Week 35: Where is God?
There is no doubt that the time we are living in is probably one of the most, if not THE MOST, politically charged eras in all of mankind.
Specifically, if you're living in America under the current administration, it's highly unlikely that you haven't been bombarded by some kind of polarizing rhetoric at the hands of the man in the highest office's thumbs or his sometimes over zealous, yet shortsighted press secretary.
If you're a minority in this country, that rhetoric oftentimes than not stings.
If you're a Latinx, specifically in the Mexican community, the labels of "alien" or "immigrant" are now almost equivalent to terrorist, murderer, and intruder. And there are Americans who have been empowered, based off of this kind of rhetoric, who feel it is their right to keep America "pure." And these same Americans encourage the separation of young children from their parents, who just wanted a better life for those young children and thought their beacon of hope was across the Mexican border.
If you are a Muslim with Middle Eastern ancestry in this country, you've long lived with mainstream media consistently depicting those of Middle Eastern descent as terrorists post 9/11. And there are Americans empowered, based off this depiction, who support policies that ban your families from visiting you here. And these same Americans encourage dialogue that continue the use of the word "terrorist" inaccurately. They also neglect to acknowledge the very presence of homegrown terrorism that exists and is growing within their gated communities, their very own homes, by their very own children who will be excused when they commit mass shootings because of white privilege.
And if you are black living in this county, the words "thugs," "animals," and "super-predator" are not new to you. In fact, you understand that those words are synonymous in how American society depicts most black men. And it is almost impossible for you to think they will value black women when they appropriate her features, style, and identity and turn it into sole proprietorship. And there are Americans empowered, based on the nuances of their history and generational legacies, who plan rallies of hate and racial divide on college campuses, run over activists, shoot black men, wrongfully arrest black women, call police on young black children just trying to be entrepreneurs, and burn down our churches. And these same Americans encourage and vote in leaders who empower the continuation of this vicious cycle.
All these things done in the "one nation, under God."
But where is God?
That's a question I hear all too often and to be honest even I, as a Christian, pose.
Where was God when thousands of Mexican families were housed in concentration camps, within cages, where parents were shipped back to Mexico and children were displaced?
Where was God when three men bombed a Minnesota mosque, in addition to the other eight that happen almost every month in the U.S.?
Where was God when Trayvon Martin was hunted by a half Hispanic-half white man, who in his later years of his adulthood associated more with his white identity once he understood the benefits of its privilege?
An even better one, where was God when a group of black pastors from inner cities sat down with the leader of the current administration, claiming to meet on prison reforms and the future for ex-convicts readmitted back into every day society, and not one spoke up for the inner cities they represent? When not one gave a word that would bring hope to the disenfranchised that they claim they serve...not one, where was God?
Was God in the room?
Was He even invited in?
It's almost an oxymoron to even think such atrocities would happen in such country under the oath of "one nations under God" because the God that I know curses those that mistreat immigrants (Exodus 22:21), for He calls on us to love foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:19), and challenges us to love each other as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31).
The God that I know empowers the disenfranchised.
The God that I know heals for the broken.
The God that I know sees for the forgotten.
The God that I know is JUST (Job 34:12).
The Savior that I know comes from a lineage of immigrants, of people of color with bronze skin and wooly hair (Revelations 1:15), not some distorted depicted image of a European man with blue eyes and a silk perm.
The Savior that I know speaks up for those who can't speak up for themselves (Proverbs 31:8), for in fact He is the very advocate sitting right now next the Father on our behalf (1 Timothy 2:5).
The Savior that I know came for people like the Mexican families at the border, like the Muslims, like the blacks...yet this country disregards the people its God came for.
What then shall we, the Body of Christ, say to these things?
Is it enough that these kind of happenings could have been projected for the last days?
Is it enough for us to become complacent and "let go and let God," while so much division is happening on our own watch?
Is it enough to just sit back and watch how it all plays out?
The answer is NO.
When people ask where is God, they should be looking to the church, they should be looking to Believers to lead a movement of unity and love. But the truth is they aren't because they don't see God in us.
So, where is He?
When we choose not to speak up for those that can't, when we choose to not correct evil with love, when we choose not to unify what has been separated, when we choose not to right the wrongs happening in our very own communities, we do not only the world a disservice, but we do God a disservice as examples of Him.
So where is exactly is God in all of this?
He's in the midst, in us (2 Timothy 1:14), and He entrusts us to operate as such.
God was in that room while those pastors spoke but with no depth. God was in those camps. God was hurting with the Muslim people in Minnesota. God was with Trayvon Martin when he laid screaming until his last breath.
God is here.
And He is waiting on you to speak up just like He did Moses (Exodus 3). If Jesus never spoke up and boldly said He was the Messiah, the Son of Man, He wouldn't have been arrested, whipped and nailed to a cross on Calvary the way that He did, He wouldn't have died, He wouldn't have rose three days later, you and I would still be doomed because of our sin, and the world would still be in need of a Savior.
Where is God?
In the room...wherever you are, wherever we are...so long as we are in the room.
