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It's Not Always Black and White

11/27/2014

I have stood on the spot where former slaves Dred Scott and his wife listened to a judge tell them they were still only the property of an owner.

I have visited the birthplace and childhood home of scientist and educator George Washington Carver.

I have been to the location of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

I have driven down Florissant Avenue in Ferguson, Missouri, site of the 2014 race riots following a grand jury's decision not to indict a white police officer for his shooting of an African American.

I have driven down a street in Kansas City, Missouri, where I felt out of place as the only white man in a black neighborhood. I have walked a street in Baltimore, Maryland where I was the only white man among hundreds of people of color, only to be told by workers at the local tourism office that I should not be there and that I should return to my hotel room immediately.

And yet, I am foreign to the racism discussion. I'm afraid I don't speak the language of racism, that I don't understand the nuances of other points of view. I do not know what drives a man to join the Ku Klux Klan, to torment families, to burn crosses, to lynch another human being, or to spew hate-filled speech aimed to segregate and injure. I likewise do not understand how hundreds of black people can form an impromptu mob, burn cans and businesses in their own neighborhood, attack innocent bystanders, and steal from and curse out their own neighbors, all in response to a perceived injustice in a single case. Either way, I am a foreigner in my native land.

In the same ilk, I do not understand the Muslim who believes he must kill non-Muslims in order to defend his own "faith" - a "religion of peace" that murders others in order to further the cause?

I don't get the Atheist who believes Christians must be silenced before they offend him - a godless man offended by a God he does not believes exists?

And I'm not buying the whole idea that a homosexual can openly express sexuality, while Christian beliefs of one man/one woman are suppressed as "offensive" statements - equal rights for everyone who shows tolerance for same-sex marriage, but no rights for everyone else?

I find it very hard to wrap my mind around what some people think is fair.

I teach my students that fair is not a prize to be won or earned. In fact, we come to understand that fairness really doesn't even exist. Instead, one must only keep living, keep searching for liberty, and keep pursuing happiness. It is every man's simple responsibility to improve, to learn, and to serve others. The humility that comes along for the ride is a virtue that benefits all humankind. How can a person reflect the Lord if said person is not humble and committed to servitude?

No, I do not understand the idea of Live and Let Die, but I do understand my own responsibilities. I know that I am to love the Lord, my God, with all my mind, heart, and soul. I know I must love my neighbor as myself. I understand that I cannot force a person to adopt my faith as his own, but that I can influence a person to adopt a similar faith through education. I understand that I can be wrong, but that I can learn from my mistakes and make changes in my life. I understand that facts and vocabulary do matter. I believe that attitudes can be transparent, but that perceptions are not always true.

I believe that music reflects and transforms mood, and when properly applied can drive my worship. I believe I communicate with a higher Power when I study my Bible and when I pray. I believe I must remember the Gospel every first day of the week, and that I should do so with both my physical and my spiritual families.

I know that I must avoid all forms of idolatry, whether in the form of sports, celebrity worship, material pride, or racism. I understand that people are bull-headed and difficult to positively persuade, while at the same time they are soft and easily tempted to engage in destructive activities. I am under the impression that I can easily to go along with a crowd in order to avoid conflict, but that in doing so I may cause conflict. I know that I should treat other people the way I want to be treated. I know it is not as much the way I act, but the way I react to the hazards and detours in life that make me the person I am.

I simply must train myself to make the right decisions, train my children to do the same, and respectfully influence neighbors and strangers to adopt mannerly attitudes. I teach. I preach. I write. I speak. I engage the community.

But my struggle remains: that communication gap that I have with people who do not understand me. While I sit with a quizzical expression on my face, not understanding irrational racists, violent religionists, adamant disbelievers, and fornication mongers, I must understand that the lack of communication is a two-lane highway, and people often do not understand me either.

How do we speak each other's language? How do we bridge the communication gap?

How do we understand the emotion? The fear? The anger? The hatred?

What part do I have to play? As a parent? As a husband? As a teacher? As a deacon in the Lord's church? As a Christian? As a man?

I have stood at the foot of Geronimo's grave.

I have walked on the Trail of Tears.

I have visited the Crazy Horse monument.

I'm just afraid that proximity does not always translate to understanding.

Ferguson, Missouri

11/26/2014

On the other side of our state sits a small suburb named Ferguson. At little more than six square miles, and at less than half the official population of Joplin, Ferguson may sound like a small town - and indeed it is - but a quick look at a map shows it as a part of the St. Louis metropolitan area. Ferguson is small in area and population, and it appears somewhat uniform with other suburbs, with similar amenities and cookie-cutter houses and store fronts that could just as easily appear in Anytown, USA, but Ferguson does not boast of a small-town atmosphere.

In 1990, more than 70% of the citizens of Ferguson were white, with around 30% black. Now, less than 24% later, those demographics have nearly reversed. Such a quick transition may be a contributor to the current events where a police officer shot and killed an 18-year-old. I don't pretend to know everything about the situation, and I don't need to go into details or posit any opinions, but there are some things we can learn. (Incidentally, one of my former students is reported to currently reside in Ferguson.)

What Do Recent Events In Ferguson Show Us?

