#BlackHeartsMatter: Getting Our Hearts Right

This blog article originated partly from a social media exchange and partly from a phone conversation.  Both were related to our current national response to the tragic murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, on May 25.  During the phone conversation, my friend noted that one or more of her friends had been called “racist” for not including #BlackLivesMatter in their social media posts.

Watching Our Words and Hashtags
My first thought was to remember my own current blend of emotions over Floyd’s death and the passion now on display across America—the mixture of grief, disgust, anger, hate, hopelessness, etc.  These emotions have also embroiled social media.  Even well-meaning posts can erupt into exchanges that express the dark side of our hearts. 

I hope not to add to the tensions that already exist among people online.  But I am trying to make sense of what is being reported in the media, and through conversations I have had recently.  Forgive me, but it helps to write out my thoughts—hopefully, I am not worthlessly “spewing.”

First off, we may agree that virtual conversations involving brief repeated exchanges can easily be misunderstood by our inaccurate wording.  Even well worded sentences do not convey the tone of voice or facial expressions we normally see in real-time, face-to-face conversations.  On top of this, add a “hashtag” and suddenly, a well-meaning statement can become a flaming arrow with a life of its own, ricocheting about and stabbing into hearts of readers.

Today, “#BlackLivesMatter” is a potentially incendiary hashtag that carries with it much of the hurt, grief, passion, anger, and disgust that is driving both peaceful demonstrations and accompanying looting and violence.  I am honestly trying to be sensitive to these emotions.  I also believe there is justification for prolonged expression of these emotions along with respectful, impassioned calls for justice and reform.  However, it is also evident from the instance I cited at the beginning of this article that the use of #BlackLivesMatter (or other similar expressions--e.g. #BLM, the phrase “Black Lives Matter”), because of the connotations it carries, can easily squelch constructive conversation as well as legitimate public demonstrations.

Evaluating #BlackLivesMatter
As I am trying to understand some of the incendiary nature of #BlackLifesMatter, it seems to me that some who use this slogan have given in to the temptation to appoint themselves as the standard for how all others ought to think and act toward “Blacks” (or other ethnic minorities).  With all due respect, they seem to be the self-appointed “high priests of ‘blackness’.”  Therefore, to them, because I am “White” (or “white”), nothing I am writing here carries value or authority.  Neither am I perceived as one who understands or empathizes with Blacks, Black cultural heritage, or the current struggles of Blacks.

Because of my ethic background and my personal experience, I will admit that I have trouble understanding and empathizing with Black Americans.  Nor do I currently experience the kinds of ongoing, subtle or outright emotional and physical causes of anxiety, suffering, and death that have been or are currently being experienced by Blacks.  But then, who is worthy to represent Black lives and to define its mission?  And who possesses the authority to decide when the #BlackLivesMatter mission is accomplished?  And what will the area now occupied by the United States of America look like when the mission is accomplished?  The answers to these questions are not obvious to me but they would appear to be at least somewhat elusive.  In fact, many people wonder whether the Black Lives Matter movement has any consensus as to its actual mission and desired outcome.  For example, here are several points I’ve been pondering.

Biology and Politics of “Black”
First, we would assume “the worthy” person or persons of #BlackLivesMatter ought to be “Black.”  But how “Black?”  Biologically speaking, I have explained elsewhere that humankind is of one race, not many.  How black must a person’s skin be in order to be “Black?”  Or how “White” in order to be disqualified?  According to D. J. Witherspoon, S. Wooding, et al. publishing in the journal, Genetics (176: 351–359 May, 2007), “…most human genetic variation is found within populations, not between them.”  Rob DeSalle and Ian Tattersall, both at the American Museum of Natural History, conclude, “race is a totally inadequate way of characterizing diverse humankind or even of helping understand humanity’s glorious variety.” [See “Black History 3:  Bible and Biology Erase Racism”].
 

