America's Heart Disease
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
- Psalm 34:18
Friends.
My heart hurts. I’m guessing yours does too.
We have been on a journey together in pursuit of ethical living, and it is time to face a horrendous clash of ethics right here in our country. We need to face racism.
My black husband goes running. Amaud went running and it cost him his life.
My black husband has tried to use a fake $20 bill. It was actually given to him by a white person on a mission team while they were visiting Haiti. They purchased jewelry he had made and paid him with a fake $20 bill. He didn’t know it was fake until he tried to use it. George Floyd used a fake $20 bill and it cost him his life.
Racism is not a thing of the past. It’s here today, and it has been all along. Too many white people are shocked by the recent killings of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. We shouldn’t be. Racism isn’t just at the hands of unethical cops who are stepping out of line and acting against their oath of service. Racism is a heart problem and diseased hearts are our nation’s true killer.
I am a white girl who grew up in a predominantly white town.
I moved to a predominantly black country and married a black man.
Now half of my family is black and half of my family is white - including my own children.
Ten years ago this month my husband landed in America for the first time. He was filled with hopes and anticipation of what his American dream would be like in a land that had running water, liberty, and justice for all! Some of these hopes and dreams were quickly shattered when he began to face racism in America.
We bought a small house next to some very unfriendly neighbors. My husband grew up in a culture of hospitality. When he sees another person outside, he greets them. A simple wave, good morning/good afternoon, or “Hey Neighbor” was repeatedly met with hate filled eyes and abruptly turned backs. Rumor was, they felt having a black man next door would bring their property value down.
We soon found out that more rumors were spreading around our neighborhood. After the whisperings and accusations were going on for sometime, one of the neighbors finally admitted that people thought we might be selling or making drugs in our house. Upon asking why, they said, “Because a black man mows the lawn, and because there was a suspicious delivery sitting on the side of the house.” The neighbor proceeded to explain that one day they actually snuck around to the back of our house and peeked in the windows. “You have a beautiful black dining room table.” she finished. My mouth was on the floor. Peeking in our windows because a black man mows the lawn? And because we had boxes delivered? The boxes were a fence for the backyard which we clearly needed to assemble immediately to keep out the neighborhood Peeping Toms! Can you imagine a home of a white family getting accused of being a drug house for mowing their lawn and having a fence delivered? Yeah, me neither.
While these are not extreme events, they show the state of the heart. These neighbors did not consider themselves racists. They thought they were protecting the neighborhood and their property values, but their mindset and behaviors proved otherwise.
This is racism. Racism is a heart problem. Racism is an epidemic that has been around for far too long. It’s an epidemic we cannot continue to tolerate. Our country has a wicked ugly heart disease and it needs to be eradicated.
Those who have followed this blog for long know that I’m not a big fan of pointing out problems without offering and being part of a solution. So here is a little non-comprehensive list that serves a place to start:
Check on your black friends. Ask them how they are doing. Ask them if they feel safe. Ask how you can come alongside them in their pain. (If you don’t have any black friends, I suggest you make some. I can agree with what my pastor, Jeffrey Smith, admitted this morning, “My world used to be so much smaller when everyone around me looked like me”.) Grow your world, and be there for your world.
Be careful not to be quick to judge and place people in labeled groups. All black people are not thugs. All cops are not racist. I recommend we start grouping people with a new system. Let’s group together all of the people that Jesus came to die for. Friends, if you are unsure, that’s ALL people.
Recognize your white privilege and be ready to use it to protect and intervene. It would be great if we could snap our fingers and declare privilege for all, but that’s not the world we are living in. If you find yourself in a situation where you can record or report an unjust incident, be ready to use your voice. Is your black friend nervous to go running alone? Run with them. We can take steps towards a time when there is no reason to fear, but until that day comes, and until their trauma is no more, stay with them, stand with them, run with them. If you aren’t sure what “white privilege” is, check out this short clip or any number of white privilege studies or Ted Talks you can find with a little Google research.
Pray. Pray for our nation. Pray for those who are inflicting wounds and those who are nursing them. God lays out clear steps for healing a hurting land. “If my people who are called by my name will (1)humble themselves and (2)pray and (3)seek my face, and (4)turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” - 2 Chronicles 7:14
Remember your power. We live in a world where even social media can be used to fuel fires or help put them out. What you say, what you type, what you share, what you like - they all have power.
Looking for more resources and actions? Here are a few more for you!
Book Recommendation: “The Color of life, A Journey Toward Love and Racial Justice” by Cara Meredith
Action List: 75 Things White People can do for Racial Justice
People to Follow: @dranitaphillips, @priscillashirer, @drtonyevans
I wish we were sitting together with hours of time on our hands and full cups of coffee (preferably direct trade @avanticoffeeco coffee). I wish we could look one another in the eyes and exchange stories, hurts, and prayers. I appreciate the platform this blog gives me to tell my story, but I dislike that I don’t often get to hear yours in exchange. Please know I am always an email or a message away. I care about your story, and I know you have one too.
His Kingdom come, His will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
