Because they matter

     A dear friend has encouraged me to write the following, and I have prayerfully taken her up on addressing a complex subject that has taken me a long time to process.

     It has been over a month since George Floyd was brutally murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.  It was a travesty, and should never have happened.  It was a heartbreaking event, and has led to further heartbreak as people have rioted (also resulting in a spike of Covid-19, which had been in decline prior to this).  It seems like the whole world has gone crazy.  

     Even before George Floyd's murder, the phrase (and organization) Black Lives Matter was well-known.  Some took exception to this phrase, arguing that all lives matter.  Others, while agreeing that all lives matter, insist that the statement is one of focus, bringing awareness to injustices that have come upon Black Americans.  There have been many such injustices in our nation's history, and it is inexcusable.  In the days following George Floyd's murder, a lot of awareness was raised.  Some people made very bold claims that, if you are White, you're part of the problem.  If you aren't financially supporting BLM, you are part of the problem.  If you aren't commenting on Facebook and other social media, you are part of the problem.  With these intimidating statements being made, is it any wonder I have felt hesitant to address it, and have taken some time to come to a response?  I've felt like saying anything was to walk on thin ice.  I've been concerned that, even with the best of intentions, I'd somehow be saying the wrong thing and getting numerous people angry with me. It's a lot to process.  In wanting to say what is right, I have needed God's guidance, and that has taken time.     

   Before I comment at all, I'm going to give you a link to two men who are much more informed and articulate than I am.  My favorite Bible teacher on YouTube is Allen Parr, who happens to be Black.  He and a White pastor friend of his put together this phenomenal video as a response to all of this, and how believers of all backgrounds might need to understand others, and what we can all do to bring healing.  It raises awareness in a biblical way.  You can view it here.  I truly hope you will.  

Allen Parr, one of my very favorite Bible teachers

     I guess the best place for me to start is my childhood.  I grew up in a Christian home in suburban Los Angeles.  While known as a racial melting pot, my neighborhood was predominantly Caucasian.  I was taught that God loved all people, and wanted all to be saved.  We were encouraged to learn Spanish, in order to share Christ with Spanish-speakers.  My parents taught me by example to love and value all people.  I remember being six years old at the park one day.  A family showed up while we were there with the friends we usually played with.  This new family happened to be Black, and I thought they were the most beautiful people I had ever seen.  I hadn't really had very much experience with children of other ancestries, and I was completely thrilled to get to play with these beautiful children.  I went to the oldest girl in the family, who was about a year older than me.  I kept running my hand over her arm and in her hair, telling her how pretty she was.  I was as in awe of her as I would have been of a movie star.  I probably kind of annoyed her!  Years later, when I went on a mission trip to Africa, I experienced the same touching and fascination toward me that I had given that beautiful Black girl all those years earlier.  I hope she knew it was complete admiration on my part.

     Yesterday, in our Bible club, we taught the children a G-rated version of the story of Rahab in the Old Testament, and how she, through faith, came to know the true God, and was grafted into God's people of Israel.  She married an Israelite man (showing us God's stamp of approval on inter-racial marriage, for anyone who had any doubts). Ruth (in the book of Ruth) was another example of a foreign woman embracing the true God and marrying into Israel (and both of these women were included in the lineage of Jesus).  In the New Testament, we see even more.  Originally, the early Christians thought the gospel was only for Jews, but in Acts 10, Peter led the first Gentile and his family to the Lord.   Philip led an Ethiopian Jew to Christ (Acts 8).  In Galatians 3:28, the Apostle Paul (who traveled the known world leading people of diverse backgrounds to Christ) writes, There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  Our different backgrounds shouldn't bring division.  We are all created in the image of God.  This means that Adam and Eve--the first two people ever created, and from whom all of us descended--had the genetics for all skin, hair and eye colors.  

     I worked at the YMCA with school-aged children for a number of years.  One of my coworkers was a sweet Christian woman with whom I had a deep bond.  Her name was Carol.  She and I got together every day to pray for the kids before we started work.  We desperately wanted the Lord to use us in these kids' lives, and in the lives of our unsaved coworkers.  Carol and I shared such a bond in Christ that we treated each other as family, and used to tell the kids we were cousins.  The funny thing is, I am 5 feet, seven inches tall, light-complexioned, and redheaded.  Carol was 4-foot-ten, old enough to be my mother, and was Black.  We didn't look like cousins.  The kids always sort of looked confused at us when we said this, but one day, a third-grader said, "I always kind of thought you were related."  She was seeing something supernatural.  That's what our bond is in the Lord.  Carol used to tell the kids (we had about one-third White, one-third Black, and one-third Hispanic students), "The only race is the human race."