There are many Blacks such as Ben Carson (@SecretaryCarson), Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO), and Jack Brewer (@JackBrewerBSI) who disagree with the tenants of Black Lives Matter.  Therefore, some in #BlackLivesMatter dismiss these Blacks because they are not really “Black.”  Legitimate voices from both “Blacks” and “Whites” are rejected or silenced, often by both #BlackLivesMatter and some media outlets, if they do not meet the standard of “the worthy.”  But what constitutes the “standard” for being among “the worthy?”

Individual versus Institutional Sin
Turning our attention to a major source of the passionate cry for justice, our law enforcement officials across the nation, it is clear in at least some cases that there is need for reform, greater accountability, and justice to those who are proven guilty of abuse of their authority.  George Floyd would likely be alive today if Derek Chauvin had been held accountable for multiple earlier violations of proper police guidelines.  But, while it seems clear that Chauvin and his colleagues who were complicit in the murder of George Floyd should be charged and sentenced for their grievous crime, some in #BlackLivesMatter claim that all police regardless of ethnicity, professional record, or character are unworthy to be our protectors or enforcers of the law.  In fact, #DisbandPolice movements are emerging in major cities on the premise that all police are unworthy. 

If Black Lives really Matter, how can anyone who cares about Black Lives support dismissal of entire police departments and leave some of the most vulnerable communities including Black communities vulnerable to what will undoubtedly become vigilante law?  Here we can see the illogic of “throwing out the whole barrel of apples” when one or two “bad apples” are discovered.  It is both biblically and legally justified to condemn individuals who commit acts that clearly stem from bigotry.  It is also right to identify and reform institutions guilty of “institutional racism”—i.e. where one or few “bad apples” have spread their “rot” to the point of corrupting the mission and purpose of the institution.  However, it cannot be either biblically or legally justified to condemn a whole institution for the actions of one or a few.  This point brings us to the social media exchange I noted at the beginning.

Church Discipline or Demolition?
The following is a Facebook post from my friend followed by a response from one of his/her friends:
FRIEND:  The decline of Christianity in Europe and North America, whatever its proximate causes may be, is ultimately God saving the Church from white supremacy.  God can, in his time, rebuild what he tears down. But now is a time for tearing down (Ecclesiastes 3:3).  Let us not be found opposing God’s will.  I’m sure others have already said this, and I confess I am late in seeing it clearly.

RESPONSE:  Yes!!  Thank you, __ (name)!  The church has been one of, if not THE main agent in perpetuating white supremacy.

I love my friend and his/her family.  We have been friends for many years.  I do not know his/her friend.  I also understand and respect his/her genuine concern and desire for the Church to flourish in all of her roles on Earth to proclaim the good news of salvation, release to the captives held by sin’s bonds, to bring man sons to glory, and to glorify our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.  But I also understand the tremendous diversity that exists within the true Church and within Bible-based local churches.  Therefore, I resist the pessimism that many seem to have.

Some local churches are almost entirely Caucasian, others are a mix of many ethnic groups, and some are almost entirely Black.  Our church is largely Caucasian.  Therefore, we may be unknowingly naïve or ignorant of ethnic diversity and struggles.  Ignorance is not sin unless we are not teachable and allow it to lead to wrong judgments.  We are fortunate to have a godly Black man who is married to a lovely Caucasian wife who serve on our pastoral staff.  We can learn from their example and teaching, first as our brother and sister in Christ, and secondly from the insights on cultural diversity which they bring to us.  But most of all, where the Scriptures are taught and sincerely followed, and where even biology is understood, there ought not to be a hint of bigotry or white supremacy.

