If you have watched the news recently you are keenly aware of the tragic events in Ferguson, Missouri. I have no intention of making matters worse by adding my opinion. The one thing I would like to challenge God's people with is the call to think their own thoughts. It is tragic that our country is so polarized that the majority of people chose sides before the evidence is in. If the cop is white he must be right. If the suspect is black he must be right. If the cop is white he must be wrong. If the suspect is black he must be guilty. People with no reasonable grasp of the facts have conclusions for which they will fight and die. How sad. How prejudiced.
Sadly, it plays out every day on the evening news. Votes in congress are almost always divided by party lines. Civil rights issues separate according to color. International debates divide by country and the middle East is split by religion. We live in times where there is a very strong sense of us against them. And we are always right, and they are most certainly wrong.
Imagine if we could all put our isms aside and use our brains. Imagine if all God's people weighed the objective evidence and drew intelligent, non emotional decisions. Imagine if we were humble enough to say, I do not know. Or, what do you think? Imagine if we actually listened to one another, and heard one another. Imagine a world where we made decisions after all the facts were in, and after we honestly dialogued the debate at hand. Imagine a world where truth trumped position.
It is hard to combat prejudice. It is hard to fight racism. It helps if we are honest enough to admit that racism and prejudice come in all colors, castes, religions, and nationalities. None of us is exempt. So all of us should be open to learn.
May God bless us as we journey together,
Pastor Paul
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