Itried to write this article last week, but it was not flowing well. This article is not going to solve the issues that are tearing away at the fabric of our nation, but I did want to weigh in. We have watched as monuments are torn down, schools and other public buildings are renamed, and the history of our nation appears to be going through a paper shredder. Instead of wholesome and meaningful debate, the issues have been politicized and polarized. Many of our major cities, led by liberal mayors, have become places of mayhem and lawlessness, Though this has been going on for decades, it ramped up when a Minneapolis police officer used excessive and unnecessary force, killing a man that should be alive today. I do wish that we could know the total truth about every aspect of this situation, especially the before and the during. For all that we have seen in the news, I have come to believe that people will do anything to push their agendas, and I do mean anything. The riots that have destroyed so much have been attributed to social injustice and racism that has plagued our nation for 200+ years. The problem is that it is not one particular race of people that have been oppressed. It is my belief that all lives matter, and I hope that I can articulate that in an understandable way.
Life begins in a mother’s womb, at the moment of conception. God is the life-giver, with every person created in the image of God. Abortion of the unborn has been an atrocity in our society, since the 1973 ruling of Roe vs Wade. Millions of babies have been killed. Instead of overturning this despicable law, liberal politicians have pushed legislation that allows infanticide, or the death of a child, moments after birth. The generation before mine, my generation and every generation, until abortion is stopped, will answer to the Lord, for what we have allowed.
This may seem in the wrong place, but just as the youngest lives matter, so do the oldest lives. In Africa, the older a person is, the more respected that they are. I do not see this in the United States. If anything, I see older people abused, neglected and treated as if they are a bother. I have served as a caregiver for three elderly folks that were not a part of my family. Circumstances and my role as pastor brought me to a place where I have advocated for people who could not advocate for themselves. I believe that many see older people as a bother, rather than the source of love, wisdom and legacy that they are. Going back to Africa, I have met older people living in difficult circumstances, but predominantly, older family members live in their homes, or in the homes of their children, receiving respect and honor.
Moving along in this conversation, there is a movement known as black lives matter. I am not interested in the agenda of a movement. I believe that the lives of every person matters, people from every nation, tribe and tongue. Concerning the ills, atrocities and practices of our past, we must learn from them, just as we must learn from the things that have happened in other places around the globe. Equal pay and treatment should be accessible to every qualified individual. There should not be quotas of a certain race or people. There should not be racial profiling of any type, where law enforcement is concerned. Black people should not have to fear an encounter with the police, simply because of their skin color. It is unfair to call a person a racist, simply because of the color of their skin. Racism does exist and should be addressed, but to label everything that is opposed as racism is wrong.
Police officers in our nation have come under attack by people and politicians. Instead of fighting against our police, we should be doing everything possible to support and show appreciation to our police. Police officers take an oath of service and should be held accountable to that oath. Becoming a police officer does not allow them the opportunity to misuse the responsibility that they have been given. To think that our society would be better by defunding police is absolute insanity. The Bible states that a man’s heart is inherently evil, apart from Jesus Christ. Our police are a part of the equation to deal with the evil or lawless in our society. Encounters with police should be moments of respect and obedience.
We need to understand that we all came from one blood. God created every one of us in His own image. We are His special creation. He created each of us to be in right relationship with Him, which only comes through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The fall of man has caused a broken world. The gospel is the answer to the issues that plague our nation. Jesus Christ delivered each of us from the power and penalty of sin, through His death on the cross, if we surrender our lives to Him. The only piece that is yet to be solved is the presence of sin. We all live in this world, and should care for, love and respect all human life. The color of our skin should not be a dividing factor. I leave you with this song:
“Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world,
Red, brown, yellow, black and white.
They are precious in His sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.”
How you and I define little children has everything to do with how we view mankind. Matthew 22:36-39 states, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment, and the second commandment is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” You and I are loved.