Here, we must return to our question, “Who is Worthy?”  Specifically, who among #BlackLivesMatter is worthy to pass judgment on a local church, or upon “the Church” worldwide?  For those who reject the authority of God and His inspired Word in Scripture, nothing beyond this point in the article will be agreeable to you—I understand your rejection for reasons you can find taught in the New Testament.  If you are currently choosing to reject the teachings of the Bible, please consider what Jesus Himself taught in His parable of the sower and the seed (Luke 8: 5-15) and what the Apostle Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 2: 6-16.  Personally, neither can I discern these truths apart from God’s love and His grace that opened my eyes spiritually.  Regardless of our personal choices, we must be assured of this:  All men and women are created to live under authority—the question is which authority will we choose or allow?  If not our government and our local justice system, then who?   And will that authority have our good interests in mind?  Sadly, anarchist views are being directed toward both local police and toward our children to incite them to defy their parents.  

Church Discipline and Restoration
Based on the authority of Scripture, I also find no teaching in Scripture that licenses an individual to judge a local church or “the Church (worldwide).”  That right is reserved for God Himself and His Son Jesus Christ who condemned proud, corrupt religious leaders (e.g. Matthew 23).  He wept out loud over His holy city (Matthew 23: 37; Luke 19:41-44) and promised stern judgment against apostate and lukewarm local churches (Revelation 2 and 3).

But what if there are indications of bigotry among God’s people in a local church today?  The Scriptures teach the individual born-again believer how to interact in the body of Christ.  We find particularly in Paul’s Epistles instruction for right living for husbands, wives, children, employees, church leaders, etc. The focus is on individual responsibility and accountability before God for how we conduct ourselves in relation to God and toward our neighbor, whether they are a brother or sister in Christ or an unsaved person-- and we are to make no distinction between ethnic groups (1 Corinthians 12: 13; Galatians 3: 28 and Colossians 3: 1-17, especially v. 11).  Bigotry is a sin against God and our neighbor!

The Scriptures give clear instructions that it is the responsibility of mature Christ-followers to confront a brother or sister in Christ who is believed to be living in sin.  Galatians 2: 1-2 states, Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.  Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ [which, see Gal. 5: 14, is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves].  Jesus outlined our responsibility as individuals if we are offended to go directly to the offender privately (Matthew 18: 15) and if he or she doesn’t repent and turn from the sin, bring one or two others with you and confront again (v. 16).  If he or she still refuses, then the whole church membership should hear the matter and if there is still no repentance, the offender is to be dismissed from the local membership as a step toward their repentance and loving restoration when that occurs.  When local churches practice godly discipline, individual sin of any kind does not become “institutional sin.”

The question remains, “Who is Worthy?”  Answer?  None of us is ultimately worthy to judge his or her neighbor, regardless of ethnicity or spiritual condition for the purpose of condemnation.  Nor are we worthy to condemn our parents (Exodus 20: 12, the fifth Commandment), our churches, the Church, or our institutions of government for God has placed rulers in authority over us for our good (Romans 13).  Instead of pessimistically judging and condemning individuals and institutions, we are to exercise stewardship, living as salt and light to others—one at a time (Matthew 5: 10-16), even in our dutiful confrontation where necessary.

The Life and Death that Matters Most
In all of these claims, my authority is the Lord Jesus Christ who suffered the most unjust and horrible death imaginable, and He alone is with without any sin.  Read carefully Isaiah 53 and allow God’s Word to speak truth into your heart—Jesus died not only for your sin and mine, but also for our sorrow, our grief, our frustration.  Let us look into our own “black hearts” which can so easily express the fallen tendency of our sinful nature (Galatians 5: 16-21).  At the foot of Christ’s Cross, we see how much He suffered to take away sin from us (1 John 3: 5).  Praise God!  May God help us to adopt a lifestyle of repentance of our sin and arise in new life, yielded daily to the work of the Holy Spirit in us.  He alone can produce the Fruit pleasing to God and a blessing to our neighbor—Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, etc. (Galatians 5: 22-26). 

How About You and I?

Do you and I need to “call ourselves out” to repentance (James 1: 19-27)?  

