Clarity in Chaos...

Wow, 2020 has been one heck of a year so far, huh? I would have NEVER been able to even DREAM up the things that have gone on thus far.  As for the latest things that have happened, I think I've been silent long enough. To some, being silent is to be complicit, and I am anything but complicit on this subject. So if you found yourself wondering where I stand on the issue of racism, or even if you didn't, read on. This is for my children, for my future grandchildren and great grandchildren. So they will understand where I come from and where I stand. This is for my black friends, my white friends, and every shade in between. 

I am 52 years old as of this writing. Having lived over half a century now, I have seen a lot. I remember when I was very young, but old enough to read, seeing separate water fountains and restrooms, I believe at the Mall. I remember asking my Grandmother why it said "Colored" on one of the water fountains. I thought, in my childish innocence, that it meant the water was going to come out red or purple or blue. When it was explained to me, I can remember being so confused. Even then I knew it was wrong, and it bothered me so much that I remember it to this very day. 

Let me be clear, no one is innocent of racism at some point in their life. We have all, myself included, said and done really stupid, hurtful, damaging things to or about our brothers and sisters who are different from us. None of us are perfect. None of us are innocent. 

I am a white, middle-aged, Christian, conservative, non-partisan, middle-class, woman.  By my saying that, you have probably just put me in that box of radical right, hate-filled, Trump loving, racist, white people who thinks all the protests are wrong and thinks all those protesting are criminal punks. That couldn't be more wrong. Don't put me in a box, I will jump right out.

I fully admit that I don't, nor will I ever completely understand what black people have or are currently going through because I am not black. I was born white. That is what God made me and I fully understand that because of my skin color, I have led a fairly privileged life. I have never been singled out or discriminated against because of my skin color. But, I want to understand better and I want to do better and I don't want to say or do the wrong thing! 

George Floyd had a past. I have a past. You have a past. We ALL have a past. George Floyd sinned. I have sinned. You have sinned. We ALL have sinned. Even though we put a value on different sins, believing that some are worse than others, in God's eyes...a sin is a sin and He can and will forgive them all if we place our trust in Him and ask for His forgiveness. You might think that giving someone a second chance is ok, but giving them a third, fourth or fifth chance is going too far. Loved ones, God doesn't limit your chances. He gives you unlimited, unconditional chances to accept His love and forgiveness throughout your life. The only unforgivable sin is to not accept His gift because you see, you have a free will and you can refuse it. I say all that to help you understand that just because George Floyd had a record of drug abuse and criminal behavior, doesn't mean that he deserved to die with a despicable, sad excuse for a human holding him down by the neck until he suffocated. The man that killed him and those who stood by and let it happen deserve to be put away for a long time. It is unacceptable. Things need to change. 

Now, understand that I know and love many police officers and they are amazing, brave, compassionate human beings and excellent examples of what a police officer should be. Most police officers fall into that category. They face being killed every day to protect us all. Just as we cannot group all white people, or all black people into the same category, we also cannot group all police officers, all men, all women, all young or all old people (or anything else you can think of) into one group. We are all different.

When my children were young, I did my best to make certain they understood that all people are precious to God. I remember illustrating that point to my youngest son, Jarod, when we were sitting and coloring together one day. He was drawing his family and deciding on which crayon colors to use. He asked me as he drew his brother Alex, "Mommy, why is Alex beige and I'm peach and Taylor tan?" I spread the crayons out in front of him and said, "which one of these is not a crayon?" He looked at me and laughed and said, "They're all crayons silly." Then I pulled out the gray crayon and said, "What if everything in the world was all gray and had no color at all? Would you like that?" He shook his head, "No, that would be sad," he said. Then I asked him to take out his favorite color. He took the green crayon. Then I asked, "what if everything was green? Would you like that?" He shook his head again and said, "No, that would be boring." I said, "Just like all these beautiful colors of crayons, God made His people different colors, even in our family we have different skin tones. Just because your brothers have a different skin color than you, doesn't make them any less a part of our family or any less loved by God. We are all His creation and all the different colors are beautiful to Him. 

It was the perfect "teachable" moment, and now I am so very proud of his heart and his determination to stand with his friends and others in the black community in the fight against racism in any form.  He is continuing to listen and learn, as am I, on how to be supportive.  That is my heart loved ones. That we would all understand that God loves each and every one of us, regardless of the color of our skin, and we need to treat all human-kind with the same respect, loving-kindness and compassion. We MUST listen and we MUST do better! I'm ready to do both. 

If nothing else the chaos in our world has brought me clarity. It has forced me to stop and listen for His *quiet whisper amongst the chaos. (*1 Kings 19) 

Ephesians 4:32 NIV

32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

John 13:34 NIV

34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Revelation 7:9-10 NIV

9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."