Black Lives Do Matter As Much As Yours And Mine

We have been enduring months of "stay at home" orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We as a nation are not accustomed to living life in this way.  Many people have lost jobs, and many people have lost their lives to this "novel" coronavirus.  However, this post is not about that issue.

Another issue we as a nation have endured is racism.  It has been a part of this land long before we called ourselves the United States of America.  The melting pot called the USA was even almost split into two nations because of slavery.  We have come a long way, though.  Even though we still have racial problems, we are still the land of opportunity.  The United States elected an African-American to be the 44th President in 2008, and reelected him in 2012.

Over the years, though, there have been outcries in the African-American community accusing the police of racial persecution against them.  This is often difficult to prove.  Police in general protect their own because they are a brotherhood of sorts.  Our nation has long had the sentiment and legal standing that in legal matters, a person is considered innocent until proven guilty.  The problem is that social sentiment is more often that someone who is accused is guilty until proven innocent.

I have seen this in politics as well as in criminal cases.  In politics, most Democrats will vilify the Republicans, and most Republicans will vilify the Democrats.  The funny thing is that they often use the same rhetoric against one another, and nobody seems to remember.  They just want their candidates to win.  When it comes to crimes, people will often believe a police officer because of the authority that person has with the law.  People are more apt to believe that a person committed a crime and the police did everything right, even when a case is not open and shut with the evidence.

While there have been many accusations of injustices by police against minorities over the years, two in the last few months have come to light that appears to show that some of the the allegations are in fact, true.

One involved a 25-year old man in Georgia.  Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed while running.  It was several weeks before anyone was arrested, and only after a video was released of the shooting.  One of those involved in the shooting was a former police officer.

The second involved a 45-year old man from Houston who had moved to Minneapolis.  George Floyd had been a bouncer who had evidently lost his job due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  He was accused of using a counterfeit 20 dollar bill to purchase cigarettes at a convenience store.  Police were called.  Mr. Floyd was handcuffed and forced into the police vehicle after telling the police officers he was claustrophobic and could not breathe.  He was shortly afterward dragged out of the other side of the vehicle and onto the street.  He was face down, with his hands cuffed behind him.  Two police officers were kneeling on his back and one officer had a knee on Mr. Floyd's neck.  George Floyd was pleading with them, saying he could not breathe.

During this time some onlookers had pulled out their phones, proceeded to take videos of the event, and pleaded with the police to get off Mr. Floyd;s neck.  After he appeared to have passed out and his body had grown limp, the officer continued to press his knee into George Floyd's neck.  When the onlookers tried to intervene, the officer on Mr. Floyd's neck pulled out his mace.  Another officer had gotten in between that officer and those pleading with him.  That officer had his knee on George Floyd's neck for over eight minutes.  When EMS finally showed up, only after the paramedics asked the officer to get off of Mr. Floyd, did he remove his knee from the neck.

The damage had been done.  George Floyd was dead.  He was definitely no immediate threat for those eight minutes face down on the street.

When the protests started, the four officers were fired.  It took several days and rioting in the streets before the one officer was charged with third degree murder and manslaughter.  More protests have come about across the nation.  There has been looting in the cities, fires have been started, and people have been injured and some have died.  Some seem to blame all of the police, while others blame all of the protesters.  Some have tried to accuse President Trump of starting a race war.

I know that I do not have all the answers.  I do not believe we can fix over 400 years of prejudice overnight.  I do know that the only one who really can fix this problem is Jesus Christ.  He is the only one who has ever walked the earth and remained without sin.  He is the only one who has paid the price for my sin and yours.  He is the only sure hope that can set us free of the problems of this world.

Apart from that, I believe we as a nation must hold ourselves and our leaders accountable.  We have to see our fellow man worthy of dignity and respect.  We need to see more than just the one narrative that supports our own political agenda, and we need to listen to other perspectives.  If we want to see meaningful change as protesters, then we must also bear some responsibility in making sure our fellow protesters are not harming others.  If the leaders want to be a part of the solution, then they must ensure the safety of the cities and also the safety of those protesting.  If the police want to stop the few in their midst of causing these injustices and thereby tarnishing the entire police force's reputation and honor, they must begin to hold their own accountable and not hide behind the tradition of brotherhood first.

I have seen so many times when these things have occurred, that some say black lives matter while others say all lives matter.  I have come to understand that this marginalizes the pain the African American community has been going through.  Someone used the analogy of if my house was on fire and the fire department came and sprayed a little water on all of the houses without actually putting the fire out in my house, then I would be upset.  The fire fighters would say all houses matter, but I would say, yes, but it's my house that is on fire!

My friend, black lives do matter as much as your life and mine.  Please, remember that.

