The Dream Where Racism Dies!

The world is a complicated place. We see heroes, villains, lovers, and haters. Then there’s those who don’t fit into either mold and choose not to get involved.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock the last several days, you’ll know there have been major clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia. White supremacists, neo-nazi, and other hate filled groups–from both sides of the aisle–clashed in a violent fashion over the weekend.

This post is probably one of the most political I’ve written, but as writers and thought leaders, we have the ability to stir the public’s mind and encourage peace. Racism stems back for generations in our nation. And from what I’ve seen over the past several years, that racism has risen to the surface.

It’s hard to escape the news of hatred, terror, rumors of war with North Korea, and the list goes on. I see what’s happening as a wake-up call for Americans and for Christians.

Hate begets hate. I don’t care if the hate speech is coming from one side or another. When the political climate of our nation shifted a few years ago, racism was just about to rear its ugly head. And one would have thought we came a long way after electing an African-American President. It was the culmination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream. Or so we thought.

Now we see hatred and racism on the rise again. This is the same kind of hatred that we saw leading up to the Civil War, WWI, and WW2.

I read a Facebook post yesterday from Michael Hyatt where he said, “White supremacy and Naziism are the twin heads of a single evil. Racism is an assault on the diversity of God’s creation. More specifically, it is an assault on God Himself, whose image is imprinted on every man, woman, and child, REGARDLESS of their race.”

This is the very reason we as believers in Christ and as writers should speak out against this kind of evil. This flys in the face of everything our nation stands for. Our Declaration of Independence says it perfectly, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

America learned her lesson the hard way during the Civil War, but it wasn’t until the mid-1960’s when a real change began. It was because of a God-fearing man named, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His deep hearted dream was that all men are created equal would become the heartbeat of our nation. His dream was that black and white Americans would work side-by-side in harmony.

That dream is still a reality. Today, we have more Americans from all walks of life working together for peace. It’s time for us to rise up against racism. I don’t care if it’s the Neo-Nazi movement or other racist movements. There’s hate speech on all sides of the aisle.

I know I cannot fully understand how our fellow black Americans feel. And I know I’m probably speaking from a form of privilege. So, I write to my black Americans, you have suffered enough and have paid the price enough. In my mind’s eye, you are no different and you are 100% American. I love you!

Racism has always been there since the dawn of human existence. This stems from the fall of Adam and Eve when they sinned against God and broke his commandment to not eat of the tree.

What we’ve been seeing is not a political escalation. It has nothing to do with our President, members of Congress, our former President or even the polar opposites of Neo-Nazi and Black Lives Matter. This is not a rhetoric or political issue, it’s a moral issue.

It’s time for Americans to stop being silent. It’s time for Americans of all colors, creeds, and religions to stand up against the face of racism and come together as the United States of America.

When we begin to place God back into the center of society, “ (God) himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility…” [Eph. [2:14]. We are created in the very image of God and in his likeness. Racism flys in the face of God’s beloved creation–you!. 

This is why we must make every effort to live in peace with everyone and be holy. Without God’s holiness evident in our lives, there can be no peace.

This is why:

• It’s time for Christians and Church leaders to rise up and teach the holiness of God.
• It’s time for writers, who have a level head, to write to inspire, educate, and encourage peace and harmony.
• It’s time for Americans to stop remaining silent about racism and knock down that idol in our land, once and for all.
• It’s time to bring our nation back to repentance and welcome a holy and just God into our American society.

Dr. King had a beautiful dream. This dream largely has been seen. Every American has the same rights, privileges, and advantages as the next man. I believe it’s because of poor education, racism, and a non-willingness to lift and encourage that has kept many from seeing America as the land of opportunity.

I may not fully understand what my black brothers and sisters go through, but I stand with you. You are my friend and I go out of my way to make sure you know I’m a friend. I have many black friends that I love dearly. Many speak into my life with wisdom, love, and appreciation.

We are equal. We are God’s children. We are loved. We are Americans.

I put on my rose-colored glasses through the Word of God, because he made us in his image. And it’s that image I seek to preserve through my love and my writing.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’

“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

“I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

[reminder]How do you stand up against racism in your daily life?[/reminder]

NOTE: Because of the hot political nature of this topic, please keep your comments respectful. I’m okay with disagreements, even if it’s intense. But I ask you do not demean your fellow man, use foul language or be disrespectful. If you do, I will ban you and delete your comments.