Can an "old-timer" chime in about this Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman tragedy? At 63, I suppose I qualify as senior even if I still feel young at heart and continue to learn. There are older folks that likely have more wisdom than I but surely we can all agree that it is a tragedy. I call it a tragedy because that is what it is. It is a tragedy for the Martin family, for the Zimmerman family and for the United States. It is a tragedy for the Martin family of a son shot and killed. It is the tragedy of threats and being in hiding for Zimmerman and his family after he has been found not guilty by a trial and jury. It is a tragedy about divisiveness, ignorance, control and bitterness for the United States. It is a tragedy that the devil is using to divide people in this nation over racism. Forbear with me if you will and let me share some personal historical examples.
Let me begin with a little history of my boyhood days. The following may sound distant, unrelated and unreal to those under age 40 or who grew up without the racial overtones. I grew up hearing the N word frequently and a lot of negative stories about black people. There were people in my family (sadly, still are) that used the N word with an extreme negative connotation. There were off-colored (no pun intended) jokes and a general feeling of contempt for ALL blacks as being lazy and ignorant. Of course that is not true. That is not true of any race or ethnic group. Certainly God knows more about ethnic groups in the world than any human and there are hundreds of races and thousands of ethnic groups - some that the Western world may not know about. His Son died for all of them.
Even though the younger generation often uses the N word in a friendly manner towards each other, to this day, when I hear the N word I cringe because of the history of my boyhood days. There were two elements, however, that kept me from being swallowed up in that negative N word divisive cultured atmosphere, the Bible and a church that taught the truth about races and ethnicity. Sadly not every town and city where our local churches are/were in our denomination practice(d) it. More about that later.
My Junior year of high school (1966) was the first year that black students were integrated into our school. There was only one student - the son of one of the teachers at the African American school (Hampton School) in our county. I was anxious for this student because I felt he was being unduly used to test the relational atmosphere of the white students for accepting a darker skinned student. However, things went well, as far as I could tell, and there were no incidents or negative things said or done to this student. The next year more black students came and, as far as I know, there was no racial tension and the relational atmosphere of the school was good. Little did I realize that twenty-something years later I would face a different response to race than the peaceful integration of our high school.
Let me share this example that occurred at a church I served as pastor in the mid-late 1980s. I am not going to name the church or location since I don't want to add an opportunity for more ignorance, control issues and bitterness to surface. Some of those who are continuing to cry racism in the Martin/Zimmerman tragedy are showing their ignorance, control issues and bitterness. Sending Zimmerman to the death table will not appease some or silence their racist rhetoric. I honestly thought Zimmerman would get a guilty charge and some type of sentence but I accept and agree with the jury as a US citizen. I digress. My prayer is, "Dear Lord, save our nation from this divisive junk of the devil." On with the example.
I was friends with a black evangelist (we are still friends) and felt led of the Lord and wanted to schedule him for revival. The church and county was predominately white, in fact I did not see a dark-skinned person in the county the whole time I was there. We scheduled the revival and the evangelist and his family came to stay with us in our rented house. One day, I was in a local grocery store and one of the people who was an owner of the business said, "Preacher you better be careful, that house you are living in may get burned down with that black family in it." This came as a shock to me even though I had heard some passing remarks about blacks not being welcomed in the county. I remarked, "We are in revival at our church and he (the black evangelist) is doing some good preaching and you are welcome to come." He just looked at me. I left at that point thanking them for serving me. Anyway, the revival continued. The people at the church stated it was one of the best that the church ever had. Our rented house did not get burned down. God blessed greatly and lives were transformed by God's grace. Now another twenty-something years has passed since that time.
Where are we today in the United States in regards to racism and the Martin/Zimmerman tragedy? In my opinion, we are dealing with the divisive ways and lifestyles of those who continue in ignorance, and are used by controlling spirits and bitterness. There are those who are truly ignorant and join in with the racist overtones, the racist marches and the racist riots that destroy property and human lives. There are those who use the Martin/Zimmerman tragedy to thrust their control issues on a nation led by politically charged leaders that bring further division to a society that needs unity of purpose for accepting all races as creations of God to be respected and held in esteem as persons. There are those who are so full of bitterness that every word spews out of their poisoned attitude with contempt and hate for those in any ethnic group but theirs. Their attitudes, actions and speeches create a dangerous atmosphere of division that often leads to destructive rioting. The media shows people roaming the streets all in the name of supporting Trayvon but what about the people who become violent and destructive? Is that supporting any just cause?
One black pastor described the negative attitudes, actions and activities of some as only seeing through black eyes. He could have as easily or rightly have said some are seeing only through their white eyes or whatever race they are. What would happen if some of those who are captured in ignorance, control issues and bitterness would follow the example of some of the new generation that uses the N word for endearment? What would happen if their focus was the unity and purpose of a nation that desperately needs God and His righteousness? Yes the Martin/Zimmerman tragedy is real and it seems that it is leading to a travesty - a travesty for many in a nation who lose their common sense and join the emotionally charged actions of the ignorant, controlling and bitter. We must seek God, rise above the racist attitudes, actions and activities and be what God has created us to be - ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
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