Thank you for your words of enCOURAGEment. I have lost my relationship with my only living family member due to her obstinance to see the truth of racism and the lies of #45. Truth matters-even at the expense of (perceived) peace.
Appreciate this conversation. Appreciate the suggestions and ideas for actions. They are all do-able by nearly anyone.
We are not hopeless because we are still alive today. We have the gift of being present in the lives of people, and we have the gift of agency to use our connections to speak and show truth.
We are never guaranteed that we'll break through. We are guaranteed that our Lord will be with us as we work to build his kin-dom and bring restoration and redemption. Our Lord will do the work of softening the heart and smoothing the rough places.
Let us be willing to be His agents of change and hope.
Wise and encouraging words! I'm trying to be sympathetic...these conversations and efforts are not easy. You often have to go against the people closest to you, people who you love and who love you. There's just no easy way preserve democracy and fight against demagoguery.
Yeah, it's real. Sometimes I've been convinced that I've helped to turn a corner, but as the saying goes, the sea is so big and my boat is so small. What can I do that is effective? Lord, are you still working?
Today I was reading Andre Henry's book ALL THE WHITE FRIENDS I COULDN'T KEEP (I checked the index to see if my name was mentioned & thank goodness it wasn't). He has a great quote from Rebecca Solnit that I needed to hear today: "Hope is an embrace of the unknown and the unknowable, an alternative to the certainty of both optimists and pessimists. Optimists think it will all be fine without our involvement; pessimists adopt the opposite position; both excuse themselves from acting."
I needed to hear that because it can be discouraging and frustrating to see so *little* happening by our efforts. Hearts are not changing. People are not responding. Love is hard to find and even harder to keep.
But we have hope. We have that ground of belief that God is good, that Messiah has come with power for justice, the very Spirit of God is at work in the world. We are told to carry on with the work of the Lord until he returns because that is all he has asked us to do. Not as a burden. But as the natural outflow of our love for him and for one another.
Success is never guaranteed. We are working against the systems and power that have been in place for centuries that grind to pieces the hearts and lives of people for the sheer delight and cruelty of that destruction. There are endless setbacks and unimaginable griefs.
Still, we work. We love. We plant the seeds. We do good as we can.
Thank you for the encouragement! Having dinner with friends who also left our past church and questioning how to move forward in Race relations. I’ll be suggesting your books, Color of Compromise & How to fight Racism. Also suggesting they look into starting a group with Be The Bridge! Your words have helped us grow! Thank you!
Thank you for your words of enCOURAGEment. I have lost my relationship with my only living family member due to her obstinance to see the truth of racism and the lies of #45. Truth matters-even at the expense of (perceived) peace.
To lose such an important relationship...That’s heavy, Mary. Thank you for sharing and for your commitment to truth.
Appreciate this conversation. Appreciate the suggestions and ideas for actions. They are all do-able by nearly anyone.
We are not hopeless because we are still alive today. We have the gift of being present in the lives of people, and we have the gift of agency to use our connections to speak and show truth.
We are never guaranteed that we'll break through. We are guaranteed that our Lord will be with us as we work to build his kin-dom and bring restoration and redemption. Our Lord will do the work of softening the heart and smoothing the rough places.
Let us be willing to be His agents of change and hope.
Wise and encouraging words! I'm trying to be sympathetic...these conversations and efforts are not easy. You often have to go against the people closest to you, people who you love and who love you. There's just no easy way preserve democracy and fight against demagoguery.
Yeah, it's real. Sometimes I've been convinced that I've helped to turn a corner, but as the saying goes, the sea is so big and my boat is so small. What can I do that is effective? Lord, are you still working?
Today I was reading Andre Henry's book ALL THE WHITE FRIENDS I COULDN'T KEEP (I checked the index to see if my name was mentioned & thank goodness it wasn't). He has a great quote from Rebecca Solnit that I needed to hear today: "Hope is an embrace of the unknown and the unknowable, an alternative to the certainty of both optimists and pessimists. Optimists think it will all be fine without our involvement; pessimists adopt the opposite position; both excuse themselves from acting."
I needed to hear that because it can be discouraging and frustrating to see so *little* happening by our efforts. Hearts are not changing. People are not responding. Love is hard to find and even harder to keep.
But we have hope. We have that ground of belief that God is good, that Messiah has come with power for justice, the very Spirit of God is at work in the world. We are told to carry on with the work of the Lord until he returns because that is all he has asked us to do. Not as a burden. But as the natural outflow of our love for him and for one another.
Success is never guaranteed. We are working against the systems and power that have been in place for centuries that grind to pieces the hearts and lives of people for the sheer delight and cruelty of that destruction. There are endless setbacks and unimaginable griefs.
Still, we work. We love. We plant the seeds. We do good as we can.
And we hope. What else is there for us?
Thank you for the encouragement! Having dinner with friends who also left our past church and questioning how to move forward in Race relations. I’ll be suggesting your books, Color of Compromise & How to fight Racism. Also suggesting they look into starting a group with Be The Bridge! Your words have helped us grow! Thank you!