Change The Story

I am sitting here on my couch this morning, looking out my back door. Come to think of it, isn’t there a Creedence Clearwater Revival song about that very thing? I’m looking out my back door to try to gain some semblance of peace of mind during all the turmoil. I’ve read my Bible this morning, I’ve talked to the Lord, I’ve done some cleanup work on my business, and I’ve had a good morning. That is, until I opened my Facebook newsfeed.

For the life of me, I simply cannot understand why people have to be so doggone mean to one another. The hatred and total disregard of the opinions and more specifically, the feelings of others is mind blowing. I do not understand a world like this. I am 64 years old and we are still as a country, and as individuals struggling with racism. Why is that?

Most folks will concede the fact that murder is wrong, and it should be lawfully punished. However, folks seem to think it’s OK to murder their fellow man with their keyboards. There is a time to speak, for sure. There is also a time to remain silent. I didn’t write these words. The Bible did. I guess my questions are if we are speaking out, what are we speaking out about? And if we are remaining silent, how can we possibly combat racism? What are we speaking out against? What are we remaining silent about? What are we so scared of?

I’ve seen it written that people are afraid we are losing our country. Fair enough. But do we really understand that we don’t need to cling to a country that doesn’t promise justice for all its citizenry? Do we really understand what it is we are holding so dear? I love my country. My dad was a World War II veteran. My dad fought for liberty and justice for all our country’s citizens, not just the ones we agree with. Yet, he did not risk his young life only for people who agreed with his set of morals and his set of values. He did not fight only for white civilization. He fought against Nazi Germany and their evil plan for world dominance. He fought for the end of discrimination. He fought for the constitution of the United States which declares “all men are created equal.” My dad may not have articulated his battles in quite this way, but as an American citizen and his daughter, I am articulating it for him. Because I know how he felt about freedom. I know how he felt about Justice. And I know my dad knew God on an intimate basis.

Fast forward to the 60s and early 70s… I remember seeing rioting on TV. I remember seeing images from Kent State. I remember the Vietnam War protests. I remember POW bracelets and Woodstock. I remember a dance at my high school where a young black man asked a white girl to dance and both were ostracized for the rest of the school year. I remember listening to the scandalized voices that spoke in whispers about the incident and I remember thinking, “why? What was wrong with that?” Yet, I said nothing because I was young and dumb. Then, a few years later, I did start to speak out and was called names. I was a coward and did nothing.

I am no longer a coward. Well, maybe I am a little bit cowardly because I’m posting this in a blog instead of on The Book of Faces. The point to this entire blog is this: Racism at its finest cries the loudest that it’s not racist. It cries that it’s a Patriot. It cries that it believes in equality, as long it it suits its agenda. It cries out against injustice, but only when it doesn’t upset it’s set of values. It screams loudly, but it’s screams are too strident and shrill to be believable. If you have to use the words “I’m not racist, but…” Well, guess what? You probably are.

I came to these conclusions after a long stretch of soul-searching and long talks with God over my own heart. I didn’t consider myself a racist. I didn’t think I had racial bias. But I did. I did because I was clinging to other things more than I was clinging to what Gods Word said. At the end of the day, my opinion does not matter. The only opinion on the table for consideration is the Lord God Almighty’s opinion, and guess what? He ain’t racist. Never has been. Never will be. We Christians have made him such. Jesus was not a white man. God is not a white God. We need to stop and think about who and what we are worshipping and do we really know and understand who and what that is!

I write these things because I’m tired, my friends. I’m tired in my heart and in my soul. I’m weary with the weight of it. Lord, give me strength to serve You, to worship You and love Your people. All of ‘em. Even the ones who espouse the things I abhor. Let me love them anyway.
✌️

Let’s work together change the story!