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Dear Church Body

Another mass shooting. More hateful and racist tweets by some of our political leaders. Another day filled with hate in America. Where is the outcry from the Christian Community? Where is the Church?

Dear Church Members, this is not the time to be silent. A prayer for the victims of a mass shooting during Sunday service is appreciated, but is not enough. Where are we the rest of the week? Where are we when some of our political leaders are spewing hateful comments and tweets?

The Church and its members should be the leading voices against racism. Christians should be on the frontlines against any type of hate. Now is the time to be bold. Now is not the time to be silent because it doesn’t fit your political agenda. Christians should be about doing God’s work, not the work of a political party. The world is watching the Church and the Christian Community. What side of history will we stand on?

There are roughly 300,000 churches in America. There are 1,020 active hate groups in America. Which voices will be the loudest? I pray my fellow Christians will drown out the hateful words and actions of these hate groups with the love of the gospel. I pray my fellow Christians will speak out when our political leaders spew hateful rhetoric. I pray my fellow Christians will speak out against all forms of hate and racism. Once again, I will ask what side of history will the Church and its people stand on?

I pray my fellow Christian brothers and sisters do not feel I am attacking the Church or Christians. That is not my intention. I love the Church and my fellow Christians. I believe we should be the ones demanding better from our leaders. We should be the ones standing up against all forms of hate and racism. We should be the Peacemakers.

You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family. ~Matthew 5:9

“I hope the church as a whole will meet the challenges of this decisive hour.” ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Love Over Hate

Hate continues to rear its ugly head in America. We have have experienced four mass shootings. We have experienced more hateful tweets and comments from our elected leaders. It seems it’s gotten easier for people to choose hate over love.

It would be easy to get caught up in all the hate. All we have to do is turn on the tv, open up social media or just walk outside. Hate is all around us. Some of our political leaders have earned their PhD’s in the area of hateful rhetoric. How did we get here?

If you’re a conservative you’re told on a daily basis the liberals are to blame. How liberals are out to destroy America. If you’re a liberal, you’re told on a daily basis the conservatives are to blame. How conservatives want to take America back to the 1950’s. The talking points change daily, but the game has been the same for years; exploit fear and distrust. Make it Them Against Us. My prayer today is that we will make a Bigger Us and a Smaller Them.

We need to stop demonizing people who have different political views than us. We need to stop demonizing people who look different than us. We need to stop demonizing people who have a different faith than us. We need to stop demonizing people who were born in a different country than us. Instead we need to celebrate our differences, because that’s what has always made America great.

So we have a choice to make. We can keep pitting Them Against Us or we can all come to the Table of Love and have real and significant conversations. I believe we will find we have more in common than we realize.

As you know, I love to share take away points in my blog post. Here are some ways we can choose to Love More and Hate Less:

*We have a choice. We make the choice what we believe. We make the choice what we watch and listen to. We make the choice to be part of the problem or part of the solution.

*Replace Judgement with Grace. The world is constantly beating people down. Instead of being the Judge and Jury, make the choice to show some grace.

*Truly Listen. It is so easy to bombard people with your beliefs and opinions. Make the choice to take some time to listen to people who think, act, look and speak differently than you. That doesn’t mean you have to agree with them, but take the time to listen to them.

*Choose Love. Choosing love can be difficult at times. Let’s face it, some people are hard to love. I bet that hard to love person just came to mind. I did not say choosing love would be easy. Choosing love is a daily choice. But I believe it is worth the hard work.

“I have decided to stick with love…Hate is too great a burden to bear.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Wake Up America

I wrote the following back in 2017. Sadly, nothing has changed in America. Four mass shootings in America this week.

Let me say, I believe in the 2nd Amendment. I have never owned a gun and probably never will. With that said, enough is enough. We have a major gun issue in America. Let’s stop ignoring that reality. How many more innocent lives will be taken by people who should have never been able to to purchase a firearm? It is way too easy to buy a gun in America. When will the politicians have the guts to stand up to the NRA? Sadly those politicians will probably continue to take millions and millions of dollars from the NRA. I have family and friends who are responsible gun owners. My question to you and other responsible gun owners in America, when will you stand up and demand common sense gun control?

Also when will we wake up and realize we have a mental health crisis in America? We need more programs for those dealing with mental health issues. Those programs need to be properly funded. We cannot keep cutting funding from these programs. People are hurting and need help.

As I shared above, I wrote this in 2017. Sadly, I am currently watching the images of two mass shootings in less than 24 hours. Dear Politicians, your thoughts and prayers are no longer enough. They feel cheap and disingenuous. America needs you to take real and significant action. Wake Up America! ~OC

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Love Without Prejudiced

Jesus was asked this most important question, “Which is the greatest commandment?” Jesus answered this question with two commandments. The first, “Love God with all your heart, soul and mind.” The second, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Seems like love was pretty important to Jesus.

So who is my neighbor? I believe my neighbor is everyone who lives on planet earth. So that means I am supposed to love the following people:

My Muslin Neighbor.

My Immigrant Neighbor.

My Gay Neighbor.

My Atheist Neighbor.

My Noisy Neighbor.

My Gossiping Neighbor.

My Ex-Con Neighbor.

My Person of Color Neighbor.

My Republican Neighbor.

