Freedom
I want to say something that I'm afraid not enough Christians are saying. And if we truly believe that we are living in the "last days", as Paul did, that we would speak up a little bit more often.
I am fortunate to have a degree in Sociology, and I want to be upfront. I spent 5 years in college reading essays, novels, articles, and dealing with statistics that all championed the minority. When I say minority, I mean race, gender, and sex. I also volunteered with an AIDS resource center, and spent hours interviewing gays, drug addicts, black men and women, and even a former prostitute about their experience in contracting HIV/AIDS. In the interviewing process, I learned the very hateful and horrible things that many people go through when contracting the disease; many are treated as lepers, and for a gay man to be further isolated in his human experience, I gained insight and compassion for the people that I became very close to. I also did research for the center I worked for in order to write a grant to get funding. I volunteered for two years at a hospice, where I met many men and women who became close friends and who were fighting for their lives as persons living with HIV/AIDS. I volunteered at a foster home, where I was able to tutor foster children. I haven't stopped volunteering for the church since 2001, where many men, women, and children have crossed my path, blessed me, and given me different perspectives than my own. I have been to Mexico, South Africa, and Haiti, where I soaked in the culture (with the perspective as not only a Christian, but also as a sociology major).
In my almost 10 years as a teacher, I have had close contact with a lot of different children; children of affluent homes, children of broken homes, black, white, poor, rich, children whose families are immigrants; both legally and illegally. I have taught them from my perspective; highlighting the importance of hard work, and giving to others. My classes always point to injustices, and ways by which we could help the needy. We've read Homeless Bird, Francisco Jimenez, learned about the holocaust, and all injustices from the beginning of human civilization (I taught ancient History). I always highlight the point that life gives adversity, and we discuss the ways to fight such adversity. My students have raised money for Haiti, widows in India, and made bracelets for orphans in South Africa.
I am saying this, because, as a white, educated woman, what I am about to say might come across as unenlightened to the worldly reader. I might come across to someone who doesn't know me enough as close minded. And truly, the case is opposite.
I remember as a middle school student being drawn to the stories of black history; horrified at the idea of slavery, and the injustices that came with segregation. I have no experience personally, other than to know what I have read, and what I have heard, and I by no means take lightly the necessity of equality. I have taught my students and my own kids as best I can the experience of the minority in this country; read poetry, listened to speeches, and have shown movies and visuals to do my best to educate the youth about the dark history of America's past; in hopes that it wouldn't be forgotten nor repeated, and also in hopes that we continue to pursue a better and more perfect union; less divided.
But what I have been listening to: on the radio, on social media, and on the news, and in the paper is making me sad. I believe that we are sadly missing the point.
When I was in CCD, my leader taught me that going off the track from God for an inch, and continuing on day after day, the same distance from His path, you soon are heading directly in opposition. I believe that is what we are doing.
I know that Martin Luther King Jr. was not a perfect man. But one thing he didn't stray from was his focus on Jesus. And he was adamant to give praise to Jesus. I have noticed the fight for equality to not align anymore with my ideals as a Christian, sociological, woman. I disagree with the fight that I am seeing now in our culture. And I am happy to hear an opposition to my thoughts on this, but this is how I feel:
I hear a lot about how minorities (gays, women, Mexican, Blacks, etc) are disrespected. And how they are not given enough rights. The fight for equality is turning to a fight for rights, and I believe that these are obviously inalienable. I agree. However, I also believe that we are missing a very big piece to this puzzle.
I don't think that the fight for rights will ever be enough. I don't think equality is going to ever make anyone happy. In the social sense.
Don't get me wrong; do I believe that our system is messed up? Yes. Do I want to see more women and blacks in office? Yes. Do I want to tell my young latino student, who has failing grades in school, because they have no support at home because mom is in Mexico, and dad is here illegally, and can't pay the bills, that he has a chance. You bet I want to tell him that.
I am fortunate to have a degree in Sociology, and I want to be upfront. I spent 5 years in college reading essays, novels, articles, and dealing with statistics that all championed the minority. When I say minority, I mean race, gender, and sex. I also volunteered with an AIDS resource center, and spent hours interviewing gays, drug addicts, black men and women, and even a former prostitute about their experience in contracting HIV/AIDS. In the interviewing process, I learned the very hateful and horrible things that many people go through when contracting the disease; many are treated as lepers, and for a gay man to be further isolated in his human experience, I gained insight and compassion for the people that I became very close to. I also did research for the center I worked for in order to write a grant to get funding. I volunteered for two years at a hospice, where I met many men and women who became close friends and who were fighting for their lives as persons living with HIV/AIDS. I volunteered at a foster home, where I was able to tutor foster children. I haven't stopped volunteering for the church since 2001, where many men, women, and children have crossed my path, blessed me, and given me different perspectives than my own. I have been to Mexico, South Africa, and Haiti, where I soaked in the culture (with the perspective as not only a Christian, but also as a sociology major).
In my almost 10 years as a teacher, I have had close contact with a lot of different children; children of affluent homes, children of broken homes, black, white, poor, rich, children whose families are immigrants; both legally and illegally. I have taught them from my perspective; highlighting the importance of hard work, and giving to others. My classes always point to injustices, and ways by which we could help the needy. We've read Homeless Bird, Francisco Jimenez, learned about the holocaust, and all injustices from the beginning of human civilization (I taught ancient History). I always highlight the point that life gives adversity, and we discuss the ways to fight such adversity. My students have raised money for Haiti, widows in India, and made bracelets for orphans in South Africa.
