COLORED PEOPLE:
The STRIPES of Healing
Founding Statement:
This biweekly newsletter will seek to explain the pain and suffering mainly people of color endure through no fault of their own. The dehumanizing excuses our people always seem to elicit from people in power that make our Christian Brothers and Sisters accept their reasoning as if it was uttered by the Almighty. Lastly what I see with my own eyes begs the question from my conscience. “Are we loving or can we really love our neighbor as ourselves”.
Issue 11: Consciousness of Guilt
Perception is an alarming trait in humankind. It allows those in possession of it a clearer picture of the good or the evil that approaches. It can warn of dire consequences if the latter choice of evil is chosen and pursued. Once a choice is made by man (this gender specific word is appropriate for what I will prove next) and imbedded in the psychology of a cause, foundation or church; then the effects cannot be easily dispelled by better men at a latter time in the future.
Take for instance the so called ‘Church of God’ in all its’ manifestations in America. I’m reading this book now called WHITE TOO LONG by Robert P. Jones. In it he states that the “Southern Baptist Convention separated from the membership they maintained in the governing convention of the church when they were told that slaveholders could not be messengers of God.” I’m paraphrasing here, but in essence the ‘Church of Order’ at the time told them they were not welcomed. Hence the new ‘Church’ was born and on the rock of man’s law any and everything man says is God’s law.
Before I go any further, I want to reminisce about growing up in Alabama and feeling the wind blow and the smell of old wood seeping into the air of all the churches I attended. The effect of all the preaching of God’s word and the songs of joy and happiness combined to produce more than good feelings. It produced a euphoric sense of hope, and I knew all was right in the world. Of course as I aged I began to notice discrepancies in the way my family was treated by people that didn’t look like me. White people that is. Their looks, quick movements and dare I say distance they kept from us was hard to ignore.
Maybe that’s when that trait of perception began to draw growth from my internal energy. Why did white people behave so differently around us? My father drove by the most astonishing ‘grandiose’ churches I’ve ever laid eyes upon in my life. I mean the cross in front of some of them probably weighed more than some of the Black one room churches I attended. Enough of that though, the behavior of my White Christian neighbors didn’t seem right to me. Something just felt off like the ‘polarity’ of a Black Church was in opposition to a White Church. Yes it seemed like there were two ‘Gods’ where one set of people followed the Holy Bible, and one set of people followed their own ‘God’ set up to align with their beliefs and values. If you’re confused I’ll help you out. Black folks followed the Holy Bible.
Now before everyone that’s reading this get too upset; I’ll strengthen my argument with Scripture from the Authorized King James version. Acts 18:12, And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made ‘insurrection’ with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat. 13, Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the ‘law’. Anyway to make a long story short. Gallio told them if they were concerned with Paul following God’s law or their (man’s) law to ‘git the F__ out of my court and see to your own stupidity of contradiction’.
Which leads me to paraphrase more scripture. When you build your church upon an idea like God built his upon a rock and Hell would never breach it. The same goes for what the White man built his ‘Church’ upon. In this instance was slavery, so the gates of Hell did prevail against it until this day and forever! Why do you think that so many members of these ‘White Churches’ didn’t stand with God? It’s over 150 years since the White Church was formed of evil. What makes you think that foundation will ever crack? These ‘Churches’ will never realize they have to disband and form a new ‘Church’ altogether if they ever wish to destroy that DEMON they birthed over a century ago!
Everyone please don’t be surprised that White people don’t stand against the evil they clearly see in their churches, in their politicians, and their courts. Maybe it wasn’t given to Martin Luther King Jr. to understand why the ‘White Church’ made the choice to stand with evil in contradiction of all that Jesus the son of God gave his life for. Maybe my perception was fed to one day clearly see the turning away of Christian eyes from the wrongs committed against people of color. The members of ‘White Churches’ believed it is okay to sic a dog on a little girl running away with a broken leg and fire hoses on people as ‘justified’ according to their own ‘Church’ doctrine.
Now this is for everyone else that still lacks the perception to see that the ‘Church’ as it is ordered today ‘Is Not Founded in God’! Stop giving them the benefit of the doubt because they say they are when the record reflects a charter of lies and cruelty. All those Republican politicians that hold Bibles upside down and spew this hatred against human beings just struggling for a taste of peace and freedom are not after God’s own heart. Stop. Just Stop. They should be ushered out of court just like Gallio told those ignorant Jews coming in there trying to waste his time. Yes, it is okay to call out anybody in the wrong. That is not hating an entire race of people. People of all color, race and walks of life from rich to poor can be wrong. There is nothing wrong with calling them out when they are.
Let me finish by saying that the United States Supreme Court will not get a pass from me. They say their deliberative process is comprised of the law with guidance of a higher power. Well if they’re members of the ‘White Church’ I have zero faith they will judge anything faithfully accordingly as the word that sayeth, ‘There is only one that is good, the Father of Lights’. More to come.