Black
– White – Americans and the Body of Christ
Since
the COVID 19 pandemic and the death of George Floyd, there have been so many
emotional posts and outspoken, strong opinions. Sadly, I’m afraid, far too many
are responses from the rationale of man and not the heart or mind of God. When those
who call themselves God’s church hear from the world what is going on in a
world that is ruled by the god of this world and then respond by the emotion
and reason of man, the results are not good. I understand that God gave us an
intellect for a reason, nonetheless, those who have given themselves to God are
to put on the mind of God and be led by His Spirit. His Spirit is far and
beyond that of human beings.
I am tired of hearing all the
black/white conversation that is going on. Did I really say that? Yes, I did.
The family of God is full of diversity of skin color, but should all be of one
blood, the blood of Jesus Christ. His Word should fill our minds and His Spirit
flow through our veins. Each member of the body of Christ is part of the other,
no matter their skin color. You are either in the body of Christ or you are
not. But if you say you are, then remember that when you tear down other
members of Christ’s body, it is Christ himself, who you are speaking against.
I
think it is amazing what Black Americans accomplished in the first 50 years
after the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, in spite of the many
people who would not respect them as the equal citizens they were, in spite of
those who still wanted to keep them in slavery and in spite of continued scorn
and mistreatment by far too many. According to Bob Woodson, a civil rights
activist, founder and president of the Woodson Center, and originator of the
1776 Project, fifty years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Black Americans had
700 million dollars in assets, owned 900,000 farms, 40,000 churches, 40,000
businesses in cities like Chicago, 100 million in real estate assets, and out
of wedlock birth was at 15%.
Note:
According to - https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/77-black-births-to-single-moms-49-for-hispanic-immigrants The National Center for Health Statistics said that in 2015, 77.3
percent of non-immigrant black births were illegitimate.
And
I believe the progress and accomplishments in those first fifty years speak of how
amazing people these Americans were. But I also think it shows how amazing is
the God who so many of them believed in, depended on, and drew strength from.
What
is amazing is that rather than just dwell on the people who had done them
wrong, they grasped hold of what liberties the government said were there’s. They
set their faces like flint and pushed forward. They didn’t do it by constant
insult-throwing and focusing on those who had and still would sin against them.
They allowed themselves to be wise to the enemy’s devices, and with wise and
intelligent thinking, planning, and action, they progressed. In a land with
many enemies, some recognized those who, though of different skin color and
background, were allies and would act on their behalf. And they called on the
name of the Lord.
If they recognized their true enemy
to be Satan, and the works done against them to be motivated by him, they could
then recognize that they could do all things through Christ who strengthened
them. He could soften and harden hearts as He willed to bring about the end He
chose for them. He had been mighty in battle for His people in the days of the
Old Testament and He could still work mightily for them. AND HE DID!
Not everyone progressed at the same
speed. Some had more trouble shaking off the residue of the pain and injustices
they had suffered. Some clung to bitterness. But that bitterness held them back.
For some, fear of repercussions held them back. They knew what it was to have
slave owners torture them. And some had great difficulty getting rid of mental
and emotional chains. All of this was understandable, and many could say it was
justifiable. Sympathy and empathy are only reasonable. But those who went
forward and overcame until their lives were astoundingly great, considering all
they had to press through, were those who focused on the way to overcome rather
than on the right to hate.
Those like Martin Luther King
Junior, who stated with faith “We shall overcome,” and envisioned, not
punishing his enemies and making them pay for their sins, but rather a day of
brotherhood with them, accomplished much. Their accomplishments were astounding
and impressive. They showed the world what intelligent and amazing people they
were. But I think the most amazing were those who were giving God the glory and
attempting to have the mind of Christ.
Slavery
was not a new thing when it came to America. It was as horrible on the Barbary Coast
when Africans took white slaves, when Native Americans took slaves one tribe
from another, and when slavery was going on in the days of the Old Testament.
It has always been a terrible thing. And it is terrible now when it is
happening in the hearts and minds of people all over America who are giving in
to the thoughts of the enemy of their souls right now.
Today the enemy’s voice is ringing
out as he directs Black Americans to recall all that he has done to them in the
past rather than focus on the God who brought them out and the love that He
shed abroad in the hearts of their ancestors. He enjoys seeing White Americans
come to their own defense and break ways with their Black brothers and sisters.
He is spreading the hate that will only cripple both black and white people and
turn them on each other. And he laughs as he brings their minds and hearts into
bondage of fear, hate, and bitterness. He gets us to look over our shoulders
with narrow eyes at those of a different color, suspicious of what they might
be thinking or doing. He magnifies enemies until even those who are not enemies
become so in the mind and are feared. Thus, dissension reigns and the progress
already made becomes far less important than what remains to be overcome. Satan
is crippling those who have come so far in order to keep them from progressing.
And I am tired of it.
There is not a marriage that would
succeed if each partner constantly reminded each other of every mistake of the
past. There would be no peace in the workplace if all blacks and all whites
thought only of possible injustices or so-called privileges. People who
overcome do not deny injustices when they are there, but neither do they borrow
trouble. Overcomers, do not deny injustice but they show themselves greater
than those injustices and allow God to give them wisdom, strength, and
direction to overcome them, to such an extent, that those doing the wrongs are
seen for what they are and what they are doing.