If we do, repentance will help us rightly discern the error in the spirit behind #BlackLivesMatter.  Perhaps we will be directed to live by #BlackHeartsMatter, being among those who look first into our own hearts, taking the log out of our own eye first before pointing to sin in our brother or sister (Matthew 7: 3-5).  Above all, we must never forget that no one is truly Worthy except our Savior, our Redeemer, our Counselor, and our Friend.  Why not take time, as I want to do again, to read carefully the Scriptures I have cited in this article, especially Colossians 3: 1-17. Let's allow God’s Spirit to speak His Truth to our hearts?  I would recommend while you read, to listen to Chris Tomlin’s lovely song, “He is Worthy.”  Indeed, only Christ is Worthy!

Black History 3: Bible and Biology Erase Racism

Infants and young children often enjoy a blissful existence, oddly enough because of their ignorance.  For example, a boy baby or toddler can have just as much fun at play with a girl and her dolls as with his own toy trucks and tools.  Many a child can as much enjoy the warmth and love of a dedicated stepmother or adoptive parents as that of his or her biological parents.  And, young children can enjoy playing with other young children without being distracted by differences in skin color, hair, or facial contours.  Everything seems to fit well into a child’s simple scheme of things.

Racism is Sin We Learn to Practice
But as children grow older and learn more about the world, their understanding becomes darkened by values that run contrary to both God’s created order and His revealed Truth recorded in the Bible.  When parents or other authorities in the child’s life practice racial discrimination or racism, the child suddenly learns that their black or white friends are somehow inferior, or of lesser value, or are their enemies. 

The fact that racial discrimination and hatred are passed from one generation to the next is illustrated clearly in the movie, 42.  This 2013 film records how Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier to become the first black major league baseball player.  One scene in which Jackie was playing in a game in Cincinnati features a boy seated in the stands next to his racist father.  The boy’s enjoyment of baseball was marred by confusion over his dad’s racial slurs against Robinson.  Soon, out of respect for his dad, the boy began to chime in to express his own racial protests.  How many times has this scenario been repeated over many generations?

What happens in the human heart that transforms an innocent child who had once enjoyed play with other children regardless of ethnicity to a child that is guarded, suspicious, or resentful of another person who is simply “different?”  Racial and ethnic strife is nurtured when experiences feed our natural inclinations toward pride and spiritual rebellion against God who created us.  Meanwhile, God reveals His truth through the Bible, history, and the sciences.  For those who humbly study these sources of truth, understanding brings great reward.  Jesus promised those who will follow Him:  If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8: 31-32).

In Part 1 of this series, “Correct History Brings Light,” we considered how ethnic minorities were instrumental in America’s founding.  By the time of the American Revolution, minority Americans like Crispus Attucks were already part of a “melting pot” of ethnicities that was instrumental in the forging of the United States of America.  Attucks who died in the Boston Massacre is reportedly the first casualty of the Revolution.  Interestingly, Attucks himself was an ethnic “melting pot.”  Although he appeared to be an African American, only Attucks’ father was of African descent, while his mother, Nancy Attucks, was a Native American of the Natick tribe.  A better understanding of how Black history is interwoven culturally and genetically with American history is necessary to evaluate the notion of Reparations which we discussed in Part 2.

A correct understanding of Black history and how it is intertwined with American history, it is necessary that we consider what the science of biology is revealing to us about the human race.  As always, we must try to integrate (i.e. logically and consistently fit into a complete whole) what we discover about humankind through science with what God reveals in the Scriptures of the Bible.

Scripture Says, “One Race”
Racism is a complex issue that I am still learning to understand.  However, since I have placed my faith in Jesus Christ and in the authority of God’s Word, the Bible, I must turn to God and His Word for answers to my questions and pray for wisdom to direct my communication and behavior.  Therefore, we will begin by considering what God has revealed about His creation of humankind, His provision for all people, and His principles intended for our good.

After God had created all except humankind, we read in Genesis 1: 26-27:
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
and Genesis 2: 7,
Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Jesus Christ was with God at Creation.  “Our likeness” above suggests the Trinity. The Apostle John wrote, All things were made by Him (Jesus Christ); and without Him was not anything made that was made (John 1: 3).  Jesus in turn spoke of the creation of Adam and Eve:
“Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, and said, ‘FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH’?

