The Great Divide I

 

I actually started on this post back in October 2020. It was all over the place, but I just recently looked at it and got it more focused.

      So something has been on my heart for a while, and I have finally decided to write down a few words that will hopefully explain some things about my actions. First off let me state unequivocally that I believe in Matthew 5:43-45 (Love your enemies) and Matthew 22:37-40 (Love your neighbors). So if anyone ever needs help, be they stranger, family, friend, or even enemy, you have but to ask. 

     With that out of the way let me get to what this is about. I wrote a post called Fence Jumping a while back. 

http://jmfkauthor.blogspot.com/2018/09/fence-jumping.html 

Check it out if you get a chance. I tried back then to let people know some things that are going on. Tried to explain why I'm choosing not to be as social of a person these days. I get the sense however that either people don't care or I haven't withdrawn myself enough for people to notice. So hopefully this post will make it easy to understand for the few that will actually read it.

     There is a divide in our society. It was here before I was even a thought. I was born in this country. I love this country, but the divide exist and it is wrong. I know it doesn't matter to most, and by most I mean the majority of the people in this country, because it doesn't affect you. When something doesn't impact your life, you don't care. When something doesn't affect people like you then you don't care. You'll watch situations that you know are wrong happen and won't say a thing. You'll claim it's because your scared or you don't get involved in politics or confrontations. Talk all you want, but I am observant and have watched. As soon as some situation comes up that may threaten you and yours it will be like there's a bullhorn in your hand. Where are you when other people need that voice. Where are you when you have the chance to practice the teachings of the Bible. You have a chance to rebuke hate and division with love and unity, and you are nowhere to be found.

     You might have the power to make a big difference in someone else's life, but you don't care because it won't help you. It is in man's nature to be this way. It is human to care only about what affects you. However, though we all equally feel and act this way, there is a big difference. The difference is power. The minority could hate the majority. They could talk bad about them on social media. They could march and shout to the heavens, but guess what. If the majority don't care then who gives a crap, because it won't change anything. The people with power, the majority, make the decisions that affect us all. The minority depend on the majority to take them into consideration, because they have little recourse to make them do it. I depend on the people around me, and that work with me, and that live by me to take into consideration how I am affected by their actions or lack of actions. 

     Let me give you an example. I'm going to call this a 'hypothetical'. A co-worker, Person R came to me to let me know that Manager D told him some racist things. I did not hear this from Manager D. I will say that in my dealings Manager D I found him to pay an unusual amount of attention to what I was doing. I found him to be condescending when speaking to me and witnessed him lie about my actions to others. As I said, I did not hear any racist comments, but when Person R came to me I believed his account, in part because of Manager D's reputation and my personal experiences with him.

     You might ask why Manager D matters. Manager D has the power to promote me or make sure I am not promoted. They may even have the power to fire me if I make one mistake, even though others have made several without any punishment. Now honestly for my position, Manager D might not be able to have that great an impact, but I can tell you that I know many people like me that also had a Manager D in their life and they were fired, were passed over, because Manager D decided he didn't like them because of their race.

     Let me just also say that it is not just about race. People with power may decide they don't like your culture, how you look, your religion or what type of church you go to, whatever reason they come up with is wrong if they are discriminating against you because of it. We should not stand for it no matter who is doing it. Call them out, call me out if I'm doing it to anyone.

     I will give you a personal side to this and tell you that my father had to deal with Manager D in his life. He might not want me to share this, but I saw that no matter how hard he worked he was not going to be appreciated, compensated, or promoted as he should have been. I saw it early on, but it wasn't until I was older that I realized what was happening. This came on my own, because my father didn't make excuses, and neither am I by the way with this post. I just want people to understand something important. The actions of a Manager D can have a ripple effect as it was much more difficult for my family to ascend beyond a certain socio-economic level. We will then miss out on opportunities to live in better neighborhoods go to better schools and colleges. He won't be able to get his kids into good jobs as legacy hires or through networking. Instead they will have to work hard and watch as they too are not appreciated, compensated, or promoted. This can happen for generations. It will be hard for him, just as it was for his father and his father before that to build and advance through every generation. Transferring wealth and land to their children, giving them an advantage in life, as parents should strive to do by the way. All the while others did get fairly appreciated, compensated, and promoted. Understand that some people, because of the division in this country, have not been afforded that opportunity. 

     I know people will not believe what I'm telling you. I know that they will just say that I am just a whinner or cry baby that thinks things should be handed to me. I know this because that is what I hear from people I am around. They are not talking about me in particular, but having that mind set about people "like me" or anyone who is saying what I am saying. That is how they perceive things because it's hard for them to see beyond themselves or their limited experiences. I ask you this, is that who I am? Am I some lazy idiot who never works hard and expects everything to be handed to him on a silver platter? If you even think that I have an ounce of that in me, then delete me from your memories because you have never met me or known me. If you do know me, then know that I am not lying. I am not trying to distort the truth or even embellish. I am downplaying things if anything. I have other stories from my family and other people that go so much deeper, but those are stories that are not for me to share.

     So here is where those out there that know me come into this situation. You see and hear things like this go on. You know you have been around when people have promoted hate and said and done things that you know have nothing to do with Jesus, but you cowered and said and did nothing. This could be at work or home or post from your friends on social media. The crazy thing is some of you come to me away from everyone and whisper to me how you think this and that situation or person are wrong, or like I mentioned above that this or that person is racist or hateful. Why in the hell are you telling me! What, you want me to know that you aren't like them or you want me to somehow change them. You ain't like them, you don't agree with them, then tell them! They need help and you worried about making sure I don't think you're one of them. You got people filled with a spirit of hate and you aren't concerned enough about them and their soul to tell them about the love of Christ. The best you can do is sneak around whispering to me instead of confronting them. Stop being a bunch of cowards and do what's right! Stop being afraid, Read 1 John 4:18 and know that love cast out fear. Love someone enough to pull them back from the darkness that hate brings you into. 

     That is the key to getting rid of this divide, Love! If we actually read and believed Jesus in Matthew than we would overcome this divide because if you loved your neighbor as yourself you wouldn't wish them  harm, but you would want to help him. Maybe if you thought of other people, especially those not like yourself, as being the same as you. Just as unworthy of grace as you, just as much a sinner like you, then perhaps you would show the compassion and mercy that Christ has shown us. Perhaps you would actively seek to help the people of this world and show them the love of Jesus with more than just words.