SELF-EVIDENT: Known to be true by understanding its meaning without proof, and/or by ordinary human reason; not needing to be demonstrated or explained; obvious.
That truth should be obvious to every human being, and especially every professing Christian, but sadly it is not. (And it certainly wasn't back when that Declaration was written either.) We need to continue to work to change that... to demonstrate, explain, reason, and make the truth obvious to those who believe the color of their skin or the country of their birth makes them superior to any other human being God created in His image.
"We fought for these ideals. We shouldn't settle for less!"
It's rare for me to go a full week without posting here. Aside from being busy with the house renovation, I (along with so many others, I'm sure) have felt disheartened and exhausted by the growing racial divide, dehumanization, cruel words, misuse of God's Word, and lack of love and empathy I'm witnessing lately, particularly online.
"The opposite of love is not hate; it's indifference." ~Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor
I am praying that those who love Christ will not stand silent and indifferent in the face of blatant and repeated racially-motivated injustice and evil. That we will be willing to call out racist comments and behavior when we see it. And for the record, the murder of George Floyd by former officer Derek Chauvin was despicable, unjust, evil, and horrifying. He and the cowardly officers who stood near him and did nothing to stop his racist, bullying, murderous power trip while another human being was in distress and begging for his life should all be charged, convicted, and sentenced to serious prison time.
I do not condone looting, theft, and property destruction, but I don't condone demonizing people who are reacting to a terrible abuse of power in a murder video gone viral that hits very close to home either. I absolutely believe the high levels of grief, fear, and outrage we are witnessing right now are an understandable and deeply human reaction to years of feeling unheard, unseen, fearful, powerless, and disrespected. When those with guns and power and authority have repeatedly been corrupt and abused their power in a way that has resulted in the loss of freedom for some and the loss of multiple innocent black LIVES, it's past time to speak up and call for real systemic change! This is not okay, and it never was. And it's not okay to be dismissive and flippant and disengaged either.
I saw this comment on Facebook today and thought it made a great point: "We also need to stop giving 'good officers' a free pass. Behavior like this doesn't just come out of the blue and happen one day; this is the result of a pattern of behavior. Police officers know who the bad apples are, and yet how many of them turn a blind eye toward abusive / illegal behaviors that happen every day? Until they stop the 'brotherhood of the blue' BS and start policing their own house, the entirety of the department is culpable." ~J. Miller
I agree with that 100 percent... I believe there are lots of good, brave, protective policemen, but they don't get a free pass to stay silent on police corruption. Any time you're in a position of power and you know something is wrong but do nothing to stop the abuse, you are complicit. And that goes for all of us!
Goals:
Because black people have been targeted, abused, and dehumanized repeatedly throughout our history... and because that Satan-fueled, divisive, racist hatred is still active and terribly destructive today, it is necessary for us to say it clearly that black lives matter! It is necessary to say: You are made in the image of God, and your opinion matters. Your voice matters. Your feelings matter. Your loved ones matter. Your hopes and fears matter. You matter. You are not alone. We see what is happening, and we care enough to listen and help create change. We're sorry for what you have endured, and we stand with you!
I am not perfect, but I want to keep learning and listening and paying attention here. I want to stand up for those who are being mistreated and dehumanized. I want so much for it to become obvious and "self-evident" to the people of God that being a CINO (Christian in name only) should be a far bigger concern of ours than being labeled a "RINO." I want to endorse and elect leaders who practice genuine empathy and humility rather than showy religious posturing. I want Christians to value Christlike love over political power and to stop making excuses when petty leaders on a narcissistic power trip call all people who didn't vote for them "human scum." That is not okay, and anyone who follows Christ knows it. Dehumanization begets dehumanization, and empathy begets empathy... so choose your role models and leaders wisely, friends.
"MLK Jr. prayed AND protested. People are marching and people are kneeling in prayer. This isn't a race war as some have stated...this is a war against the evil root behind racism, and people are standing together to bridge the gap that has been around for centuries. This isn't black vs white or black vs cops...the mature among us understand that. Notice the white people AND the law enforcement who are standing together. Notice all of the different people around the world who are standing together. You can't quote MLK and deny that what we're seeing today (the protesting and unity) is what he was talking about. The manifestation of those prayers is unity against hate. I've only been alive for almost 37 years, but I have NEVER seen people all around the world unite like this before. This isn't about politics, personal beliefs, or anything else at the moment. This is people peacefully coming together to say "enough is enough." Yes, there are many other social injustices rooted in evil and hatred...and we can deal with those too, but right now we're dealing with this one. This is beautiful to me. We can't change every heart. Only God can do that...only LOVE can do that, and this looks a lot like love to me.❤" ~Tiffany Loftus
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying." ~Romans 12:9-12
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