The Blog

They all belong to someone

I have so many things to say. None of it is worth much. None of it will fix this problem. Words can’t fix the problem. They can help but they won’t completely fix it. Words are just the beginning. I feel helpless and useless and small. My inability to single-handedly correct a nationwide problem is crippling. Especially when I have the answer. 

Disliking people because of their skin color is not a sin I battle. Oh, I dislike a lot of people (which is also sinful) but it’s not because of what they look like. It’s because they said something mean or annoying. Or they lied to me. Or they’re pretentious in my opinion and so on. It’s actually particular characteristics or actions of a person we dislike, not the whole person. That’s a whole other lesson we need to learn. So I have a hard time understanding why this is something that’s happening. Why murdering or harming people out of hate is happening on a daily basis. But I do understand it’s happening. And in a much more intensive and detrimental way than simply disliking. But just because I don’t experience it, doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Doesn’t mean it isn’t happening to people I love. 

I like to think of myself as a good person. Despite the whole not liking some people confession. And I think because I have predominantly good thoughts of others and towards others, I have a difficult time thinking about the badness of the world. I don’t like to think about the concentration camps of the Holocaust. I don’t like to think about the beatings and whippings and branding of slavery. I don’t like to see pictures of dead bodies piled in mass graves. To say it’s deeply unsettling isn’t strong enough. That’s why I don’t like to think about those things because it literally breaks my heart. And that’s the thing – thinking about these events should upset good people. But that’s why we need to think about them all the more. Just because we choose to not think about them doesn’t mean they aren’t happening. Choosing to ignore painful, evil actions causes us to lose our ability to empathize and sympathize. And that is what we need most. To mourn like that was our son. To anger like that was our daughter. To be broken like it was our own brother. 

Because they are. 

Every time a senseless tragedy like George Floyd happens, I think… it could’ve been one of mine. 

It could’ve been one of my students. I teach at a predominately black school. There’s a lot of students after seven years. Close to 1,000. And every single one of them are mine. I end class everyday saying “Have a good day. Make good choices. Do good things. Be good people. I love you.” Most of them say it with me. 

It could’ve been Bo, my biracial adopted son. 

It could be him running in his neighborhood like everyone does. Sleeping in his bed. Calling for his mama. 

All of these victims belong to someone. Belong to several someones. George Floyd called out for his mother. He belongs to someone. He is someone’s son. Someone’s brother. Someone’s best friend. And on and on and on. 

He belongs. 

Most importantly he belongs to God. The blood of Jesus covers everyone. Every. Single. Person. Our God is not a respecter of persons. He made them all in His image. 

Our goal in life should always be to think bigger than ourselves. Bigger than our likes and dislikes. Bigger than our pride and arrogance. Bigger than our fear. 

We should live our lives seeing each person we meet as souls. Because that’s what they are. 

Right now, Bo doesn’t see difference. He doesn’t see that he’s a different skin color than his mama and daddy. Right now, he doesn’t feel like he doesn’t belong because of that difference. One day he may battle with his difference. Because one day he’s going to realize it and I need to be ready. But I pray he never battles with feeling like he belongs. Right now, he just looks at us and sees love. That’s what I need him to always see. That’s what I’m going to spend every day of my life striving to show. To love the difference each of us has. 

Difference doesn’t lead to fear and hate. 

Difference doesn’t lead to division and violence. 

Difference leads us to the awesomeness of God. To the beauty of His creation. Because we are all made in His image. And we are all different. 

Right now Bo just loves me because of who I am. 

And that’s the answer. To love people just as they are. For who they are. Not what they look like. To love like Jesus. 

One day Bo is going to ask what it was like during this time. He’s going to ask what I did. Did I take part in the hate? In the protests? In the looting and rioting? In the discussion? He’s going to ask what part I played. 

What am I going to tell him? 

I can’t look at him and say I shared a couple of articles on Facebook. I can’t look him in his perfect, brown face and say all I did was make my profile picture black for a day. And then move on with my life. All those things are fine. But they aren’t enough. Social media has to be just the beginning. Words have to be just the beginning. Just a way for us to unite before we change. 

I pray I tell him I strove to love. 

To love like Jesus. To see every person as a soul. 

That I didn’t just talk the talk on Instagram. But I walked the walk daily. 

Here’s what I want to be able to tell Bo…

That even though I felt completely overwhelmed in this battle. I was not hopeless. Because millions of others felt the same. Millions of others around the world chose to be vocal against violence and hate. Millions of others saw and continue to see difference and stare in wonder at the awesomeness of God. Not stare in disgust and hate. And we united.

That everyday I intentionally put myself in the shoes of those around me. That I worked towards creating a home, a classroom, a community of acknowledgment, acceptance, and celebration of our differences. That I kept talking honestly and listened even harder. That I loved everyone I met with all I’ve got in me. With more than I’ve got in me actually. That I  loved them with everything Jesus gave. 

Because we all belong to Him. 

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34 & 35

It’s not a suggestion. It’s a command. 

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