The Apostle Paul taught both Jews and Gentiles in Athens that they were all of one race (emphasis mine):
He (God) made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation…indicating that all of humanity, regardless of “race,” gender, or origin, are offspring of the first man and woman (Acts 17: 26).  Paul adds specific reference to the man, Adam, in 1 Corinthians 15: 45-47:  So also it is written, “The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.  However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.

Taken together these Scriptures clearly teach us that all humans are descendants of one specially created man, Adam.  So, we all comprise “one race,” not many races.  It follows that just as the “first Adam” is father of the human race, so the “second Adam,” Jesus Christ, Adam’s descendent through the line of Abraham [Abraham (Hebrew) = “father of many nations”] is the “father” of all who repent of sin and are born again by faith in Him.  In fact, Paul continued his message to Athens with these words (emphasis mine):  Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man (Jesus Christ) whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead (Acts 17: 30-31).

The Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel presents a biblical view of social justice with respect to race relations and ethnicity:
God made all people from one man. Though people often can be distinguished by different ethnicities and nationalities, they are ontological equals before God in both creation and redemption. “Race” is not a biblical category, but rather a social construct that often has been used to classify groups of people in terms of inferiority and superiority. All that is good, honest, just, and beautiful in various ethnic backgrounds and experiences can be celebrated as the fruit of God’s grace. All sinful actions and their results (including evils perpetrated between and upon ethnic groups by others) are to be confessed as sinful, repented of, and repudiated.

As the above statement clearly states, the Bible nowhere supports the notion of racism.  Instead, racism is rooted in Darwinian evolution which claims that pre-human primates evolved into different lines, or "races" leading to present day Caucasian, Negroid, Asian, and other ethnicities.  Because evolution theory assumes that natural selection leads to differences in visible and other traits related to survival, it follows that some "races" must be superior to others.  In, “World History Without HIS Story,” I explain how the Darwinian mindset provided the basis for Nazi Germany’s eugenics experiment involving the Holocaust, the aim of which was to deliberately exterminate Jews and favor the “Aryan race.”  Some educators, both Christian and secular, prefer the use of “ethnic group” or “people group” rather than the term “race.”  Biology and genetics support the Scriptural teaching that humanity is “one race” not many races.

Biology Says, “Race Is Not Rooted in Reality”
An increasing number of scientists believe the term “race” is genetically meaningless.  The American Association of Physical Anthropologists (AAPA) has drafted an official “Statement on Race and Racism.” The statement includes the following rejection of “race” as a useful genetic concept:  Race does not provide an accurate representation of human biological variation. It was never accurate in the past, and it remains inaccurate when referencing contemporary human populations.

Interestingly, while the AAPA Statement denies that race has its “roots in biological reality,” nevertheless it admits that “racism” exists as a social problem rooted “in policies of discrimination.”  That is, racism can be attributed to “a classification system that emerged from, and in support of, European colonialism, oppression, and discrimination.”  Unfortunately, the AAPA Statement fails to identify the role of Darwinian evolution as a major cause of the emergence of ethnic minority oppression and extermination under Hitler as noted above.

Referring to decades of research by the Human Genome Variation Project, the AAPA Statement notes that a genetic comparison of all humans reveals that the genetic makeup of any two randomly chosen persons in the world will differ by no more than 0.1% (one-tenth of 1 percent) of their genes.  According to Natalie Angier (“Do Races Differ?  Not Really.  Genes Show)”, New York Times, Aug. 22, 2000), only approximately 0.01 percent of the variation among all humans involves genes commonly associated with “race-distinguishing” traits like skin color.  D. J. Witherspoon, S. Wooding, et al. publishing in the journal, Genetics (176: 351–359  May, 2007), concluded, “…most human genetic variation is found within populations, not between them.”  Rob DeSalle and Ian Tattersall, both at the American Museum of Natural History, conclude, “race is a totally inadequate way of characterizing diverse humankind or even of helping understand humanity’s glorious variety.”

