Mind Renewal
Recently I read a post on Facebook. This is not particularly unusual. I often read posts on FB. It was a shared post as many of them are. The notation above the shared post was simply “This”. Just one word but sufficient to imply that this is how the person who shared it felt and that this was their truth.
It was a post that saddened me. Point after point made me very uncomfortable. Comments that made my stomach roll over. The post writer stated that they never cared if anyone was different as in being gay, black, political stance, birth country, financial status, or beliefs. But now as these differences were being pointed out and brought to the attention of society, the writer concluded, making it boldly clear, that their patience and tolerance were gone and “we have had enough”. They used “we”. The writer moved from “I” to “we”. I was not sure who the “we” were that writer implied were as bitter and angry as they. I paused. I considered responding. I did not. I moved on. Over and over in my head this post keep twirling. It was wrong and my mind couldn’t let it go. It was wrong and I let it stand. No comment or response. I didn’t want to get involved or create controversy. The fact that they, the writer, never cared was and is the problem. When we simply exist and ignore the injustices around us touting that we are therefore not racist, does not make racism nonexistent. It is used to avoid making a statement or getting involved and to justify inaction. It is a failure in following Christ. We are not to ignore.
We are not to be impatient.
We are not to be intolerant.
We are to care.
We are to listen.
We are to love.
The call today is to be antiracist. To stand up for those who have been born into a different life situation that is deemed by our society as “less than” today and historically. To take no action does not equate to being race neutral. To ignore or not care that racism exists is to be racist.
We are to open our mind, stop judging and start loving. In the always wise words of Christ we find direction for us in this His new command:
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35We are not to love some people but all people. It doesn’t stop there. We are to demonstrate that love so that the world will know who’s disciple we are by the action we take.
I returned to that FB post the following day. This was out of my comfort zone. I read it again and drafted a response in my mind. I typed it up and clicked the button. It was done. My emotions swayed from nervousness to peacefulness. Nervous, as in what would people say? Peaceful, in knowing I’d done the right thing.
In what ways are you being challenged to renew your mind? Are there belief that you have clung to that may not line up with the new command of Christ? Take a step back and listen in love. You too may find steps to being antiracist make you nervous but in the end bring you peace.
JW