How would Jesus live during this time of conflict?

Followers of Jesus know that Jesus us our standard, our example for how we should live. But really, Jesus was born on the other side of the world 2000 years ago. What can we apply from Jesus’ actions in our time?

Jesus lived during the time Rome controlled Israel. They were under Rome’s authority but Rome allowed the religious leaders to run things as long as they kept the peace. There were Roman soldiers all around. They had to pay taxes to the occupying force. Crimes were dealt with by the Roman forces. Racism was a huge part of Jesus’ culture. Their racism was because of nationality and religious beliefs, or lack of beliefs. Women were treated as property and children were invisible. There was a pecking order of career choices and some were seen as so bad their testimony would not be accepted by the courts.

So what did Jesus do during this time? Jesus treated everyone with respect and dignity. Jesus broke social barriers by talking with, healing, and eating with men and women, Jew and Roman, Samaritan and Canaan. Jesus even talked with and healed servants of Roman officers. People did protest back then but Jesus chose to not go that direction. Jesus submitted to the kangaroo court during his trial and crucifixion. Jesus didn’t cuss out the police, (Roman soldiers keeping the peace). Jesus didn’t tear down any statues or monuments of any kind. Jesus did toss the people holding a farmer’s market out of the outer court of the Temple. This was where non-Jews could come and hear the Word of God.

If Jesus is our model, our standard for how we should deal with our culture then we have our answer. Love the person in front of you, regardless of their skin color. Accept and serve the person you cross paths with no matter their age or gender. If they disagree with you, turn and walk away. Jesus never burned down the Roman commanders barracks or the High Priests’s home. Jesus didn’t loot Matthew’s tax office, in fact Jesus went to lunch with Matthew. Even after Jesus rose from the grave Jesus did not call for the overthrow of Rome. Jesus came with one purpose, proclaim the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ last command to His followers was to proclaim the Kingdom of God. Jesus knew that the real battle will never be won in political debates or martial law. The real battle is for the hearts and minds of people. People of every skin color.

Today we are blessed with a system of government where we have representation in our leaders. We can change laws or hold our local leadership accountable to enforce the laws that are written. If a person says they are a follower of Jesus then violence is never on the table. I realize that systems of theology from South America want to be more aggressive but this is not what Jesus did. If you feel I have missed some examples of Jesus doing what we see protesters, demonstrators are doing, tell me. If you feel that Jesus defamed, attacked, ridiculed, called for the death of individuals or people of a certain race please show me and I will retract this post.

If you are a follower of Jesus, are you walking in Jesus’ steps? If not, what will you do differently?

 

Tearing down statues in our heart.

Tearing down statutes and monuments has become popular, even acceptable by many today. There seems to be a sense of excitement as people deface buildings, monuments, city streets, business fronts, and basically anything they can paint, break or shatter.

Tearing down statues and monuments of stone is a lot easier than tearing down the statues and monuments in our heart. Statues of fear, anger, and resentment. Monuments of lust, greed, and prejudice can all be torn down but they have an amazing ability to rebuild themselves, almost overnight. There’s a story in the Bible about hearts that are hardened but they use the words, ‘fallow ground’. This is ground that is untilled, filled with dirt clods, rocks, weeds.  Even if you put seeds on the ground it wouldn’t do any good because the soil can’t receive it.

Even if we tore down all the statues, monuments, religious buildings, etc. things will not change because people’s hearts are still hardened with negative attitudes, actions and emotions. We cannot break the hardness of our hearts through violence. Revenge never fills the void in our heart. Demanding when people, even society changes to what I desire or demand, my heart will still be hard. The only way to break up our untilled heart is to sow, to spread out, do do righteousness.

Darkness can not remove darkness. Evil does not defeat evil. We break up, plow our hardened hearts through acts of righteousness.  Go out and do acts of justice and righteous. The results are good beneficial not only to myself but to those we love and society.   Why should I expect a person to treat me with mercy, kindness if I tear down their fence or loot their store or kill their young daughter?