We began by reflecting on the bliss enjoyed by the baby or toddler who can enjoy being at play with another child regardless of outward differences in appearance.  Meanwhile, because of human spiritual depravity, adults worldwide behave like spoiled children who learn to reject and abuse others who look or act differently.   When will we realize the sin of racism?  In so doing, we defy God’s creative purposes by wrongly dividing human beings who differ by only a few genes that determine outward appearance?  Although racism is real and damaging on a cultural level, there is not enough genetic difference to consider it real biologically.  How tragic!  

The challenge for Christ-followers is to understand the following:
a)  What the Scriptures teach about the origin of all humans from the ”first Adam” (Genesis 1-2)
b)  The reason why we are spiritually depraved (Genesis 3; Romans 1-2)
c)  Why God sent His only Son as the “second Adam” (1 Corinthians 15: 45)
d)  Our need to repent and receive Christ's free Gift of salvation and restoration (Acts 17: 30-31)
For more information on how you can receive the Gift of Salvation, CLICK HERE for "Steps to Peace with God."

Those who come to Christ by faith can fully celebrate human ethnic diversity.  That means celebrating the way in which God and "HIStory" has melted ethnic diversity for the benefit of many nations, America included.  And best of all, Christ-followers can assist in the harvest of souls of every ethnicity, all of whom God loves and invites to live with Him throughout eternity if they claim His righteousness by faith in the blood of Christ.

God Heals Divided Hearts--then Nations

Ethnic minority rights, immigration, LGBTQ rights, abortion rights—the list of challenging issues of our day is long and troubling.  Moral and social issues that divide our nation today are issues that we are powerless to resolve without individual and corporate repentance and a calling upon God to forgive and empower us to follow His principles.  Our differences are too deeply rooted within our "heart" or "mindset." Hatred, suspicion, and misunderstandings are entrenched so deeply in our thinking that only God’s truth, mercy, and love can bring healing.  

Deeply rooted opinions about the value of human life, treatment of ethnic minorities, or our notion of what marriage and family ought to be are already being formed during pre-school years.  At the same young age, children and adolescents undergo a spiritual formation in which they succeed or fail in developing at least some understanding of a Higher Being.

Many American children and adolescents have not experienced a stable home life in which to develop a spiritually healthy foundation and faith in God.  Those who doubt or deny God’s existence also deny the authority of His inspired revelation of moral absolutes handed down in “The Bible.”  Doubters and deniers of the authority of the Bible miss out on the message of a holy God Who invites us to love and honor Him above all else and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matthew 22: 37-40). 

Without a spiritual foundation of objective Truth, many Americans are left to form opinions based on the loudest voices or the catchiest tweets.  Those who have not had a personal encounter with God as encouraged by genuine Christ-following people of faith have not experienced the love of God that pursues all people regardless of age, wealth, ethnic group, political affiliation, or sexual preference. 

LeBron James: hurt by racial epithet

One example of how a culture that largely dismisses God’s truth becomes locked in perpetual division and disrespect is the ongoing racial divide.  Many of us felt a small twinge of the deep hurt expressed by LeBron James when he saw the racial epithet spray-painted on his home in Los Angeles.  The hate and the hurts are still there in spite of decades of attempts to heal the racial divide following Martin L. King’s challenge not to judge “by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” As the Apostle John writes, in 1 John 4:7-9,  God calls us to love one another with His love which is unconditional and all-inclusive (emphasis mine):

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.

When the Jewish leaders asked Jesus to justify their lax policies on marriage and divorce, Jesus referred them to the Genesis 2 account of the creation of Adam and Eve and the first marriage which God Himself performed.  Jesus said (uppercase from Genesis 2: 20-25),

Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE,  and said, 'FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH'?

