Christ

Are you afraid to talk about racism and discrimination?

Racism and discrimination are undoubtedly significant problems in America; yet still, many people including Christians pretend these evils of society do not exist. No one wants to tackle these problems in any meaningful way.

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Even some of the most celebrated, Religious leaders who assumed duties as moral compasses, and who, of course never minced words when it comes to talk about abortion, gay rights, contraception and other hot button political and social issues are silent on racism and discrimination.

Why? It is hard to say. However, I do not think it is unfair to assume these people are either afraid or are part of the problem.

Still, racism and discrimination are age-old problems. Jesus was a victim of discrimination too. The only reason His people rejected Him was because He was different.

Unlike today’s Religious, Jesus was never silent on the problems of race and discrimination. When He said, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” He was speaking directly to the racial problem that existed between the Jewish people and their Samaritan neighbors; and when a pesky lawyer said, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus responded with the parable of the good Samaritan.

Behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25, ESV)
Jesus asked him to repeat what the law says, and the man responded: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength and all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27, ESV)

Pressing further, the lawyer asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
In parable form, Jesus told of a man (a Jew) travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho. Robbers attacked him, took his possessions and clothes, beat him, and left him half dead.

A priest came down the road, saw the injured man, and passed by him on the other side. A Levite passing by did the same.

A Samaritan, from a race hated by the Jews, saw the hurt man and had compassion on him. He poured oil and wine on his wounds, bound them up, then put the man on his donkey. The Samaritan took him to an inn and cared for him.

The next morning, the Samaritan, gave two denarii to the innkeeper for the man’s care and promised to repay him on his way back for any other expenses.
Jesus asked the lawyer which of the three men had been a neighbor. The lawyer answered that the man who showed mercy was a neighbor.
Then Jesus told him, “You go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37, ESV)

 

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
 Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day-to-day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all people. Psalm 96:1-3

Face your giant head-on–Don’t cower.

At times the problems we face get so big that they seem to tower over us like an aggressive giant. In the midst of trouble, fears stirred, understanding becomes darkened, and joy evaporates. Yet, rather than look to God for solutions, one leans on his or her own understanding; and as a dark shadow looms over us–we either run away or cower and fold.

In fact, if we learned to face problems like young David confronted the giant Goliath, no one would become paralyzed by fear,  and cower just as the Israelite soldiers did before Goliath and the Philistine army.

On the whole, it was David’s faith and trust in an all-powerful God that allowed him to view his opponent in a different light. Therefore, instead of seeing a giant, David saw an uncircumcised Philistine, whom he defeated.

In Psalm 121 David writes the following:

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore

How close can you get to God?

The closest anyone can get to God is to have Him live within your heart. When I was a child we used to sing: “Don’t try to tell me God is dead, He woke me up this morning. Don’t try tell me He is not alive, He lives within my heart.” But before He can take up residence in yours or my heart, we must be born again. When an individual is born again, he becomes united with Christ and one with Him. The Holy Scripture says: “But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:17).

Therefore, if  we are one with Christ, we are close to Him. He has even promised that He will never leave you nor forsake you. So, this notion that He is far off is a trick the enemy use to convince us into believing that we have to do more to get closer to Him. Christian author, Gregory Dickow, calls this the ‘Illusion of Separation.’

Consequently, there is no separation between you and God. Jesus fill the gap created from the downfall of Adam and Eve. Therefore, if you bought the lie that God is far off,  and you have to do more to get closer to Him, you are actually saying you can earn God’s favor. And when you think you can earn God’s favor–you try too hard. Then, when that doesn’t work–you get discouraged until you either give up or assume your relationship with God is distant. This mindset ultimately affects your peace, your joy, and your confidence in prayer.

Brothers and sisters, your closeness to God is not earned, it’s a gift–made possible through the blood of Jesus. So, if we recognize that God lives within us, it will change how we look at ourselves and ultimately change how we live.