The Silence of Our Friends

 

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday I wanted to bring in, once again, the important message of unity.  In the under current of this message I pray that this country receives healing from the results of forgiveness.  I pray that the minds of the people begin to heal and walk into their freedom.  As a country, America is under attack.  America is under spiritual attack because we have failed to stand up and speak out.  It is our duty to speak for what is right and for what is true.  We have a duty to speak up for the rights of others.  It is our duty to speak against injustice.  

 

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,

for the rights of all who are destitute.

Speak up and judge fairly;

defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Psalms 31:8-9

 

There have been movements; and speeches; and causes; and arguments about how to address the issue of racism in this country.  However, no one has arrived at a unified solution to this problem of miscommunication.  And friends, this is all that it is; a miscommunication.  

 

Much work is needed to solve this problem of miscommunication.

 

Let us not be lost on our journey to freedom.  Let us not get turned around in our efforts of being a Kingdom Race.  Being part of the Kingdom means that we are all brothers and sisters who should be working towards the same goal.  When trying to reach that goal of unity and justice for all, we must  open our mouths and proclaim that we want to be free!

 

We can be silent NO MORE!

 

We are all familiar with the “I Have a Dream” speech given by Dr. Martin Luther King on August 28th, 1963.  We have listened to the melodic tones of his speech patterns and the message of his candor on that special day.  He stood confidently on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.  He spoke about the continuing injustice experienced by African Americans in this country.  He spoke about the effects of slavery on African Americans and their skewed placement in an economic empire.  He spoke on the vision he had for a new future.  A future that had white children and black children playing together, going to school together, and living in peace together.

 

Dr. King was a friend who not only spoke up for the rights of the people, but also about the actions that we must take as a country to help heal the minds of the people.

 

Do you remember the part when he talked about America writing Black people a bad check?  He used the analogy of a promissory note that had insufficient funds on opportunity and justice.  He said the bank of Justice has gone bankrupt!  Now I ask you, why?  Why, almost  60 years later, has equality, equity, and justice not been a major point on the agenda of America’s growth plan?  This is one of the richest countries in the world! Our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is currently ranking us at #11 of the richest countries in the world.  But as this country gets richer, as Dr. King put it “The Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty amongst the vast ocean of material prosperity,”  we as a people grow more fearful.  We lose hope that the system will ever change for the purpose of cementing an American mindset of equality and fairness.

  

Dr. King warned America 60 years ago that there was an “urgency of NOW!"

 

“Now is the time to make real the promises of Democracy.”

 

If you remember correctly, this was the “I Have a Dream” speech  and the “Let Freedom Ring” speech, but most importantly it was the proclamation of Freedom that was prophesied to come one day.

 

“Free at last, Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last!”

 

I believe that the time is here now!

Here is the thing.  I want to offer an explanation of hope to those who are looking for change.  Many people in this fight for freedom and justice are looking for minds to shift into the unbiased realm of equality.  Even more so, we need people to open their perspective to the possibility that they may be wrong in their subjective reasoning.  We need minds to start to shift in understanding that we have been tricked by systemic racism to turn against each other in these times of heightened tension.  We need to change our perspectives of racism.

 

Here is a start:

 

All white people aren’t racist

All black people aren’t poor

All cops aren’t killers

All black people aren’t ignorant

All lives do matter

 

BUT Until all Black Lives Matter at the same value as other lives, the previous statements cannot universally be believed as true.

 

I am thankful for the friends that God has placed in this country to move the march towards freedom further.  I am thankful that God has a plan to work everything out.  We need people in positions of power to stand up for those who are oppressed.  We need friends to speak out against crimes of humanity.  We need friends who will do what is right in this campaign against racism.  In the words of Dr. King:

 

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

 

I will give recognition, here, to someone who is doing the work amongst educators to increase equity practice in classrooms. Emily Huff  writes:

 

“Respect and understanding of issues around diversity, equity, and inclusion are simply words until they are played out in the very fabric of our relationships and communities. I am a white woman on a journey of unpacking systems of power and privilege, and I am grateful for grace to begin again and learn from mistakes when my blind spots are revealed. Our words hold incredible power, and it is important for us to use them to deepen connections and to help others feel seen and heard.”

 

It is time to wake up!!

 

It is time to speak up!!!

 

It is time to do the work!!!

 

I want to thank Emily for being an advocate for equity. She is growing minds, shaping attitudes, and helping unify an America that is in desperate need of healing. We are still looking forward to that day where Dr. King’s Dream can come into full fruition.  Until then, we are all commissioned to keep doing the work.  We are urged in our spirits not to remain silent.  Freedom will only come when the minds of the people are set free.

 

“Free at Last, Free At Last.  Thank God, Almighty.  We are free at last!”

 

This blog is dedicated to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the coming of his Kingdom.  Therefore all content is God centered and adheres to the word of God.  My Goal is to motivate you to find your purpose.

 

Stay tuned for the month of February, where I will be putting together a collection of essays for Black History Month . . .