Use your platform wisely, fam.
By: Nicole Webb
Specifically, if you're living in America under the current administration, it's highly unlikely that you haven't been bombarded by some kind of polarizing rhetoric at the hands of the man in the highest office's thumbs or his sometimes over zealous, yet shortsighted press secretary.
If you're a minority in this country, that rhetoric oftentimes than not stings.
If you're a Latinx, specifically in the Mexican community, the labels of "alien" or "immigrant" are now almost equivalent to terrorist, murderer, and intruder. And there are Americans who have been empowered, based off of this kind of rhetoric, who feel it is their right to keep America "pure." And these same Americans encourage the separation of young children from their parents, who just wanted a better life for those young children and thought their beacon of hope was across the Mexican border.
If you are a Muslim with Middle Eastern ancestry in this country, you've long lived with mainstream media consistently depicting those of Middle Eastern descent as terrorists post 9/11. And there are Americans empowered, based off this depiction, who support policies that ban your families from visiting you here. And these same Americans encourage dialogue that continue the use of the word "terrorist" inaccurately. They also neglect to acknowledge the very presence of homegrown terrorism that exists and is growing within their gated communities, their very own homes, by their very own children who will be excused when they commit mass shootings because of white privilege.
And if you are black living in this county, the words "thugs," "animals," and "super-predator" are not new to you. In fact, you understand that those words are synonymous in how American society depicts most black men. And it is almost impossible for you to think they will value black women when they appropriate her features, style, and identity and turn it into sole proprietorship. And there are Americans empowered, based on the nuances of their history and generational legacies, who plan rallies of hate and racial divide on college campuses, run over activists, shoot black men, wrongfully arrest black women, call police on young black children just trying to be entrepreneurs, and burn down our churches. And these same Americans encourage and vote in leaders who empower the continuation of this vicious cycle.
All these things done in the "one nation, under God."
But where is God?
That's a question I hear all too often and to be honest even I, as a Christian, pose.
Where was God when thousands of Mexican families were housed in concentration camps, within cages, where parents were shipped back to Mexico and children were displaced?
Where was God when three men bombed a Minnesota mosque, in addition to the other eight that happen almost every month in the U.S.?
Where was God when Trayvon Martin was hunted by a half Hispanic-half white man, who in his later years of his adulthood associated more with his white identity once he understood the benefits of its privilege?
An even better one, where was God when a group of black pastors from inner cities sat down with the leader of the current administration, claiming to meet on prison reforms and the future for ex-convicts readmitted back into every day society, and not one spoke up for the inner cities they represent? When not one gave a word that would bring hope to the disenfranchised that they claim they serve...not one, where was God?
Was God in the room?
Was He even invited in?
It's almost an oxymoron to even think such atrocities would happen in such country under the oath of "one nations under God" because the God that I know curses those that mistreat immigrants (Exodus 22:21), for He calls on us to love foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:19), and challenges us to love each other as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31).
The God that I know empowers the disenfranchised.
The God that I know heals for the broken.
The God that I know sees for the forgotten.
The God that I know is JUST (Job 34:12).
The Savior that I know comes from a lineage of immigrants, of people of color with bronze skin and wooly hair (Revelations 1:15), not some distorted depicted image of a European man with blue eyes and a silk perm.
The Savior that I know speaks up for those who can't speak up for themselves (Proverbs 31:8), for in fact He is the very advocate sitting right now next the Father on our behalf (1 Timothy 2:5).
The Savior that I know came for people like the Mexican families at the border, like the Muslims, like the blacks...yet this country disregards the people its God came for.
What then shall we, the Body of Christ, say to these things?
Is it enough that these kind of happenings could have been projected for the last days?
Is it enough for us to become complacent and "let go and let God," while so much division is happening on our own watch?
Is it enough to just sit back and watch how it all plays out?
The answer is NO.
When people ask where is God, they should be looking to the church, they should be looking to Believers to lead a movement of unity and love. But the truth is they aren't because they don't see God in us.
So, where is He?
When we choose not to speak up for those that can't, when we choose to not correct evil with love, when we choose not to unify what has been separated, when we choose not to right the wrongs happening in our very own communities, we do not only the world a disservice, but we do God a disservice as examples of Him.
So where is exactly is God in all of this?
He's in the midst, in us (2 Timothy 1:14), and He entrusts us to operate as such.
God was in that room while those pastors spoke but with no depth. God was in those camps. God was hurting with the Muslim people in Minnesota. God was with Trayvon Martin when he laid screaming until his last breath.
God is here.
And He is waiting on you to speak up just like He did Moses (Exodus 3). If Jesus never spoke up and boldly said He was the Messiah, the Son of Man, He wouldn't have been arrested, whipped and nailed to a cross on Calvary the way that He did, He wouldn't have died, He wouldn't have rose three days later, you and I would still be doomed because of our sin, and the world would still be in need of a Savior.
Where is God?
In the room...wherever you are, wherever we are...so long as we are in the room.
Use your platform wisely, fam.
By: Nicole Webb
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