Jesus Christ did acts of civil disobedience. So did Gandhi and MLK Jr. Today we are seeing acts of random violence and destruction. People are sowing, doing acts of destruction saying they will change the world to make it more just, fair, equitable all the while destroying people’s livelihood, sometimes their lives. I am not denying or discounting valid emotions of pain, loss, and anger but acts of violence will only reap, produce acts of violence.

Is it truly God’s heart to destroy, to inflict pain? People of every skin color need to decide if they will honor God and follow His word in the details of their lives, including relationships with people of all colors. When all the statues and monuments are torn down, all the buildings are defaced and streets are patrolled by armed vigilantes, will people truly be equal and free? Hatred is never satisfied. If your heart is filled with hate it will come out no matter who is in office or any other aspect of society.

Freedom begins in the heart and then flows outward. It is time for followers of Jesus to live in the freedom that Jesus Christ has bought for them on the cross and to then share that freedom with others, all others.

Am I a racist?

I was watching a video on Facebook and the speaker basically said that white people are racist but they do not know it. It’s as if he was saying that racism is like COVID. White people carry hatred but there are no obvious symptoms. So I started wondering if I was racist.

I’m sure every person reading this, who has ever lived has had people they identify with, people the call friends, even family members lie in their face. So just because I say, “I am not a racist”. does not prove it. And let’s remember that racism is not a white people issue, it is a human issue. It is a sin issue. Different groups of people have held slaves of different groups for thousands of years. Racism is hate. So let’s get back to the question, ‘Am I a racist?’

Litmus tests have been put out to prove someone is not racist. Change our Facebook post to a certain color or to have certain # words or phrases. But does this prove I am not a racist? Others have said that I need to march in a protect and this is proof of not being racist. Others say this isn’t enough and I have to be part of tearing down statues and participating in violent protests such as burning churches, businesses, and attacking people on the street. Do these actions prove I am not a racist?

But then I thought about marriage. If racism is hate then a relationship built on love would be the opposite. If my wife asked me if I loved her and I would said yes, would you say no to your spouse? Now, I can say of course I love you. I can get her a card for her Birthday and pick up flowers now and then. These are signs of love but proof of my love is not found in statements or gifts.

My love for my wife is seen in the daily, moment by moment actions, responses, glances, body language, movements and words I speak. Love is not seen in a Facebook post or a march downtown for a couple of hours. Love is seen in how I relate to each person I meet.

I know laws already written need to be enforced. I know there are attitudes that need to change. I also know that there are great people of all different colors, beliefs, genders and careers. There are also people of all colors whose hearts are filled with hatred and anger. So if you feel led to do something to express your belief in equality great. But make sure you live out unconditional grace and love to every person you cross paths with.

If you feel like you cannot love or care about people that have a different skin color, values, belief system, gender,… then your heart needs to change. You are a racist because you hate another person because they are different than you.

 

Racism = Thanos 2

I can’t get my mind off of how racism and Thanos are similar. If you remember the story Thanos is consumed with the idea of saving the universe from itself. His idea is to wipe out half the population of every single planet but finds out he can take care of the entire universe with the infinity stones. The fact that people are wiped out as if they never existed, families are torn apart, parents can’t even bury their children mean nothing to him. Thanos is all about the plan. Hitler called it, “The Solution”.

For Thanos, murder on a universal scale was an honorable destiny. He was certain that the universe would thank him for murdering half of the universe. Thanos was methodical, strategic and totally committed to his goal. Some business schools could almost use him as a study for strategic leadership.

Racism is also methodical and strategic. Racism is all about fulfilling, what the racist thinks, is a higher calling, even though the actions reveal their insecurity and ignorance. Racists believes that they are in the right. Other people will one day see that they were right. This is how Hitler thought, Stalin, Mao, … Racism is a disease, a cancer in the human heart. Laws are like medications that somewhat cover up the outward symptoms but cannot heal the underlying disease.

