 

This is for any black child who has been asked to leave a store while trying to decide which sneaker they were going to buy leaving room for an employee to conjure up a premeditated judgement, for the black man who just wanted to take a run, for the black people who walk with their heads held down, for the black women who viciously have to fight for their place, for the black man in a park who was just enjoying the same freedom we’ve been given to have the cops called on him for an irrational fear from a white women, for the black woman shot and killed ten miles away from the actual crime with no verification. This is for you. You are seen. You are heard. You are loved. As long as I breathe I will  use my voice for you. I will teach my son for you.