Book Review: Anyone But Me: 10 Ways to Overcome Your Fear and Be Prepared to Share the Gospel by Ray Comfort

I was given an advanced copy of “Anyone But Me: 10 Ways to Overcome Your Fear and Be Prepared to Share the Gospel” by Ray Comfort.

I hate this book and am giving it five stars! I need to clarify this statement. I hate this book because it is so good and so true; and that it also reveals that I so often fall short in sharing the Gospel with others. I also must say that I love this book. I love that it speaks truth to both the believer and the unbeliever. It gives helpful insight into how we as believers can overcome our fears and prepare ourselves to share the Gospel.
For those familiar with Ray Comfort, if you have watched one of his videos or read any of his evangelistic books, then you know he utilizes the “Good Person” model of questioning. He asks the individual if he or she is a good person. Almost everyone says they are. Using the 10 Commandments, he asks the familiar questions: “Have you lied, stolen, and lusted?” He uses this line of questioning to help people see themselves as not the good people they had assumed themselves to be. He later asks the person if God judges them by the 10 Commandments, would God send them to heaven or hell? Ray is pricking the conscience of the listener to see that he or she is in trouble with God, so that the Gospel message will be able to do its work. The point is you will hear some familiar points in this book, and that is a good thing.
Like the 10 Commandments, Ray has given 10 ways to overcome our fear of sharing the Gospel and helping us to prepare to share the Gospel. Ray’s 10 ways are to be loving, obedient, decisive, defiant, focused, prepared, truthful, practiced, faithful, and prayerful.
In chapter 1, Ray writes about his experiences of showing love to those who have ridiculed him. After quoting Luke 6:27, he rightly states: “Our unconditional love sets Christians apart from the world and stops the ignorant mouths of evil men.” Over the years, Ray has given gift cards and fruit baskets, and wrote kind notes to his detractors. Ray gives some thoughtful insight into how we as believers can change the way we think and love others, and this also helps us to move forward with sharing the Gospel. Love is foundational for us to be able to share this life-giving message with others.
Ray then goes into being obedient in sharing our faith in Chapter 2. He speaks about Samson’s secret strength, which is not his hair. Like Samson, every believer has the abiding power of almighty God just waiting to be loosed. This chapter helps us to see that we as believers are not alone, and we have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, so we should not fear.
The third chapter is about being decisive in sharing our faith. Strangers almost never come up to us and ask us to share our faith with them. It is important for us to make the conscious decision to share the Gospel, and then go out and do it.
The fourth chapter is about being defiant against the real enemy, the devil. Ephesians 6:11, Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ray speaks about how seemingly innocuous things such as sleep and well-meaning isolationism can be barriers to sharing our faith. Even well-meaning Christians can be a barrier to doing what Christ has commissioned us to do. We must be defiant, and push forward in telling others about Jesus.
Chapter 5 reminds the reader that we must be vigilant and focused when we speak with others. It is easy to get caught up in chasing rabbits down rabbit holes, or debating issues that divide believers and unbelievers. We must keep our eyes on the cross and exalt the risen Savior.
Chapter 6 is about the believer being prepared and putting on the full or complete armor of God in order to be prepared to stand, defend, and be victorious against the schemes of the devil.
Chapter 7 is about truth - the Gospel truth. The word gospel means good news. Gospel and truth have long been synonymous with one another. As believers, we are admonished by Ray to stand for truth because “the enemy stands for the opposite.” Our enemy is Satan, the father of lies. We will necessarily fight lies with the truth. The Gospel is truth. It is imperative that we preach the all sufficient sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and nothing we do can add to that work. We have been called to salvation in and through Jesus because of his unmerited favor (grace) toward us.
Chapter 8 is about being prepared to share the Gospel. We do that by practicing what we will be sharing with others. Understanding the Gospel message and how we will go about sharing it with others will go a long way in being able to share it. The more we do it, the better we will be in doing it. Sure, we will come across someone who will frustrate us as we try to give them the words of life. However, this is also an opportunity to learn. The truth is that even in situations that frustrate us, God can use the encounter to change the heart of the hearer of the Gospel. Still, these encounters should bring us back to the word of God, so we can seek the Lord’s guidance.
Chapter 9 is the shortest chapter of the book. It is by no means the least of the chapters. It is a call to be and remain faithful in sharing the Gospel with others. Ray reminds us that It is also important to be at peace with others, and to take every opportunity to stop any misunderstandings as soon as possible. We must be careful in our words and deeds.
Chapter 10 reminds us that we need to pray and be prayed for with all kinds of prayer. Study the Bible on a regular basis. Make the most of the time, and look for ways and opportunities within the areas of your influence to share the hope found in Christ alone.
As I come to a close, I must tell you that I actually loved reading this book. I read it over two nights. I saw areas in each chapter where I could improve. Ray has given me some new ideas about how I can go about sharing my faith with others. He has definitely done an excellent job getting his points across. I highly recommend everyone read this book.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3261360893