There is an old saying ‘he cut off
his nose to spite his face.’ This is exactly what Satan is trying to get people
of all colors to do. We can so concentrate on enemies that we overlook allies
that are right there at our right hand. But more than this, we overlook the
reality of the God we are supposed to serve, the God who has said – Isaiah 55:8
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the
LORD.
Man’s reason says ‘I must do this or
that to get justice. It is only right that I make known the evil of others. It
is my right to demand others treat me right!’ But, my reason, however
reasonable, my wisdom however wise, is but foolishness compared to the wisdom
of God. And my thoughts are not worth considering in comparison to the thoughts
of God.
It is time for all those who claim
to be the body of Christ to begin putting on the mind of Christ. It is time for
the body of Christ to see itself as just that and to recognize its brothers and
sisters, whoever they are all over the world, as just that – brothers and
sisters. It’s time to get our minds less on what the government is doing and
more on what God is doing, what He can and will do for those who seek His face
and are willing to begin to see others as He sees them.
If we get it right in the body of
Christ, God can take care of the world for us. He can fix the government. He
can get the right people into office. But whether or not the government is as
it should be, the children of God can be blessed by Him and live in peace in
the midst of a dark world.
It
is time for the body of Christ to see each other as a part of ‘us,’ as surely
as our hand and foot are part of our physical body, so is our brother or sister
part of our body no matter what color they might be. No, they might not
comprehend where we came from, what we’ve been through, or our (fleshly)
culture. But when we come to Christ the wall of partition between us comes
down. We may be a variety of flavors, spices, and styles, but we are no longer
divided. We are one in Christ Jesus.
You
do not have to have experienced what I did, when I knelt on the floor, bent
over the bed and had my father whip my bare skin with a leather belt that was
cut into four long strips. You do not have to know what that did to my psyche
or self-worth, in order for you to know I am your sister, part of your body,
and need your love and acceptance right now. If God is in you, He can guide you
as to how to minister to my needs as surely as He can guide me concerning how
to minister to you and love you where you are.
We
may not all know all about the other’s history, culture, or experiences, but we
can begin to teach and share. We can learn of each other. But more importantly,
we can learn what it means to be a new creature in Christ and part of each
other. My foot may not fully understand my hand, but they certainly need each
other.
We,
the church have enough to do building up our precious each others, allowing God
to tear down every wall that divided us, edifying God’s people, to let our
minds be caught up with the thinking of the world.
1
Corinthians 6: But brother goeth to law
with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
7 Now therefore
there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why
do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be
defrauded?
8 Nay, ye do wrong,
and defraud, and that your brethren.
9 Know ye not that
the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of
themselves with mankind
10 Nor thieves, nor
covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the
kingdom of God.
11 And such were
some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in
the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
The world and experts, so-called, tell us what is reasonable for
us to do in times of crisis. But I suggest that the child of God is not to walk
in common sense alone, for there is a ‘sense,’ a mind, a reason, that is far
superior to the mind of man. Consider that when you are overly worked up and
emotional, the possibility that your own emotions and reason could be getting
in the way of hearing from the one who knows all, sees all, and whose reason is
far above your own.
I believe it is time to stop pushing slogans that the
world says are important and lashing out at those who do not comply, judging
their hearts. The point of this article is not to deny any injustices. Shadrach
Meshach and Abednego were absolutely thrown into the fire. There was no denying
it. Daniel was absolutely thrown into the den of lions. There is no denying it.
Joseph was absolutely sold into slavery. There’s no denying it. But what did
God do? Were these men not elevated? Did Joseph not do good to those who were
in charge over him? Did he not continue to interpret dreams? Did his character
and quality not show even during his time of slavery? And did pharaoh not set
him above all others, making him second only to himself? Did God not lead the
children of Israel out of bondage and wipe out their enemies? Is God the same
yesterday, today, and forever?
Go ahead and focus on injustice, think on the sins and
mistreatment of the past. Yell, scream, hate, and seek justice by making demands
of men, if you want to. Or put on the mind of God. Let Him do your thinking for
you. Let Him give you wise thoughts and direct wise actions. See God as the one
who will fight for you and who will show you when to fight, and when to be
still and see the glory of God. It’s up to you.
But if you claim to be God’s child, then be just that, a
child in his Father’s care. If you are willing to give up vengeance,
retribution, bitterness, and revenge, in exchange for the love of God that passes
all human understanding; if you are willing to let God be God in your life, you
can yet overcome more and more.
The accomplishments of Black America are admirable and
impressive. May they again, stand tall and confident in the Lord and let Him do
the lifting up; let Him be glorified. Let the world see who you are rather than
wasting your strength and emotions attempting to demand something Satan is
unwilling to give, but God can produce as He wills.
May the church be the
church. May God’s body indeed be His body and glorify Him! May we lift Him up
above ourselves and let Him lift us up as He wills and as only He can do.
Fight the good fight that
is of faith knowing the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (natural) but are
mighty weapons, mighty enough to pull down strongholds. Our armor is spiritual.
Our sword, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, can divide even
bone from the marrow in them. The name of our Lord, Jesus, is His authority.
His authority is above all the powers in heaven and earth. Let the battle be
the Lord’s!
Let us take our eyes off of Satan’s
accomplishments while we look to the author and finisher of our faith. Let us
see, through eyes of faith, or God and HIS victory!
