2020: The year the world was turned upside down

It started with a deadly virus tearing through the elderly and immunocompromised. The way it was handled in the US has been one of the most controversial and dividing events in recent history, and yet there were more polarizing things to come. Race relations in this country came to a head in a way that it never had before. People want to point at the death of George Floyd as the beginning, but that murder was simply another spoke in the wheel of injustice that had been rolling downhill for a long time. It had been picking up speed for quite a while, but the Minneapolis incident was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

The media and this country’s politicians (on both sides of the political spectrum) have done precious little to heal the division. If anything, they have stereotyped, polarized, and racially profiled us into opposite corners that we would have never chosen on our own.  Lines from civil rights leaders were cherry-picked and scriptures taken out of context were used and abused. Clichés that were semantically and technically correct, but were spoken out of a wrong heart and used to humiliate, became the norm (especially on social media). The “We’re all one race” agenda was (is) being hammered into the ground but the fact remained; we were (are) divided. For better or worse, this country was forced to take a long hard look in the mirror and come to terms that things aren’t okay and they haven’t been for decades. Getting back to normal isn’t an acceptable solution. Normal is broken.

As I look back on the events and emotions of not just the last few months, but the last 30 years, I have come to several realizations. First, racism in the US is a much larger problem than I ever realized. Second, pride and ignorance (some of that ignorance being willful) are much more prevalent than hatred in this country. Third, while I was never “actively” part of the problem, I was also never part of the solution. There is something akin to physical pain in admitting that, but I cannot turn a blind eye and expect change to come.

Ignorance in and of itself is forgivable. Ignorance is defined as lack of knowledge. Even Jesus acknowledged that no sin is imputed where there is lack of knowledge. In John 9:40-41 it says, “Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, ‘Are we blind also?’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.’” Jesus was telling them that if they were truly blind to the innocence or guilt of their actions, that sin would not be imputed to them. However, since they see the truth and still err, then their sins remain. James put it well in James 4:17 which reads, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” Having enlightenment on something is necessary for guilt to be assessed.  Consequences on the other hand have no regard for your knowledge. If your toddler, that has just learned to walk, steps off of the kitchen table, you aren’t going to punish him, but the law of gravity doesn’t suddenly go away. He’ll probably have a bruise or two.

What is not okay however is willfully resisting knowledge. Most of the time, this resistance has no malicious nature, but is rather born out of pride. I can certainly speak to this on a personal level. This was me just a few months ago. I found myself outraged by George Floyd’s murder, but outrage fades fast when it doesn’t directly affect you. I had probably never noticed this apathy before because of the very nature of apathy. When you aren’t being reminded of something constantly, it slips by the wayside quickly. This didn’t go away. In fact, the protests around the country kept this on the top of the mind at all times. Suddenly my upbringing, my ignorance, and my apathy were hard for me to gloss over. I didn’t like that the way I was taught was being called into question. I didn’t like that people I knew and respected were suddenly flooding social media with articles that a 15 minute Internet search would prove wrong. It was also easy to see how things can get twisted so quickly. We each know our own heart. Knowing that I have never harbored hate for any person based on ethnicity or skin color was enough to absolve me in my own mind. My understanding was that my lack of prejudice was enough to put me on the right side of history. Deciding to really educate myself was both eye-opening and humbling.

I’m not going into the details because my intention of this article isn’t to give a Cliff Notes version of history and race related facts. The information is out there and you don’t have to dig too much to learn it (and I’m not talking about CNN or FOX News articles with an obvious agenda). Refusing to learn because your past conversations, posts, or mindsets might take on an embarrassing light, is not an adequate reason to reject knowledge. As I’ve said, my viewpoints have changed vastly in the last year, but that’s okay. God doesn’t condemn me for my past and neither should anyone else.

Having an unteachable spirit is another thing entirely however. Solomon writes in Proverbs 29:1, “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” I think we get a glimpse of why God said that rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry (I Samuel 15:23). We must remain teachable and willing to learn if we hope to mature as Christians. People insist on equating humility with humiliation and that simply isn’t the case. The Bible says Moses was the meekest man of his generation. Meekness and humility doesn’t mean being weak or having no backbone.

We, as Christians, should stand up for the things that the WORD OF GOD says, and everything else should be subject to scrutiny and perhaps change if it doesn’t line up with the Word! Two wrongs will never make a right, so please know that I am not condoning riots, violence, destruction, or race shaming (of any kind). Everything we are to do should be done while staying rooted and grounded in love. I don’t care what great past leader said in his speech, if it isn’t done in love; it doesn’t measure up to the Word. People are God’s greatest resource. Fellow Christians should not be divided and polarized over temporal things that have no Kingdom consequences. Don’t let apathy or the desire to live without rocking the boat keep you from maturing in Christ and truly loving your brother.