It all sounds so good. I remember being proud to learn the preamble to the Constitution, and the first paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, and the Gettysburg Address. I was grateful to be growing up in a nation that could produce these documents.
And while they are great documents, they are documents, and only as good as they are promises fulfilled. The nations have not flocked here because the USA was perfect, but because of those promises, and the hope that this might be the place where people are treated equally with dignity and mutual respect. Are we keeping those promises?
If you had been a slave in Georgia, the Emancipation Proclamation set you free on paper, but it required The Civil War to make freedom a reality. Free, but now what?
For many in our nation, there is still a gap between paper freedoms and the ability to exercise them fully. And that is what the recent protests are about. We must separate the genuine calls for reform from the criminal behavior in the riots and the rhetoric, and not allow the chaos to distract us from the pleas simply to be treated fairly.
Yes, the issues are being hijacked by some who love chaos, and yes, the power vacuum that would result if we abolish police departments would quickly be filled with power abusers. Yes, many of the terms being used to describe feelings are imprecise and subjective. And yes, the cities have been decimated by corrupt and ineffective leadership.
But we must not use the chaos or imprecision or the abuse of power as excuses not to listen. Don’t take the bait and get drawn into an argument over whose lives matter, or trading statistics, or even who’s to blame for what. Find a person, and have a calm conversation.
Just ask someone you know who doesn’t look like you what life looks like from their vantage point, and listen. And as you listen, learn. Don’t judge, just ask questions. And then love them as Jesus has loved you. Not on paper, but on the Cross. Listen, learn, love.
We shouldn’t be satisfied until every group in this nation of great documents equally can be proud of saying, “We, the people. . .” And as far as we’ve come, we aren’t there yet.
Finally, Christian, let’s review Paul’s reminder (Ephesians 6:12) that the confusion and chaos in the world originate with Satan, not other human beings. “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
If believers in Jesus can’t have these conversations, then who can?
Remember who the real enemy is, and it’s not people at all. The armor we need for this battle include truth and faith and of course, the gospel. For it is only at the foot of the Cross that we achieve absolute equality. As sinners. Only if we keep in mind our own sins will we be free and open in forgiving and accepting others. Matthew 18:21-35
It is only in Jesus that we are emancipated from sin’s chains, in which we all were enslaved. It is that truth which sets us free, and not a political ideology. John 8:31, 32. The gospel is the proclamation of freedom. Let THAT freedom ring. Let’s ring THAT bell!
“Let prayers be made for everyone, for kings and all those in authority, that we may lead peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” 1 Timothy 2:2