My Democrat Neighbor.

My Independent Neighbor.

My No Political Party Neighbor.

My Racist Neighbor.

Wow! Really OC, the racist neighbor? Yes, Jesus said we are to love everyone. This is not easy. Some people are just hard to love. But if we call ourselves followers of Jesus, we must love without prejudice. ~OC

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Why We Need To Talk About Racism

I can hear it now. OC is talking about racism again. Can I be honest with you? I really do not like talking about racism. I know that is hard for some of you to believe, based on all my post about racism. But truly, I wish I never had to talk about racism again. Really, I do. So OC, why do you keep talking and writing about racism? Good question. I am glad you asked.

As a white man in America, I have a lot of privileges. I did not asked for these privileges. I did nothing to earn these privileges. I just happened to be born white in America. But as a white man in America, I have been bestowed these privileges for simply being born white. Here are some examples of my white privilege in America.

*I can walk down the street and no one is going to clutch their bag a little tighter. My brothers and sisters of color do not have that same privilege.

*I can hail a cab with no problems. My brothers and sisters of color do not have that same privilege.

*I can walk through any store and not be followed by security. My brothers and sisters of color do not have that same privilege.

*I can drive in any neighborhood and not fear being pulled over by the police for simply driving. My brothers and sisters of color do not have that same privilege.

I wonder how many people stopped reading when I mentioned white privilege.? I hope you stayed with me and take some time to really think about the examples above. Those are not made up examples. Those things plus a lot more happen everyday in America. That is why I will continue to talk and write about racism in America. I believe with everything going on in our nation, we can no longer make excuses for not talking about racism. Only by discussing the issue of racism, can we hope to end one of the original sins of America. ~OC

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Just a White Guy Fighting Racism

As you can tell from some of my previous post, I believe racism is one of the biggest issues facing our nation. Of course the issue of racism is not new to America. I believe it is one of the original sins of our nation. I could share a lot of data to support that statement, but I would rather share some practical steps white people can take to help improve race relations in America. Wait a second Todd. Why are you directing this towards white people? I am glad you asked. I believe for too long, we (white folks) have been afraid to have conversations about racism. We do not want to say the wrong thing and be accused of being a racist. I get it. I have been there. But we must have these tough conversations. I would like to share a few simple steps I think we (white folks) can take to help fight everyday racism. I have found them helpful in my journey to help end racism.

Listen to People of Color. To often when our brothers and sisters of color are discussing racism, we want to jump in and try to fix things. Or worse we discount what they are saying. We just cannot believe they would still encounter such blatant racism in 2019. They do! So the next time you have the opportunity to discuss racism with a person of color, just listen as they share the pain they face daily.

Educate Yourself. Take time to learn about All of America History. Not just the white history most of us learned in school. There are plenty of books, museums, websites and articles to help you become more informed.

Stand Up to Racism. Don’t walk away when that family member or coworker tells a racist joke. Confront them on their behavior. Call out the business owner who follows a person of color around the store. Stop and educate someone when they say racism is not that bad in America. It is! I know this might be difficult for some of you, but we cannot stay silent.

Ask Questions. Take time to asked people of color plenty of questions. It’s okay to admit you don’t know everything. I have no idea what its like to be a person of color in America or anywhere else. So the only way I can learn is by asking questions and listen. Remember to always listen.

What Happens If I Make A Mistake? If you happen to say or do the wrong thing, ask a friend of color how you can fix it. Apologize if needed.

Friends of Color. Okay none of this works, if you do not have any friends of color. No, the person of color you say hello to in passing at work or church does not count. Take the time to get out of your comfortable “white bubble” and engage with people of color. That might mean changing where you hang out or what church you attend. But I guarantee it will be worth it.

I know these six steps will not end racism by themselves, but I believe it’s a good start. Do not think you have to do them all in one day. That would be overwhelming. But I encourage you to start with one today. ~OC

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True Friendship

*True friends Encourage you.

*True friends Respect you.

*True friends Support you.

*True friends Stand By you.

*True friends Reach Out to you.

*True friends Listen to you.

*True friends are Honest with you.

*True friends Forgive you.

*True friends Walk the Journey with you.

 

Dear God, please help me be this type of friend. ~OC

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Great Quotes! Live Them Out

During these turbulent times, I believe the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr are needed more than ever. We need to truly live out Dr. King’s words.

“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“There comes a time when silence is betrayal.” ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Let no man pull you so low as to hate them.” ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a constant attitude.” ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.” ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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I Love You

To my brothers and sisters in Baltimore, I love you.

To my brothers and sisters of color, I love you.

To my brothers and sisters in the LBGTQ+ Community, I love you.

To my brothers and sisters on the other side of the political aisle, I love you.

To my brothers and sisters of a different faith, I love you.

To my brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico, I love you.

To my brothers and sisters who spew hate, I love you.

To my brothers and sisters who wish me harm, I love you.

To my atheist brothers and sisters, I love you.

To my brothers and sisters who have a different opinion than me, I love you.

To my brothers and sisters that feel lost, I love you.

To my brothers and sisters who want to give up, I love you.

To my brothers and sisters in prison, I love you.

To my brothers and sisters who do not feel loved, I love you.

To my brothers and sisters who might attack me for this post, I love you. ~OC

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