I see a lot of people talking about the events that happened this past weekend in Charlottesville, VA. Many people have displayed a wide range of emotions, from sadness, to anger, to hatred, to fear, to remorse… Before I go further, my condolences goes out to the families of the people injured and lost as a result of that heinous attack. What he did was despicable and cowardly. As a black man who has experienced racism firsthand and who knows what is it like to be different, I know the feelings and emotions that rise up inside of a person. We are definitely living in a different day and age from when my grandparents grew up.
My grandfather was raised in Charleston, SC and would often tell me about how we attempted to walk onto the campus of The Citadel, The Military College of SC as a young boy. As he stepped foot on campus he was told that Niggers are not allowed and to get out of there. Fast forward many decades later, I decided to attend that very same school that he could not step foot on. My first day there he walked on campus with me. I never saw him so proud and it touched his heart that his grandson would graduate from that very school.
Racism has been around centuries in one form or another. No matter what the vehicle is, it is wrong. When I see an injustice, it saddens me. There is an uproar over what has happened but when you get a bunch of racist groups together from Antifa, to Black Lives Matter, protesting one another, violence is bound to ensue. White racism, black racism, hispanic racism, antisemitism, it is all wrong. When Black Lives Matter was shutting down roads and calling for the death of cops too many people kept silent. WHY??? This event happens in Charlottesville and people from all over the country pop up calling for justice. We need to be fair, not biased. Matthews 24:12 says “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” (NASB) That is what we are lacking, that is what we need to speak out about… that loss of love. People have grown cold when leaders like Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal are calling for the President of the United States to be assassinated. What would that fix??? Nothing. It would drive a huge wedge into this nation and divide us. Jesus said it best… “A nation divided against itself cannot stand.” I have seen job postings where people are being hired to protest. Which clearly shows that those hired don’t care about the matter, they are just there to cause problems. This is what needs to be addressed. I’m not saying racism should not be talked about. What if we see poop in the middle of our rooms and sweep it under the rug like it is not there? Guess what, it still stinks. Injustice, no matter the culprit, stills stinks.
The best way to heal our nation is with Love and acts of love. That is the quickest way to a person’s heart. We should not seek to repay evil with evil but instead with LOVE. Open your eyes and see people as God sees them. It is so easy to hate, but Love covers a multitude of sins, Love is patient, Love is kind, it does not keep a record of wrongs. How can you LOVE on somebody today even somebody that may not look like you, talk like you, or come from where you come from? The best way to kill this hate is with LOVE. Will you choose to LOVE?
The Butlers' Corner 