This past week isn’t one to be ignored. Whether you watch CNN or Fox or any of the others we can’t deny what has happened and what is continuing to happen in this country and in our world. The events that have been happening give me a deep feeling in my stomach. One of those deep feelings where I feel quite helpless. Where I feel righteous anger rising in my soul. Where I want to cry and scream all at once. It’s that deep, deep feeling of brokenness. Of compassion. Of hurt.
Last night I was on a flight home and all I could do was take out my bible. I wrote the word “love” in my notebook and I asked the Lord what that word actually means. What it should look like to love Him and love others. How do we live out the most important commandments? I turned on a song called “Pieces” by Amanda Cook. It talks all about God’s love and how He doesn’t give His heart to us in pieces. He doesn’t tease us. He isn’t selfish. He is in awe of us and hangs on every word that we say.
I read 1 Corinthians 13 which is a chapter that we always associate with marriage but if we are only holding it to that, then it doesn’t pertain to everyone when really I think the Lord meant it for all of us. It says that love isn’t selfish. Love is kind. Love is patient. It doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness. Love doesn’t keep a record of wrongs. Love bears all things. It hopes all things. It believes all things.
In 1 John it talks about how we know God loves us because He sacrificed His son for us and because of that we should lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
We should lay down our lives for our neighbors, not take theirs.
In 1 John it also says that we shouldn’t just love with our words but that we should actually love in truth and actions.
In Proverbs 3 it says to not withhold good from those whom it is due when it is in your power to do it.
In Hebrews it says to be ready with a meal and a bed when it’s needed. For by this, some have entertained angels without even knowing it.
A lot of times I hear people say “we don’t see color, everyone is created equal.” I know this is said with a good heart but for me, I see color. I see all different ones and in those colors I see God. I see pieces of Him in an African American child, in a Thai woman, in a Zambian man, in my white skin. I see color and I always want to because God is creative and it’s shown through the diversity of the men, women and children that He has created on this earth. One day, I want a table full of kids from all over this world. I want diversity to be something I strive for. I want borders and lines to be blurred knowing that one day when we get to heaven those borders won’t actually be there. We will all worship together. Every tribe, nation and tongue. A lot of people will probably tell me that borders are here for our safety but when has the Lord ever called us to be safe?
We pray “on earth as it is in heaven” but do we really want that? Do we really want to brush elbows with people who are not like us?
It says in 1 John that if we cannot love our brothers who we see, then we cannot love God who we can’t see.
Love isn’t just for the missionaries of the world. Love isn’t just to be given to our fellow Christians. Love shouldn’t just be extended to people that smell good and are cleaned up nicely. It shouldn’t just be given to the ones that never say a cuss word or who never have a temper. Love isn’t given in pieces. The bible says that He does not withhold good from us.
Why are we withholding it from our neighbor?
My heart is broken for the people of this nation. For the African Americans, for the refugees, for the white people. My heart hurts like it never has before and all I want to scream from the rooftops is for people to just be kind to one another. Why can’t we just be kind? Why can’t we just say hello? Why can’t we just go out to coffee together and realize that we are all of the same blood. Of the same God. Of the same Jesus. Of the same Holy Spirit. Not one of us is better than the other.
Racism and hate are wrong. Oppression and pride are wrong. They are wrong and there is no exception or excuse for the actions that are happening in our nation. In our world.
In Genesis it talks about how God talked with the Holy Spirit and it says “let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” And later, God looked down on that creation and said “it is good.” Who are we to say that Adam and Eve were white Americans? They weren’t. If Jesus tried to come into this country right now He would be looked down upon because of the color of His skin and that, my friends, is the most heartbreaking news I have come to realize.
Not only would Jesus be looked down upon and possibly even turned away but He is being looked down upon every time a human being is looked down up. We are humans and we are all made in His image. When we look down upon our neighbor we are looking down upon God Himself.
In Matthew Jesus is pretty straight forward with how we treat the people of this world is how we treat Him:
“For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink…”
“To the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to me.”
This isn’t about extending a hand to the needy and the poor. We are at a place where we just need to extend a hand to each other whether poor or rich. Black or white. We are at a place where we have to learn to love our brothers and sisters whether they look like us or they don’t. I pray that we become a people who reach out our hand for the homeless and the president. We are all in need of the same love and the same grace. I pray that we are a people who don’t try and ignore color but that we embrace it. That we don’t ignore hate but we fight it with love. That we don’t turn off the TV because it’s too hard to watch but that we would let it spur us on to change the reality of what is happening. I pray that when someone says hello to you, you actually ask them how they are doing and care to know what they respond. I pray that I would be a woman who always looks people in the eye and asks their name. I pray that I would put my phone down at the register in Target and asks how someone’s day has been.
We have been quiet for too long.
We have pretended that it’s not racism for too long.
Racism wasn’t just years ago in Downtown Birmingham. It is right now. It is in this moment.
Checkout some of the sides of Jesus I have been able to see in the world. See His eyes. His skin. His hair. His smile.
If only the world would listen to you. Amen.
Just Amen and Amen!
Just Amen and Amen!
Just Amen and Amen!