After a day of still trying to wrap my head around what is going on in Charlottesville, I have to try to put my feelings into words. I’m deeply saddened and heartbroken as I look at the hate-filled pictures. Young men so full evil, all I can think is “how can this be happening?” Like you, I might not know exactly what to say. I tend to wonder if I will offend someone or say it in the wrong way, or my words will be twisted and used against me. However, I can’t sit by and remain silent. What is happening is wrong, it is evil, and we as Christ followers should speak up and say so.
I remember growing up learning about Abraham Lincoln and slavery. I recall being dumbfounded that it all could even happen, that someone would view people as so inferior that they could treat them as such.
I had the same feeling when I read about the civil rights movement and the days of MLK and Rosa Parks. One of my teachers, seeing my awe, gave me a book on Rosa Parks in 3rd grade. I read it over and over again. Her story and her perspective was so heartbreaking and at the same time inspiring to me. I have read that same book to my older boys.
The same occurred when I learned about the Holocaust and read the book The Anne Frank Diary. As I read through, it just seemed so unreal. I had the same questions yesterday. How can people do this? How can they act like this? How can they be so hateful?
At a young age, I was deeply disturbed and confused by these events and inherently knew it was so wrong and evil. Every time I learn about another event of hatred, slavery, racism, sexism...all of it...that disturbance and confusion never lessens. I still can’t fathom it all.
My whole life, I have been a person who feels strongly about injustice. I’m not sure if it is a first born thing, maybe it’s something we all have. I am a white girl, who never experienced racism. Yes, I’m a woman and have experienced sexism. However, it is nothing compared to what my friends of color have to deal with on an everyday basis. I’ve heard of the daily racism that affects their lives, the fear they have in situations that don’t even occur to us. I’ve heard of their experiences in getting pulled over and the longer time they have to leave for going through security at the airport -- All the little things that we white people never have to even think of.
Its still hard to fathom this rally and the faces of these young men who are drinking the cup of poisonous lies. What are they thinking? How were they raised this way? I’ve read so much about this growing up, never thinking that we would see it again, yet here we are. I see now how it is a slow fade to this, how it can be taught to think in this way. You can now look back and see how things like this have happened. It’s the same lies, hate, bigotry, and false superiority that has Satan’s fingerprint all over it.
Friday night, Zak and I had our first date in months. We’re still unsure how it had been so long...one busy month turned into 4..maybe even 6. So we decided to make up for it and go stay in St. Paul for an overnight date. All the praise hands!
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| Beautiful Night in the city, reminds me of Europe. |
We used all that date money from the last few months and spent it in a weekend. We started with a nice dinner, which was good...but we have concluded that we are not fancy people. I used to think I wanted fancy dinners at a fancy place, and now I know it isn’t really my thing. We sat inside and saw Rice Park filling with food trucks and people. Live music began filling the air.
We ate our fancy food, all the while wishing it was tacos from the food truck, skipped desert, and bee-bopped outside as quickly as our legs could carry us. The music was a mixture of reggae and Afro-fusion. You couldn’t help but move to the beat. It was intoxicating.
People were being drawn in from all sides of the park. People of all ages were dancing, young children to old men and women. There were gay couples, mixed race couples, many ethnicities represented, old men and young women, homeless people, well to do people who were leaving the Ordway, police officers, hipsters, everyone, and every way of life seemed to be there-- all were in this little moment.
Everyone was smiling and dancing. As the band played and we were watching this, dancing ourselves, it felt like a holy moment. I had to fight back tears. I felt like God was looking down and saying “this is good.” This is what he created us for. The band played and the lead singer had everyone shout “MORE LOVE”...”What do we need??”...“MORE LOVE!”
Even in closing out the set, the bassist said something along the lines of “we are all one tonight! Thank you and God bless you!”
That night, it really felt like a moment, and I think others felt it too. It felt like if Jesus were in the crowd, he would’ve been right there in that moment too. I’m not sure why it felt so unique and special. I’ve been in surroundings like that before, so why did this feel so new? Maybe because miles away in Charlottesville there would be hate and racism going on. But in our little pocket of St. Paul, love was winning all over the place.
It was a great reminder that in the midst of such darkness that love is still winning. Love is stronger then hate. Love is all we need (thank you, John Lennon). It’s what we’re called to do in this life. Like Jen Hatmaker always says -- “Love God, Love people. The End.” I have this hanging in my
bathroom.
If I get nothing else right with kids, I truly hope they get this. I say to them precisely a billion times a day, “treat people the way you want to be treated.” I also teach them that if they are silent when someone is picking on or bullying their brother, sister, or anyone, that they are just as guilty. They need to speak up and stick up for one another. So today I speak up for my brothers and sisters.
So today and every day, I say this is wrong. This is not okay. Not on my watch. I will do what my God calls me to do, to love others.
“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother or sister, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” 1John 4:20
