Freedom: A Post About Racism From My Perspective.

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is,

'What are you doing for others?'"

-Martin Luther King Jr.

When I read this quote, my mind exploded. I have always admired and really have been fascinated with Martin Luther King Jr. The consistency in the way he carried himself and really his family carried themselves in the midst of turmoil, is nothing short of inspiring. Coming off of a day that signifies a man's audacity to dream big, and stare in the face of persecution, I thought it would be right for me to share my perspective. I wanted to write alot sooner, but due to the fact that this is going to be a tough topic to talk about, I wanted to pray and seek God in the right words to say. I hope my perspective may bring some insight and overall, encourage you to gain some hope on a situation that has really taken the breath out of us individually, collectively and spiritually.

Over the years, really since I can remember, racism has always been the elephant in the room. Whether it was attending public school, or playing sports, the truth is, it was and is still present. The truth of the matter is that, we have a huge problem in America. Danielle and I served as youth pastors at a church in Scottsdale, Arizona for a short time, but during this short time my perspective on race was altered in a big way. Before us moving out there, I never really understood racism, I just knew that it was bad and to stay away from it as a whole, and just treat everyone with how I wanted to be treated. I have always had black friends and I am really close to more than a few of them because we all grew up together, but I never really stopped to think about what they have to go through and really see myself through their perspective. What I see as a "normal" day, they can see as a less than "normal" day. Let me explain. We entered a staff meeting one Tuesday morning, and there was a lot of excitement in the room because the church was growing and the youth ministry was getting off the ground. We were all super stoked for the future. Our staff was very diverse to say the least, which is honestly how I like it. So many of our staff came from different backgrounds and experiences, from playing in the NFL, to working in a field in Alabama, or just your average student in school. We had a certain staff member that had this mystique about him. You could sense that his wisdom was far surpassing anything you have experienced. During our meeting we came across the issue of racism. I found myself soaking in all that I could from so many different viewpoints. But then a revelation came to me as soon as this wise man began to speak up. He started to describe what an average day for a black man looks like. He stated that when he has to go into the grocery store, that he notices when white people turn the other direction and start moving at a faster pace than normal, or move their purse or shopping cart away from the position that he is facing. My jaw hit the floor. I was amazed at how people respond to others just because the color of their skin. Not to mention, I felt convicted of this same action that I did a few days earlier in Wal-mart when I would try to "avoid" certain types of people. I didn't think about what I was doing or why I was doing it, it was just engrained in me to turn the other way. My heart began to break. I started to think to myself, how many times have I let my friends down, or even complete strangers down because of the fact that I let a pride issue, or racism, get in the way. From that moment on, I knew a change had come over me because my eyes were opened to an issue that I was completely oblivious to. Now I am fully aware that racism can go both ways and we can spend all day long about how this race is better than this, etc. Quite frankly I am sick of that. All we ever do as a society is point fingers and put the blame on others before even analyzing ourselves. Just as one of my favorite rappers of all time quoted "We can't change the world unless we change ourselves." -Notorious BIG

I want us to come to the realization that we have all fallen short of the Glory of God, and that we have completely missed the mark as a society on what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others gave their lives for. Pride and Equality can not live in the same house together. When I talk about pride,I mean the destructive kind, which is where racism stems from. In order for us to truly be equal and start loving on one another as Christ has first loved us, we must sacrifice our pride on the alter of grace and begin to let healing and hope overtake us. It is because of people, that I love what I get to do, with encouraging and speaking truth into their lives. I am so thankful for everyone both black, and white, that have spoken into my life. To be honest I am a better man because I have allowed this to happen. I am so grateful for sacrifices on both parties that have allowed me to have the friends and family that I do now. The only color that concerns me, is RED, because when I am able to see the life of Jesus and the sacrifice he made in others, then that is when change happens. I can't wait to worship with every tribe, nation, and tongue in Heaven, because that would be the biggest family reunion ever.