This isn’t going to be a popular post. Perhaps this is why I am posting it a day late. I’ve been contemplating. However, I have decided to go ahead and post it.
Here in America, we are overly concerned about our individual rights. It has become totally out of balance. Individual rights are important, and I am all for them, but, we need to respect other’s rights as well. Recently, we have all seen the “Black Lives Matter” and the “Blue Lives Matter” movements. I believe their intents are good, but in the bigger scheme of things, they are just another form of racism. There, I said it – we are still playing the race card. I’m sure I’ll get blowback for this, especially because I am a Caucasian female. But then I can always claim gender bias in the workforce. And then again, where are the “Asian Lives Matter” and the “Latino Lives Matter”, “Native American Lives Matter” campaigns? Let’s get really specific to me, and add, “Freckled Lives Matter.” You get my point.
The fact of the matter is, we need to stop this. The bottom line in these campaigns is an “us versus them” mentality. As long as this exists, there will continue to be racism and gender bias because these groups are basing their stances on the outward appearance. Haven’t you ever noticed that when you become good friends with another person who doesn’t look like you, you don’t notice the outward differences? Rather, you enjoy that person for who he/she is on the inside, for his/her mind, spirit and soul. If you haven’t experienced this, then quite frankly, you are a racist.
How did God create us? God did not create us to be adversarial. This comes totally from Satan. We are all created in God’s image – that means the inside. But we also have to remember, God loves to create, and create with color. Just take a look around you in nature. See the color? I feel so fortunate that I’m loaded with freckles, especially in the summer, because really, I am a conglomeration of all racial colors!
In other words, God created each of us uniquely. In fact, even within each race there are no two people exactly the same. Even identical twins have their own personalities. This shows that focusing on race really isn’t about color, but how individuals want to be seen by others within the social hierarchy of their particular culture.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not condoning how minorities have been treated in history, and continue to be treated in some instances. However, we need to be able to forgive one another when we have been wronged. We need to learn to respect each other, even when we don’t agree on an issue. I’ve said this before, we don’t need to like each other, but God does command us to love each other.
When I have been immersed in a different culture, I invariably at one time or another end up with other moms. What I have experienced, is that we all want a good life for our children. We want them to be well-nourished, well-educated and well-loved. We love our children! This crosses racial and socio-economic boundaries. The more I’ve talked and lived with others in different cultures, the more I have realized we are more alike than we are different.
We are all made by the same Creator, given the ability to love from Him, and given an example of how to do that by His son, Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (John 13:34).” He didn’t say, love only those that are in your same group, He said, “love one another” – that means all mankind. Post (2020) points out ten ways Jesus showed us how to love, through humor, creativity, reverence, loyalty, compassion, attentive listening, ‘carefrontation’, generativity, celebration and forgiveness. Even though these aren’t the ten most common ways discussed, Post’s article is enlightening and we would do well to follow these examples of how Jesus loved.
I guess the bottom line of this post comes down to practice equality of all individuals by respecting them and loving them as unique creations of God. Forget the “us vs. them” thinking and embrace all people with God’s love.
All Lives Matter
Resources
Post, S. 2020. Ten Ways Jesus Showed Love. Belief.net. Retrieved from https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/christianity/2008/09/ten-ways-jesus-showed-love.aspx