Jesus Christ removes our selfish, insecure, sinful heart and gives us a heart that is capable of unconditional love and mercy. It takes courage to accept others that are not like ‘me’. Thanos had to be destroyed because he was not wiling to see that his plan was wrong. My prayer is that all those who are racist, and racism comes in all shapes, sizes, races, colors and genders, would ask Jesus Christ to show Himself to them. Ask Jesus to give them His love for the person in front of them. I also pray for people who call themselves to be followers of Jesus to read and read again the story of the Good Samaritan until they can say that they will treat the person, any person, any color, age, gender, etc. with unconditional love and mercy.

Jesus does not give credit for knowing His Word. Jesus only grades on the level of our obedience to His word.

Racism = Thanos

I have to admit that I checked out for a while today having the Avengers Endgame movie playing in the background while I was in my office. It came to the scene where Thanos is standing face to face with Ironman, Captain America and Thor. You see the hordes of military weapons, soldiers, and flying fortresses fill the background behind Thanos. Then suddenly there is a small voice over the intercom, it’s Sam, the Falcon saying ‘Cap, we’re here’.

Do you remember the scene? Bright yellow orange circles start to fill the screen as everyone who vanished 5 years ago from the snap not only comes back but comes to the battle. The ‘good guys’ are made up of men and women, white, black, yellow, brown, wooden people, green skinned, one covered in fur, and another a cyborg. Up to this point the avengers were barely surviving but when everyone came together to stand against Thanos they won the battle.

So how do we win the battle against racism? First of all unity, we need to want to see racism ended. To say we will not accept racism when we see it, wherever we are, no matter what. When I was about 7-8, I was being picked on at baseball practice and two young black guys my age told the ones pickling me to back off. I don’t even remember who was coming at me. Racism does not end in the Supreme court but in the classrooms, parks, neighborhood playgrounds and stores.  Second, they realized that the enemy is not the person from the other side of the tracks or the other side of the universe, but racism (Thanos) is the enemy. Third, Each person gets involved in the battle at their point of skill, experience, or abilities. No one mocks Spiderman because he can’t make glowing circles and no one mocks Captain Marvel because she showed up late. Fourth, each person is willing to give of themselves for one another. Each person was willing to carry the infinity stones, the the power and authority far away from Thanos. Each person was willing to give themselves to end racism (Thanos). And we all remember the scene where Ironman sacrifices himself to destroy Thanos (racism) for good. Racism is hatred, pure and simple. Hatred can only be defeated by unconditional love. Love is defined by Jesus as giving our life for another person. If you would like a definition of unconditional love, look at how Jesus lived His life on earth.

It’s sad that we are seeing two different pictures in all of this. One picture is peaceful protesters, of all races, gathering to share their concerns. We should be thankful we live in a country where this is able to happen. We see police officers, of all races, just as sickened by the brutality of some police officers and showing their support by kneeling, standing, or walking with the protesters. We see some politicians, of all races, trying to keep their citizens and property safe during this time of unrest.

But the other picture we see is rioters, of all different skin colors destroying property, looting businesses and attacking innocent bystanders. We see some politicians doing everything they can to blame someone for a problem that everyone admits is a systemic issue. By definition a systemic issue cannot be caused by one person or in a few years.

Unless and until we choose to be united, to serve and honor one anther because they are human beings, created by our Almighty God and not because their skin color matches mine, we will never end racism. Thanos (racism) can never be defeated by a law because laws do not change the human heart. Laws just make people become more creative. Unconditional love, showing compassion and meeting the needs of the people around us will end racism. Whether a person is walking in a peaceful protest or standing in a barrier line around public property, will we love as Jesus loved?

The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but of the Spirit. May God help us, be with us and forgive us for our selfishness, anger, pride and ignorance.