How Did We Get Here?

Anger. Hatred. Fear. Division. Disruption. Pride. Disgust. Vitriol.

These are the pervasive contributors driving the heavy fog that has settled over our country. I keep finding myself asking these questions:

“How did we get here?”

and

“What is the root of the issues at hand?”

and

“What is fueling all of this?”

On the surface, it would seem that racism is what is dividing us, but it feels much deeper, much darker, and much more sinister than that. I know I have much to learn and many questions that are still unanswered, but I do know this: evil is having its way.

God does not divide.

He unites.

Although I tend to want to see the good in people and believe the best about others, I’m reminded that to be human means to be innately depraved.We aren’t basically good, but instead corrupted by sin. (Romans 3:9-12) Even the most kind-hearted person you know isn’t a “good person”. I want to think that I am one of the “good ones,” and have even struggled with this concept of being born “bad”, but I’ve come to realize that with God as the standard to which all of humanity is compared , I fall drastically and severely short. (Romans 3:23) As hard as it is for some to accept, (although it is really not hard to see, especially in times like these) every single one of us was born with a problem. I was. And so were you. It is called sin.

Unfortunately, no amount of civil conversation, talking, yelling, protesting, rioting, looting, or destroying property will ever solve this heart issue.

The ONLY remedy for our broken condition is to let Jesus make us into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) and allow Him to exchange our heart of stone into a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26) It is abiding in Jesus and allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us with love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) that compels us to shift our inward focus outward to others’ pain and perspective.

Before God can heal our land, we have to each surrender our will and let Jesus heal our hearts.

Until then, we are pawns. Game pieces of the enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) The aim of his very existence is to tarnish all that God holds dear, and that includes pitting His children, black and yellow, red and white, against each other and watch them rip each other to shreds. The evil devil can use us to advance his agenda of deception, division, and discord by sowing seeds of suspicion, pride, blindness, and hatred, many of which are passed down generation to generation. The really good news is, it can stop with you. Life in Jesus is truly that powerful.

I am so grateful that the ground is level at the cross. God’s only agenda is love. Past doesn’t matter. Color of skin doesn’t matter. Socioeconomic status doesn’t matter. Party-affiliation doesn’t matter. All that matters is recognizing that you are a person full of depravity in need of a savior who specializes in heart transplants.

This is God’s “check-mate”. The Gospel of Jesus Christ. His strategy ultimately prevails.

You don’t have to clean up your life first or try to be better. Remember, you aren’t that good and you never will be “good enough” for God. The Lord foreknew this fact and still provided a Way through knowing Jesus. He can’t love you anymore than He already loves you today. You only need to humbly come before Him saying you recognize Jesus for who He is, and He will begin restoring you to the person He created you to be. Maybe you are called to be a part of the solution to this race chasm by being an expression of His love and compassion and grace and mercy, but as long as you are blinded, you will never know.

Without first addressing the root of the issue, we will never rid ourselves of the weeds that threaten to overtake and choke out the beautiful diversity that God Himself created to bring Him glory. We can marvel at the many different ways He chose to express the beauty of His creation. Brown skin, brown eyes, black hair, light skin, blue eyes, green eyes, red hair, black eyes, brown hair, tan skin…..same miraculous beating hearts.

Broken, sinful hearts in need of a transforming Savior.