This post is raw. Honest. Sincere. I make no effort to soothe or comfort. I make no effort to hide the truth. You’ve seen my picture. I’m a middle-class white woman. But I am more than that. I am a follow of the Lord Jesus Christ. And today I am writing this post primarily to my white Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ in response to the fear, the anger, and the suffering of our muti-colored family of believers. Our co-laborers in the faith. The Body of Christ.
We are living in terrifying times. Uncertain times.
The senseless, brutal murder of George Floyd and the resulting violence and mayhem has jolted the Twin Cities. The nation.
But the truth is: This is NOT a new phenomena. This anger and fear has been going on for centuries.
4 centuries to be exact.
Did you know the first African slaves were transported to Jamestown in 1619 to work the Tobacco plantations? That’s 1 year BEFORE the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock.
Let that settle on you for a minute.
What’s so jolting about the current situation is that we’ve just slapped a pretty veneer on the the issue of racism and that veneer has been ripped away, exposing the ugliness, the vileness, the evil that lies underneath.
And we are repulsed.
Shocked.
Afraid.
Yes, afraid of what we see, of what we feel, of what we’re thinking.
Our response: Pointing fingers. Judging. Accusing. We want to cover it back up. Hide the atrocities. Go on pretending all is right in the world.
But we can’t.
We shouldn’t.
As followers of Jesus Christ we would be blatantly disobeying Scripture if we did.
And we would be discrediting our faith, our character, our integrity, and the Gospel in the process.
Instead, dear Believer, my Brother, my Sister in the Living Christ, we would be wise to
Examine our own hearts in the wake of this devastation.
Face what lingers within.
Repent of our sin and ask God to transform our hearts and minds.
And remember:
God intentionally placed us on this planet at this time, in this community, in this culture, for His purpose and glory.
We are here to proclaim Jesus’ death and resurrection until He comes again.
We are called to live deliberately and meaningfully for Him. To chase after His heart with everything we have. To love Him. Know Him. And worship Him.
We are intended to live in the NOW.
To be relevant in our homes, community, nation, and culture.
This is our moment.
Our Moment to Lead with Love.
As I knelt in my office on Friday, I wasn’t sure how I to pray. I felt helpless and lost. Tears flowed as a myriad of conflicting thoughts and emotions played havoc with my heart and mind.
“Lord, help me captivate my thoughts and emotions and place them under your authority. Show me how to respond to this?”
He whispered:
Lead with love.
Be present.
Be relevant.
Situations like this are extreme. Rare. And getting more frequent.
However.
The underlying hurt that feeds the anger isn’t.
It’s a very real daily presence that grows and festers just below the surface.
It builds and builds like steam in a pressure cooker.
Until something sets it off and it explodes.
It comes in all forms. Domestic violence. Self-harm. And, yes, even riots.
Baby, start by seeing the person in front of you.
No matter who he or she is.
Marginalized or affluent.
Illiterate or an intellectual scholar.
Lost or a follower of My Son.
Janitor or executive.
Don’t see the color of their skin.
The clothes on their body.
Or any other temporal thing.
See the condition of their heart.
See their soul.
Then.
Lead with love.
Each person you encounter is a unique individual created in My image.
Each one has his or her own unique background, experiences, trauma, resentments, assumptions, and beliefs.
Just like you.
Which means each one has profound value.
Just like you.
Each has their own dreams and ambitions. Their own failures and injustices. Opportunities and roadblocks. Fears and insecurities.
Just like you.
Lead with love.
See them.
Individually.
See the person.
The brokenness. The need.
Then.
Lead with love.
Ask for eyes to see what I see.
For a heart to love as I love.
Baby, My heart is in anguish over them. I chase after them. Pursue them.
Even though most have rejected me.
But I refuse to give up.
Don’t you give up either.
Lead with love.
Baby, I’ve taught you underneath every action–good or bad– there is something deeper propelling it.
Are you seeking that?
Are you trying to understand what is propelling this rage?
Or are you too busy judging to pay attention?
Lead with love.
You cannot judge and love at the same time.
Determine to see the soul.
This is not a only a race issue.
It’s much bigger than that.
This is a sin issue.
A brokenness issue.
On ALL sides of the equation.
You want to break through their hostility?
Lead with love.
You must love like my Son–with tender strength.
Ask me for wisdom on how to proceed.
How to thrive tomorrow. Next month. Next year.
Ask My Spirit to fill you to overflowing with love for the unlovable.
To be relevant.
To see each person you encounter with My eyes.
To live meaningfully for Me!
This is your moment, Baby!
Get after it!
LEAD WITH LOVE.
Blessings, xoxo
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Exactly. And the only way we can see the heart is by asking God for discernment and His eyes to see.
Amen! A good friend of mine once told me that God doesn’t see the color of one’s skin because he looks at the heart. That has always stuck with me!