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"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 is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.'"
(Matthew 22:37-40)
Note: This devotional is longer than usual, but I hope you are encouraged and challenged by what you read.
This week, I have attempted to speak on the topic of racism. Some perhaps will wish that I said more or less or said this or that. I apologize, as I am no expert. But to remain silent would be unwise and, I think, unethical. So, I have written from the heart and will address again the prevailing subject at hand: the problem of racism in our land. My goal the last several days has been to ask questions, listen, and learn. James 1:19 says, "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath."
While I applaud the efforts of anyone who is attempting to speak out against and help reform systemic racism in our nation, I do not agree with organizations or groups that attempt to do so without a reliance on or even a reference to Jesus Christ and the power of the Gospel. They can be helpful, but long-term, they cannot be effective without the power of God working in and through them. There are many who, in the name of Christ, are speaking and making great progress in improving race relations in our land. A trusted voice I recommend is Pastor Tony Evans; he is so very wise and helpful. (I encourage you to watch his conversation with his grandsons that his daughter, Priscilla Shirer, recorded.)
Another person I recommend is Sherwin Patton, founder of Life Anew Restorative Justice in Austin, TX. He helps train police officers to interact with young black men. At the seminar I attended a few years back, he had an Austin police officer and a young African American man on the stage with him. It was raw, unrehearsed, and very helpful. Sherwin loves the Lord, and I believe he and people like him will make the greatest difference and impact in this world in pushing back the ugly spiritual, moral, and cultural darkness that is racism.
I am blessed to be a board member of Christ Together Greater Austin. We are a group of pastors from very different backgrounds and walks of life. We have Latinos, blacks, and whites in our group, and our primary goal is to share the Gospel of Jesus with every person in the greater Austin area. At our board meeting last week, there was a real sadness and deep desire to help ameliorate the harsh realities of racial division facing us as a nation. The black pastors in the meeting were sad and exhausted, and the whites and Latinos were asking: "What can we do to help?"
Here is what I heard and learned from the collective wisdom in the room: Pastor Paul is Hispanic, and his daughter is married to a black man. One time, his daughter and son-in-law were pulled over when she was driving, and the police officer asked to see her husband's driver's license; again, he was not driving! African American Pastor Daryl challenged us to "direct our voices to government leaders and ask them what plan they have to stop police officers who are doing the wrong things, hold officers accountable, and ask why they are stopping people of color; use your platform and presence. Somebody who is white needs to say something." He told us about a track coach in Fort Worth, TX, who told his students (one of them being a black athlete) to run like the police are chasing you. That is so sad and highly inappropriate. Pastor Daryl said, "If you see something, say something. We have timed out on conversations that do not go anywhere."
Another black pastor, Bishop Lawrence, told our group, "Change the culture. Loving your neighbor is so vital. Speak, stand, not taking sides; just do what is right. We are at a watershed moment and must do something to make progress." Pastor Dechard, who is also black, challenged us with a powerful word; he said, "Speaking out needs to come from a white person; they will listen. If you have a major infection but you take Tylenol, you have done nothing. Systems and constructs are in place that cause racism to happen. It is a systemic and economic issue. George Floyd died over $20; that is economic. It is time for white people to hold others accountable, it will mess with the system. I don't want sympathy; I just want justice and to be treated like you." Pastor Larry, who is white said we have to "clarify a way forward, commit to change the hearts of those in our congregations, and leverage our power."
I know this devotional has gotten lengthy, but it is such an important topic! I will close with some practical ways to move forward in actively fighting racism:
- Pray. It is our primary weapon; spiritual issues must be conquered with spiritual weapons. Who is behind racism? The enemy of our souls who seeks to destroy us.
- Share the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Seriously, He is our only hope! Jesus and only Jesus can set us free for He changes the human heart.
- Rise up, show up, speak up, and stand up. African American Pastor Dechard said white people must speak up in order for there to be real change.
- Reach out to someone who does not look like you, befriend them, and have a conversation with them. Kareem Abdul Jabbar said to reach out to someone who does not look like you. Two men in New York, one black and one white, met each other at work. They started a conversation over a beer and invited people to come join them. They were interviewed on national TV, and even though they are just ordinary guys, they are making an extraordinary difference by simply having a conversation and being together and not separated.
- Teach the next generation the doctrine of the image of God and how each person is created by God and loved deeply. My daughter and son-in-law bought our grand-baby a black doll to play with. Speaking of little kids, they love unconditionally, and they are color-blind; they don't see black race or white race, they just see the human race.
- Use common sense. Oppose evil and ignorance disguised as passionate protesting. When protestors loot and burn businesses, beat and kill police officers, and take on a vigilante attitude, oppose them. We can support peaceful protests while condemning violence and destruction.
I hope this helps you in your pursuit of our Lord in making a difference in our nation. Let me encourage you to do your part; oh, the power when all of us chip in and help.
I mentioned children earlier. If you have kids in your life, then you know leading them is tough, even when times are normal, but it's especially challenging right now. It's also an incredible opportunity to use this extra time at home to point them to Jesus. That's why I want to send you a copy of the Bedtime Devotions with Jesus Bible as thanks for your gift today. With Father's Day coming soon, this resource will help you or a special dad in your life make the most of time together with kids.
So please, request your copy when you give today at DFEA.com. Thanks for your generous support which enables us to bring the love of Christ to those who need it.
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