     I have seen very little racial tension in my life, but I do not deny its existence.  I have had some unusual experiences that are not addressed by any media.  I have been called racist and part of the problem, not because of anything I said or did, but simply because my ancestors were from Europe.  Is this fair or right?  No!  I have been told that I come from a position of power, when, in reality, my power is the same as any American--voting.  I have been told I should feel guilty because some people with similar complexions to mine have owned slaves, or mistreated immigrants, even though I have never done these things, and my ancestors were against these things.  One time, at a job I was working, I had someone of another ancestry than myself misrepresent something I said, and twisted it until it was a prejudiced statement.  I got written up for this statement, and I was deeply hurt that I was lied about when my heart wasn't prejudiced or unkind at all.  I went to the HR department, and I was told, "You're White, so you're in the wrong.  You don't have rights."  That doesn't sound very just to me.  I was deeply hurt by this, and really had to depend on the Lord's healing, knowing that only He will bring perfect justice one day.  This coworker tried this on several more Caucasians, and every one of them complained.  When enough of them had, this woman finally got called out for her lying and prejudices.  In spite of these things, racial injustices have not played a big roll in my life.  I know there are things I don't understand.  I know there have been terrible injustices, much worse than what I have shared.  I am very open to hearing your experiences.  

     It seems like things are conspiring to divide us as Americans, people, and sadly, even as Christians.  We can't let that happen.  We need to follow Jesus' words, to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31).  There are people I completely disagree with politically, but I can still love them.  There are people who do things I find wrong and even repulsive, but I can still love them, and be courteous.  

     I share my view and opinion in respectful dialogue with those wishing to discuss it with me.  Otherwise, my vote speaks for me, as I said earlier.  This is a privilege every American citizen has.  We can vote, make our voices heard.  So many people in other lands would love to have that opportunity.  Sometimes, people have a need to be heard beyond simply voting or talking, and do things such as marches and demonstrations.  If these are peaceful, I believe this also is our privilege.  In my home state of California, the governor recently mandated that there be no singing in churches.  The reasoning used was that it could spread Covid-19 (interestingly, the governor didn't speak out against people rioting together and spreading Covid).  Many of my Christian friends in California gathered at local parks--socially distancing according to mandates--singing hymns.  I am proud of them for praising God's name in the face of being told not to.  They were peaceful.  These kinds of protests are acceptable.  The same is true for the peaceful protests in response to George Floyd's death.  It was wrong, and people were right to be outraged.  It was right to bring awareness to those of us who may not be in the thick of such injustice.  We need to be made aware.  However, burning down buildings, destroying people's business and properties, demonizing all law enforcement, and looting do nothing to help bring justice.  Even George Floyd's family has spoken out against this.  Many outstanding Black citizens of this country have been killed in the protests, including Black police officers.  This is not the way to resolve injustice.  

     If the organization Black Lives Matter were solely for raising awareness of injustices shown to Black Americans, and for bringing about justice and equality in situations where it may not exist, I would be 100% in favor of it.  I would give money to such a cause.  I would consider it a righteous cause that all Christians should support.  However, BLM is not entirely an honest name for the organization.  It isn't simply for supporting these Americans.  It supports causes that I, as a Bible-believing Christian, cannot get behind, such as Planned Parenthood, and promoting the LGBT(etc) agenda.  I have addressed these causes in other posts, and won't go into them here.  It is also a known fact that the top leaders of BLM (founder Patrisse Cullors and her fellow organizers) are practicing Marxists--an ideology which is not only anti-American but also anti-religion.  It is heartbreaking to me that a group who claims to stand for justice for Black America, is, in fact, supporting the organization that has murdered unborn Black children for years.  I cannot get behind the organization of BLM, regardless of how much I agree with the title.  Black lives do matter.  Where there has been hurt, may we who love the Lord be the first to bring healing.