I am saying this, because, as a white, educated woman, what I am about to say might come across as unenlightened to the worldly reader. I might come across to someone who doesn't know me enough as close minded. And truly, the case is opposite.
I remember as a middle school student being drawn to the stories of black history; horrified at the idea of slavery, and the injustices that came with segregation. I have no experience personally, other than to know what I have read, and what I have heard, and I by no means take lightly the necessity of equality. I have taught my students and my own kids as best I can the experience of the minority in this country; read poetry, listened to speeches, and have shown movies and visuals to do my best to educate the youth about the dark history of America's past; in hopes that it wouldn't be forgotten nor repeated, and also in hopes that we continue to pursue a better and more perfect union; less divided.
But what I have been listening to: on the radio, on social media, and on the news, and in the paper is making me sad. I believe that we are sadly missing the point.
When I was in CCD, my leader taught me that going off the track from God for an inch, and continuing on day after day, the same distance from His path, you soon are heading directly in opposition. I believe that is what we are doing.
I know that Martin Luther King Jr. was not a perfect man. But one thing he didn't stray from was his focus on Jesus. And he was adamant to give praise to Jesus. I have noticed the fight for equality to not align anymore with my ideals as a Christian, sociological, woman. I disagree with the fight that I am seeing now in our culture. And I am happy to hear an opposition to my thoughts on this, but this is how I feel:
I hear a lot about how minorities (gays, women, Mexican, Blacks, etc) are disrespected. And how they are not given enough rights. The fight for equality is turning to a fight for rights, and I believe that these are obviously inalienable. I agree. However, I also believe that we are missing a very big piece to this puzzle.
I don't think that the fight for rights will ever be enough. I don't think equality is going to ever make anyone happy. In the social sense.
Don't get me wrong; do I believe that our system is messed up? Yes. Do I want to see more women and blacks in office? Yes. Do I want to tell my young latino student, who has failing grades in school, because they have no support at home because mom is in Mexico, and dad is here illegally, and can't pay the bills, that he has a chance. You bet I want to tell him that.
But our culture is missing a big point. And I don't know how to say it in a way that makes me sound smart in a wordly sense, but we are a lost culture, not because white men rule the system. We are a lost culture, because we are doing a lot of self-seeking, rights-seeking, free sex...um..ing, let-me-live-for-me ideology that is missing Jesus. Our country was founded on the premises that with God, we are all created equal. That is what the Bible teaches. Paul taught the following: "Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all." Colossians 3:11. And I'm sorry. I've read the old testament. I've read the new testament. I have taught about a lot of ancient cultures from the Assyrians, to the Sumerians, to the Egyptians, and the Greeks, the Romans, Indians, and Europeans. Every civilization rises and falls. But to try to do a civilization without Jesus is not going to work out for us, from not only a historical, but also a Biblical point of view.
It seems like the idea of free sex, more drugs, and living for oneself is a new one. And anything in opposition to that sort of thinking is old school. But for centuries; since the beginning of time, this way of thinking has haunted the human culture. It has ripped apart families, towns, and countries. And our fight for rights has to be less about freedom of sexuality, and more about Jesus. It is a lie from the pit of hell to think that your body is anything less than a perfect design from Heaven. And it is a lie from the pit of hell to think that our government will give you the kind of freedom that you were designed to experience, and probably are looking for. Does a government have a lot to do with the quality of life? Yes. Of course. But it will not offer the freedom that putting ones life in the hands of Jesus does. And I am sorry. I am sorry to say that our culture, or any person, for that matter, will not experience the "freedom" they are searching for until their hearts are given to Jesus. Because in Christ, there is freedom. In anything else, is making oneself a slave to sin.
I am truly observing so many in our culture so hungry for freedom, and "rights". And I am going to be sad if I die before telling the world that listen...you are right. You are a slave. But you are not a slave in our system, you are not a slave to the white man. You are a slave to sin. And deep down, I believe that everyone knows it. We were born with a desire to know freedom. To know Jesus. To have a savior. And unfortunately, too many people in our culture are looking to Donald Trump, or Barak Obama to be our savior. Those words even sound funny to say. But that is what I keep seeing headlined. (yes, I know the media plays a huge role in that manipulation of thinking, too) And while the title of President is prestigious, indeed, one who takes four years of office does not compare to the creator and savior of the world.
I believe the path of the minority should be fought for. I know Jesus felt the same way when he saw the prostitute at the well, or ate dinner with the gentiles. He forged a path of equality that was unknown at the time of his life, and even hung on a cross because of it. But even bigger, he hung on a cross to free us from sin. Sin of selfishness, pride, sexual immorality....and to go back and to cling to those sins as if they might save us would be going in opposition to the pursuit of freedom. Because the are the opposite of freedom. They are slavery.
And I have to blog about it, because I would love for any one person who happens upon my old blog, to know that there is real freedom in Christ. And He offers the comfort that you are looking for. And I wish I could do a better job of living these ideals out, but unfortunately, I'm a work in progress. But I'm excited to know that His grace is sufficient.
22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. Romans 6:22
16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 1Peter 2:16
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