It's been awhile since I have written a blog post and this is probably not the one to start back up again. But in light of what has recently been elevated to national news and all the racial slurs being thrown around this has been heavy on my heart. As you read this I pray you read it with an open heart and mind to receive it in the spirit it is intended. When I write, I write with Love and a desire not to criticize or disregard peoples hurts and pains, but in an effort to inspire people to think outside their own thoughts and opinions to realize we are all uniquely different and uniquely special.
I believe in equality. I believe all lives matter. I believe we need to learn not to be 'color blind', but to receive all people for who they are and where they come from.
I also believe we were all born sinners and broken people. We live in a world that is gripped with sin and we try to do the best we can, but it will never be enough. I believe we all need to find sanctification through Jesus Christ, who I believe died for all our sins, past, present and future. I believe we need to Love like Jesus Loves.
Now to talk about diversity. And here's where I will likely start to make some folks mad. It seems every time the word diversity gets used it is in relation to ethnic differences, sexual orientation and things like that. True diversity however goes beyond that. Diversity by definition means 'the state of being diverse. And diverse is 'showing a great deal of variety; very different.' So, as I mentioned before I believe all individuals are unique and different. We all come from different places and backgrounds, so diversity in it's purest form goes beyond race and sex and religion and goes to who a person is at their core and accepting them for it. Too many times the talk of diversity misses this basic concept and ends up being all about those who are considered minorities. And then not all individuals get a chance to speak.
I'd also like to take a moment to talk about 'White Privilege.' I have heard this term a lot lately and the more I hear it the more it bothers me. What is 'White Privilege' anyway? It seems to me that it is saying that because I am 'white' I don't understand what other people experience. That in itself seems like it is excluding people based on the color of their skin and I think it needs to be stopped. You may be right in saying that I don't understand your struggles, but do you think you understand mine? I grew up without freedom to go to the bathroom when I needed to unless it was in my 'pee' jug. Then one time a day I could empty it and use the toilet. My meals consisted of raw potatoes and beans. The windows were nailed shut with black plastic on them so I could not tell the time of day except when I heard the house go quiet. There were padlocks on the doors to make sure I didn't get out when I wasn't supposed to. So you say 'white privilege', I say we are all diverse and need to accept everyone's differences, whether it's apparent on the outside or not.
What this comes down to is stereotyping and being afraid of what we do not understand. When I was a teenager I was followed around stores because I was stereotyped. Then I got my first car and I was pulled over for no other reason than it being a large Cadillac, oh, and that I had my headlights on in the middle of the day. People put labels and stereotypes on everyone, it doesn't matter who you are. Those stereotypes then create a fear based on who we think that person is. And when we lash out in that fear people get hurt. This continues everyday in every part of the world. It is more than a race issue. It is a reflection of a sinful heart.
To be sure, I am outraged at the recent acts of violence that have taken the lives of people like George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor! I think those responsible should pay the penalty and justice should be served. Was it a crime of racism? I don't know. Only God knows the heart of a man. Was it wrong? Absolutely! I do however believe this goes way beyond racism. This is a heart issue. People are selfish. People fear what they do not understand. Is there corruption in the government and law enforcement? Again, I say absolutely! But it doesn't matter who is elected to office or on the police force. As long as people are there, there will be corruption. Power is abused everyday and has been since the beginning of the world. But there are good people there as well. And to judge all police officers and government officials by the acts of few is expressing the same kind of racism that we are saying we are fighting.
It's interesting the response to this as well. I received an email from the school district the other day as well and it is interesting how these subjects are being approached. I quote, "we must do more to support the unique needs of our students of color in order to create the equitable community of learners and society that we envision." I could be wrong, but isn't isolating people based on the color of their skin and treating them different the root of the issue? So how is doing this going to help gain equality?
And then there is the violence. Making other people suffer for the acts of people who look the same? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of the message that is supposedly being sent? But it's OK to loot and pillage in the name of standing up for what is right. This is a ridiculous statement!
I completely believe in standing up for what we believe, but it can be done in a way that doesn't hurt others! Basically the message that rioting and looting sends is that, if that person can do wrong and break the law it is OK for me to do the same. Again, a heart issue.
The truth is there are people hurting everyday. Hurt and pain do not choose a specific 'type' of people. There are children suffering abuse, there are people that are wrongfully treated by the 'law', by piers, by friends and even family. But the media and news controls what we 'hear' about. They tell us what is important and what to get upset about. They don't want to tell us about the people that have died by the hand of someone of the same race. There are people dying everyday. All colors, all backgrounds and all areas of life, but we only hear about the ones they want us to hear about.
There is hurt in this world and until we recognize it for what it is and address it as such we are not going to make progress towards a better community. It is sin. Plain and simple. Sin makes us all victims. Sometimes from our own choices and sometimes from the choices of others. But sin is the problem. Jesus example shows us that we must hate sin, but Love the sinner. We are people that are victims of our own circumstances, but it is time to stop being the victim.
So am I any different? No, my heart is a mess, just like everyone else's. That's why I need Jesus. We have all had hurt and pain. We all have a past and a present where we face problems and persecutions. We all want to make a better day for our children and Loved ones. Jesus is the answer to the whole issue. If our hearts are healed we won't lash out from the hurt we have had to bear. We lash out from undealt with pain and unforgiveness that we hold in our hearts. We form opinions about others based on our life experiences and previous relationships we have had, whether good or bad. Even names. It is easy to associate the pain experience with the name of the person who inflicted it. For instance, you have formed opinions about who I am based on this article.
So what do we need to do? Change doesn't happen easy or quickly when it comes to our hearts and the pain we have experienced. First, deal with the hurt. Address it and receive healing. I found Jesus when I was cold and alone in a dark room as a child and he gave me a hope of a better day. And I am here to tell you that there is a better day. We can get past this, but the only person we can change is ourselves. Forcing change in peoples hearts does not work. Only God can change a heart.
Now, here's the hard part. Treat each person with Love. The Bible tells us that we are to Love God and Love People. When we look in Love and understanding on all people it makes it easy to accept them for who they are and not who we think they are. The other thing that helps is prayer. I know this can come off as an cliche answer, but what I mean is for you to pray for the people who you are angry with. This works.
Sometimes this can seem impossible and you will likely not even mean it at first, but if you keep doing it, you will see a change. I will warn you though, most of the time the change is not in the individual you are praying for, but in your heart. This is important because hate and unforgiveness in your heart will consume you, if you leave it unchecked. I speak from experience. When I started praying for my step dad he was dead, so there was no changing him. But the change came in me. The hurt started to heal and the pain started to go away.
So to close I will say it again. I believe we are all unique and special. I believe we all need to look past our own tinted experiences to receive people for who they are and not who we think they are. And I don't expect you to agree with me on everything, but I ask that you take my thoughts as they are intended, in Love.