The obvious lesson is that there is racism in America. If we thought we could undo 400 to 600 years of racism in 50 years, we have learned that we were wrong. From the first hints of racist activity, through the events of slavery, the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement, we recognize that the United States has made positive strides in this area, but there remains a divide in the hearts of some.
Hostility is to be expected. People are people. People are human. People have emotions. Hatred is one of those emotions. Hatred breeds anger. Anger can turn violent. Violence is usually not rational. If there is anything Ferguson, Missouri, has illustrated, it is that anything can break. To most of us it does not make sense that when Person One is angry at Person Two, Person One attacks Person Three, but so is the nature of irrational and out-of-control anger. It is called madness for a reason.
Racism is costly. Who knows just how much has been spent to combat the beliefs that one man is created "more equal" than another? Add to that the cost of rebuilding downtrodden areas, areas that have been damaged or destroyed in the "race wars", and monuments to remind us of our historical ugliness, and the figure is unfathomable. More importantly, the cost hits home for many families as their lives are disrupted, and people are killed. The cost is not only astronomical, but unnecessary.
Life is not fair. Sometimes one person benefits while another person declines...but is that always the result of race? I must not always envy my neighbor or my brother when he receives something I do not have. The sooner I understand that life is not fair, the sooner I realize that "fair" does not always have to mean we all have the same things or benefit in the same ways. We all have something our neighbors and brothers do not, but that may not be the correct definition of the word fair...and it absolutely does not excuse me to take, at all costs, something that does not belong to me.
Life can change - or stop - quickly. When you least expect it, expect it. Life can be shortened due to a great range of reasons - disease, accident, or deliberate actions taken by someone known, acquainted with, or unknown. We had best live our lives without regrets, live lives full of service to others, and live lives worth living. The loss of the young man in Ferguson undoubtedly shocked his family; no parents expect to outlive their child. Are we prepared for eternity - after this mortal life is snuffed?
Attitudes vary by region. While life can appear peaceful and tolerant on our side of the state, there are communities where differing races are at odds. They are taught to hate others because of their appearance. We may not understand, but the truth is that when we stumble upon such a place by chance, these places can make us feel nervous or scared. It has happened more than once in my own adult life - once, in fact, in Ferguson itself.
Issues must not be ignored. When we sweep negativity under the rug and pretend it's not there, we may quickly be caught off guard. Problems fester like infection, and under the heat of a rug, the same problems may infest entire families, groups, and neighborhoods. When we ignore racial division, we do not strive for unity or solutions; we only allow the infection to grow. It may be easier to pretend there is no problem, but taking the more difficult path may make things easier for us in the long run.
We exist as a single race - the human race. Segregation is not the answer, but neither is forced integration. Perhaps we must get out of our own communities to understand others. Shouldn't we talk more to each other more and less about each other? Shouldn't we listen to each other? Don't pretend it's easy to understand a mindset that has been 500 years in the making, but make the effort to make peace with the people around you. Reach out: perhaps you will fail...but perhaps you will get one inch closer to success.
Hope springs eternal! While the news outlets continue to display the bane of Ferguson, other events have occurred. Not only have people held prayer vigils, not only have people made themselves available for counseling, but individuals have also taken it upon themselves to start cleaning up the mess in their community. Ugliness often outshines beauty. Treasures are often hidden. We must continue to search for and uncover the glorious riches in the darkness. We must look under stones, dig into the soil, and brush off any clues we find, but we can and will find that there is always a hope that abides. Our world is full of it if only we will look for it. When we see it, I fully believe that we should openly share it to others, as well.
Life goes on. Whatever happens, until further notice, someone has always survived. I suppose that will be true until the end of the earth. If I am that survivor, I must continue to breathe, and walk, and strive to improve myself.
I don't control anyone outside of myself. In the end, we can only do what we can do. Sure, I attempt to influence my own children to grow in reverence of my Lord, and I try to influence my class of fourth graders to be respectful, responsible, and safe, but ultimately we must each decide for ourselves who we will be. Some will always choose unwisely to be menaces to society; they will fill prisons, take from others, and threaten to upset life. Others will always choose well; they will constantly struggle against the temptations and trials of living in a world inhabited by humans. I'm not saying it will be easy, but we must not give up the hope of living and advancing life, teaching good citizenry, and the methods of making wise decisions.
There is a constant need for us to spread the Good News: the unconditional love, the indiscriminate attitude, and the saving grace of Jesus Christ. He is the only path to peace, hope, love, and joy. He is the only door, our only avenue to eternal reward. Whether we be black, white, or any other color, Jesus loves us and gives us all the opportunity to be forgiven and redeemed from the powers of Hell.

There are times when we give up hope. Those are the times when we want to close ourselves off to anyone who is not like us, anyone who does not share our religion, our sense of humor, or our skin color. We begin to think we could be better off living alone in the wilderness, off the grid. Maybe when we see life through the prism of our televisions, we do not see as clearly as when we observe life through our own eyes and even vicariously through the eyes of others (empathy). We must not assume to know how someone else feels, acts, or reacts, but we must always be prepared to feel, act, and react appropriately for ourselves. Our classroom is just one place to learn and practice.

May Ferguson, Missouri, serve to remind us, warn us, and educate us about ourselves.

It's Not Always Black and White

Ferguson, Missouri

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