Gentle Reader,
I want to go play tomorrow in celebration of my ninth wedding anniversary, so housework instead of the chat was the game Thursday evening. Linking up with Kate and the people even though I missed the party. This week we: fear.
Go.
There are many places that this prompt could take me. Fear is part of my daily life. I can’t remember a time when it wasn’t there. This is a running theme here and so I don’t want to focus on that today.
Instead, I want to talk about the fear of others.
The fear those nine people must have felt.
I can’t fully grasp the horror and terror of the final moments of the victims of the Charleston shooting. I won’t pretend to. The world must have slowed to a complete stop as they shifted from fellowship and study to realizing that the end had come.
I don’t understand Dylan Roof. How can anyone be so twisted as to enter a house of worship and gun down people who were gathered in peace to study Scripture? What sort of twists and turns did he take in his mind to arrive at that place?
All I know is that we now have a young man in the national spotlight who clearly confirms the truth about sin and our need for a Savior. We now have families who will never be the same again. We now have yet another reason to examine our attitudes toward and ideas about both gun safety and violence.
Perhaps most importantly, we, the Body of Christ, have an opportunity to step up and say that racism is wrong. To say that we stand with our brothers and sisters of all skin tones. To refuse to let casual prejudices, the ones we grew up with, go unchecked. We have a chance to exhibit both the love and justice of God as we encourage forgiveness – as much as that word lodges in my throat in regard to this situation – along with supporting Roof’s prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.
The Gospel doesn’t promote hatred. I’ll say it louder: THE GOSPEL DOESN’T PROMOTE HATRED. Neither does the Gospel support hatred. To have a Biblical worldview means to understand and accept the complete equality of every person in the eyes of God, for He made each one. Skin tone and ethnicity are gifts, not curses. They are expressions of His delightful creativity, of His penchant for drawing disparate people into His family so that
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. – Galatians 3:28 (NKJV)
If kids can grasp this, so can we.
Stop.
P.S. – Extra bonus video.
Amen!
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Marie, yes my dear friend. So much THIS: “The Gospel doesn’t promote hatred. I’ll say it louder: THE GOSPEL DOESN’T PROMOTE HATRED. Neither does the Gospel support hatred.” Oh so true! Colored people by DC Talk is one of my faves! And VeggieTales…they have so much to teach us. Visiting from FMF where I’m parked in the #8 spot this week.
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I included VeggieTales because it’s awesome but also because it’s so clear that children aren’t born with prejudice. They could care less about their own skin color, let alone the color of another child. Racism has to be taught. We in the church need to do everything we can to teach the next generation that all colors are God-given and beautiful.
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At least 17 amen’s to this post. Guns will never be the issue – sin is the issue and as Deidre Riggs said today RACISM IS THE SIN that commit this violence. God help us all. And, you are so right, what were the thoughts of the nine as they sat there Bibles open, hearts open, when they realized what was going to happen? In my book, and I presume, God’s also they are martyrs, robed in white, standing before the throne. Gives me chills. xo I’m #48 at Kate’s today!
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I’m a pacifist, so guns make me shudder, but I do recognize that you’re right. It’s not the tool. It’s what people do with the tool. (But while I respect the constitutional right of people who own guns, I do think we’re a little too cavalier about them. I mean, do we really need assault rifles?) I pray that we, the people of God, can figure out how to come together and support each other in this tragedy.
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Nobody “needs” assault rifles, with the possible exception of the police and the military.
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Thank you for taking us there! #blacklivesmatter I read another post today about the fact that our silence is hurting more because we exude a persona of indifference. You spoke the truth honestly and lovingly and we need more voices like yours. So glad you wrote today!
I did miss you last night but Happy Anniversary to you and your husband!
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Amen! Underneath our skin, we are all essentially the same. God loves each of us enough to die for us.
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Marie thank you for your post. I agree with you. It is so sad. I am struck with the faith and forgiveness coming from the victims families. They are a light in a dark time.
You have a lovely blog….love Gloria
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thank you friend. This is something that I am still thinking of in my heart and head. I agree with you.
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Marie, one of the things I love about your place here is that you are not afraid to speak the truth, in love, and unflinching. Thank you.
And this? “To have a Biblical worldview means to understand and accept the complete equality of every person in the eyes of God, for He made each one. Skin tone and ethnicity are gifts, not curses.” This spoke to my heart. God gives each of us a gift in our heritage, regardless of our skin color or ethnicity. You’ve got me thinking. Thank you friend.
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