The Other Side of #Blacklivesmatter

While we are protesting, marching and declaring #blacklivesmatter we are still seeing self destrruction in every major city in this country. It is tragic that lives have been lost to over agressive policing, but it is inexcusable the way we continue to exterminate ourselves with gun violence. How can we believe anybody else should be outraged by loss of life in our community when we prove on a regular basis we don't rightly value our own lives? In a sleepy little town like Summerville, South Carolina we are experiencing death by gun slayings much too often. It was personally heart breaking to sit in the home of another mother that has lost her son to gun violence. This boy attended the church I serve from the time he was a baby and he is now dead. His mother tried so hard to rescue her son but she was not successful. He sat in our Sunday school, children's church and regularly attended our youth SHARE service. I know we can't save them all, but how did we miss it so badly? What didn't we do that we should have done? Why couldn't I get through to this young man? How is it that with so many churches in so many of our black neighborhoods our boys are choosing gangs over Christian fellowship? We have to find a way to change these hard realities. We have got to errect a plan that gets our youth to see their value and the opportunities they have to be great. Our great God has put greatness in every life and we must teach our kids how to tap into it. Our kids have got to know what it is to dream big again. There is obviously too much despair overtaking them. Too many of them don't believe they can make it without getting involved with crime. Crime leads to death. The strange quality of being young is the thought that death will always and only touch somebody else. They don't seem to believe that death can catch up to them. Well it is and way too often. Why is it so difficult for them to see life as a positive possibility? Apparently we are not representing life well when so many are by defalt choosing death. As frustrating and overwhelming as it may be something has to be done. We have got to have a step by step, long range, systematic strategy to address this crisis.  Instead of getting lost in the problem we have to start thinking from the middle of the solution. There is an answer. The answer is love. Jesus is love and we have to lift Him up in ways that they can truly see Him. After all, "love never fails."This is our challenge. We have to rise and fix this in His name. Let's work it out!

A Few Personal Thoughts on Our Community

I’m sure this is not going to be a popular entry. I’m not the leader of anything but a small church. I don’t hold a PHD in anything. What I’m saying doesn’t represent anyone, but me. This is strictly my point of view.  I believe that we do have a serious issue in our country concerning justice with minorities. The most public and recent examples are only visible signs of things that have been happening in minority communities for a very long time. The response to this crisis has been strong and outside of a few exceptions peaceful. The cry for change has picked up considerable momentum all across the country and that’s a wonderful thing. We should continue to push for equality in our justice system.

I believe we also need to take a long look at our community and strategically plan where we are going to go from here. This is where some corrective action needs to take place among ourselves and probably where some will begin to tune me out. I don’t know why we fight so hard against constructive criticism. Everyone needs to hear hard truth once in a while.  I think there are three things we can do to see positive change and increased health in our community.

One thing we need to do is solve our identity crisis. Do we really want to keep promoting the image of gangsters and half naked women as role models for success?  Do we want to continue to be portrayed as a people that are almost always angry? Why do we continue to allow these negative stereotypes to be blasted all over television? Why do we promote fights, cursing contests and lewd dancing all over our timelines via social media? Are we really happy that the world sees us like that? Is that the way we really see ourselves? Do we really believe that a group of our women can’t go to a restaurant without fussing at each other in full volume? Do we think there are no couples amongst us that can be faithful to their wedding vowels? Why is it that a family with class and dignity, like the 1^st Family of our nation, are viewed as sell outs by so many of us? Is our idea of success so twisted that a suit, an education, monogamy and functional behavior means being ethnically untrue?  One of the things we need to boycott is this genre of filthy shows that perpetuate such a negative image of who we are. Then we need to challenge each other on social media to clean up negative, stereotypical image entries on our timelines. It’s not cute. It’s not funny. It’s damaging us more than we realize.

The next thing we need to do is obey the law. Law and order does not just apply when our civil rights are being violated. The laws of the land are in place so that we can live in peace. I’m aware that allot of things that happen to us are a result of laws being disproportionately applied. I know that other people groups commit crimes and get away with it at a higher rate than us, but we place ourselves in bad positions when we engage in criminal behavior. We should stand up and protest for due process and fair and equal treatment. We should also be law abiding citizens. We should also teach our children to do the right things in and out of our presence. The violence that we have allowed to spiral out of control in many of our neighborhoods is unacceptable. Turning blind eyes to continuous criminal behavior and refusing to report those that commit crimes right in front of us because of some upside down honor code is not helping us fix our problems at all. We have to clean up our own act. Nobody else can do that for us.

Lastly and most importantly we need a restored spiritual dependence on Almighty God. We talk a great spiritual talk but we are lacking the living evidence of a true connection with God. Our churches have very little influence. Our preachers and I am a preacher, have become essentially ineffective. Our view of God is "He’s only for emergencies" while we live however we choose. These things are a formula for long term disaster in any community. Deserting God can never bring good results. When we decide we will firm up our relationship with God in a way that is real and serious we will see change. Individuals must repent and return to God through Christ. Preachers must forsake personal agendas and live and lead as The Lord directs. Churches must reconnect with communities in meaningful ways so these complex issues can begin to be reversed. Any meaningful progress must begin with God. He is Lord and therefore He must be first.

I realize I have just poured out my personal feelings here. I’m not even sure I have an audience that can do much about what I’m trying to say. I do declare that I’m willing to be part of the solution. I’m willing to join in with those that want to do more than just make some noise. If you feel that way, talk to me.