Throughout the Gospels (Matthew,
Mark, Luke, & John), we see a reoccurring theme of Jesus, God in flesh,
becoming lowly as one of us “For even the Son of Man came not to be served
but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”(Mark 10:45)
showing how the Father loves us. In chapter 13 Jesus “knew his hour had come to
depart out of this world to the father, having loved his own who were in the
world, he loved them to the end” (v.1). After his last supper with his
disciples, the night before he was about to give his life for many as Mark
recounts, he fills a water basin and washes their feet. Okay, weird and gross!
Remember back in this time, the people didn’t have nice luxurious shoes like we
do or the quality bathing products. Oh, but how beautiful this is. Peter
questions why Jesus is doing this absurd thing. Jesus responds, “What I am doing
you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand” (v.7). In Jewish
traditions, it was unheard of a Master washing his disciples’ feet.
After doing this act of service,
Jesus asks, “Do you understand what I have done to you? … If I then, your Lord
and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet”
(v. 12, 14). The first thing we think is, nope can’t do it Jesus, that is
NASTY! But Jesus used this act of service for a greater purpose. He was
foreshadowing what was to come the next day on the cross. On that cross, he
washed away our dirty sin like he washed the disciples’ dirty feet. His blood
was poured out, covering what we should’ve been paying for. What other god,
ruler, or king would take the form of a servant? None! Thank you, Jesus.
So, on to the topic I’ve feared to
speak about. Racism has been around since the beginning of sin at the fall of
our first parents Adam and Eve. Imago Dei. Genesis 1:27, “God created man in
his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and
female he created them”. Not just black people, not just white people, not just
asian people, or any race! He created a man and a woman. Jesus died for those men
and women. As host of the podcast “Real Christianity” Dale Partridge puts it,
“Racism, at its core, is a belief that says, ‘I am made in the image of God and
you’re not.’ It is the sin of all sins because it calls God a liar”. That is
powerful.
Do you ever pray something, but
forget you asked God, and then boom. He places it right on your heart like you
asked and He promised in the first place. That happened to me as I prayed the
night of May 25th the sometimes typical prayer that the Lord would
open and break my heart for what breaks His. He’ll answer that one every time! This
past Sunday night the Lord got a hold of my heart and began to change it. At
the Bible study I attend with my parents, we gathered around the table to join
in a meal together and catch up from the corona craziness. A woman and her
children visited us and joined in. She was the only black person out of the 8
of us white people. She joined in seated next to me and we all had a great meal
full of laughter and catching up, learning more and more about each other. Then
the discussion of all that is going on in the world came up. My mom asked her,
“what would you say to us, (being white people), that we could do and respond
to help in this time?” The woman responded that we should educate ourselves,
give grace to one another, don’t believe all that media says, and make more
black friends! I loved hearing her speak on what we should be doing because I
didn’t realize until that night, that I don’t know what is going on (besides
social media) and this was the first discussion I had heard in person on
race, white privilege, and BLM. The woman explained to us what she, her
husband, and young children were processing in this time and how heavy their
hearts are and the lament they were feeling. In this moment, I could see on her
face how much she was hurting and she shed some tears. At that time and the
rest of the conversation, I had to hold back from bawling. Hearing these things
face to face and not what the news or influencers or any other person through a
screen was saying, broke me. I am conservative, pro-life, and support President
Trump as a Christian and a free American. Recently, I have been intrigued with
learning more about politics and growing in the knowledge of the difference in
right-wing and left-wing politics. If I’m not listening to music, I’m listening
to a podcast and its either a political one or a biblical one. With the news
always being on and seeing the riots and chaos happening, it made me mad. But
on that night, the Lord was showing me that I have been placing what I think is
happening in the world, over what God and His Word says. If I am a Christian, I
should be identifying myself not as a white conservative, but an advocate for
Christ! Pastor Matt Chandler said in his latest sermon, “You can’t just ignore
the sorrow and lament of 12-13 million image-bearers in our country. You can’t
do that! We mourn with those who mourn. Yes, there are demonic and evil
ideologies at play, but that’s where the people of God are meant to RUN with light
and the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and not sit back and
snipe via social media”. He also brings up that you don’t just slap the Gospel
like a band-aid on to a wound and preach on it, you act!
This is where John 13 comes in.
How are we serving our brothers and sisters of every race, but specifically our
black ones during this time, Christian? We pray for heart transformation
through the Gospel in this world that loves darkness and points fingers at each
other and plays the “blame game”. We love them by showing empathy and concern
for how they are dealing with this heaviness in their homes and families. As
the woman at my Bible study said, white people make black friends, black people
make white friends! Racism will always be present in this world because sin is
always present. We overcome this by putting on the full armor of God (Ephesians
6:10-18), taking up our cross, and dying to this sin (Matthew 16:24-28) that
infests how we are supposed to respect and honor one another. As God loved the
Son, Jesus loves us (John 15:9), and as the Father and Son love us, we are to love
one another as He loved us and by this, all people will know that we are
His disciples (John 13:34-35).
Sorry, this blog is a long one!
But I’ll leave you with this. “Do all things without grumbling or disputing,
that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in
the midst of a twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
holding fast to the Word of LIFE…” (Philippians 2:14-16) & “For we
do not battle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness,
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
Also, below are the beautiful lyrics to two songs by Melanie Tierce-Slay and
her husband Kaden Slay which I have non-stop been listening to that give peace
to us and worship & glory to the Father. I love you, person reading this
and I’m praying for you. Be encouraged, be bold, and trust in the
Lord.
The Lord is
so good. We bear His image. Christ bears our wounds. As my Pastor Brent
Stephens at Four Points Church asked our congregation the Sunday after Mr.
Floyd’s death, who are you being an ambassador for? A person, a
political party, or Christ?
Colossians 1:13-14: “He has delivered us from the domain
of darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we
have redemption, the forgiveness of sins”.
.............................................................................................................................................................
What Love is Like:
When everything is wrong
And I want to make it right
When it seems injustice has the final word
When I want to run away or take up my sword and fight
Cause I just can't sit and watch the way we hurt
I see my Savior
Bound by accusers
Blessing the hands that take His life
And I hear Him saying
"Father forgive them"
Showing the world what love is like
Oh, can you hear Him saying
Put your weapons away and follow me
Faith will be my sight
I'll fall on my knees to rise
Until Your Kingdom comes in all the earth
And the darkness of the tomb
Meets the brilliance of the light
Yours will always be the final word...
Heal Our Land:
(2 Chronicles 7:14)
This is our confession
You're always selfless
And I have been proud
You laid your life down
Where I have not bowed
Oh, forgive me
You're always faithful
And I have betrayed
You have shown mercy
Where I've sown hate
Oh, forgive me
I turn from my ways
To seek your face
And humbly pray
God heal our land
You see the hungry
And I turn my face
You move to help them
And I've run away
Oh, forgive me...
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