The objective truth of God’s supernatural creation of the first man and woman provides an indispensable foundation for understanding God’s purpose for intimate sexual relationship within marriage as taught in Scripture.  When these truths are set aside, morality becomes subjective, inconsistent, and open to increasingly depraved, frustrating, and violent behavior.  One need only remember the steady growth of the Lesbian-Gay (L-G) movement to include Bisexual, Transexual, and Questioning (together, LGBTQ) to realize the increasingly slippery slope toward “anything goes.” This moral decline is clearly described in Romans 1: 20-24 where we read that God will judge those who refuse to follow the patterns that are evident in both creation (the “natural world”) and in His Word (emphasis mine):

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.  For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

Without God, the best our society can do is call for “tolerance.”  But, “tolerance” often comes to us with a subjective, one-sided definition; something like, “your beliefs must make room for mine; and by the way, get ready to give up your rights in favor of mine.”

Can Christ-followers show God's love to LGBTQ community?

The advent of June brings us to what is known by the LGBTQ movement as Pride Month.  Two out of our three previous presidents, Presidents Clinton and Obama, acknowledged LGBTQ Pride Month.  President Bush’s faith in God’s plan and pattern for heterosexual marriage kept him from supporting Pride Month during his administration.   The LGBTQ online news source, ThinkProgress, has criticized President Trump for his apparent unwillingness to recognize LGBTQ Pride Month.

Christ-followers must make clear that God’s love as shown through Christ and His atoning death on a Roman cross extends to all of His creation including to those who choose to deny His authority and benevolent plan for their lives.  As God loves all of our “neighbors” so Christ-followers are called to love their neighbor regardless of ethnic group, gender, political, or other preference.  But, in a free-speech society such as we are blessed with in America, those identifying with the LGBTQ movement have the right to express their views, but not the right to prohibit those who disagree from expressing theirs as well. 

Country Mill Farms--not so near East Lansing, Michigan

When Christ-followers refuse to engage in policies or behaviors that compromise their biblical faith, the one-sided nature of “tolerance” becomes evident.  Case in point—East Lansing, Michigan where Steve Tennes and his family, owners of Country Mill Farms, sell fruit and vegetables to all customers.  Steve also employs people who identify as part of the "LGBT community."   But Steve also has written on his Facebook page his faith position on marriage as between one man and one woman, and has refused to allow same-sex unions to be performed on his farm.

When city officials learned of Steve’s position on marriage, Country Mill Farms was immediately considered in violation of East Lansing's Human Relations Ordinance which makes "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" protected classes.  So, even though Steve’s farm is clearly outside of city limits, according to LifeSiteNews , “officials created a new policy that all vendors must comply with East Lansing’s nondiscrimination laws not just while they are at the Farmer’s Market but in all of their general business practices.” 

Clearly, “tolerance” appears to have a one-sided application between the LGBTQ community and a Catholic family business that will sell produce to all customers without discrimination.  It is also clear to Steve and his family that their First Amendment right to express and act upon their personal beliefs is being infringed upon.  Thankfully, on May 4, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at protecting religious liberty. At the signing ceremony, the president said, No American should be forced to choose between the dictates of the federal government and the tenants of their faith.  The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is currently defending the Tennes family.

Religious freedom has been such an important part of our nation’s fabric, having been established and defended by the lives and deaths of many thousands both before and after the establishment of the U.S. Constitution and the First Amendment.  Still, in spite of numerous efforts to protect religious freedom in America, no president, no court decision, and no legislation,  no matter how clear and consistent with God’s moral and social standards, can heal our divided nation.  For example, the recent election of President Trump, while resulting already in many actions that are consistent with biblical morality, has not brought unity because the moral and social differences run deep into our hearts.  Yet, Christ-followers are praying with optimism, and hopefully living lives consistent with God’s promise in 2 Chronicles 7: 14:

And My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

How About You?  Are you old enough to remember 9-11 and the first Middle East war, or even the First World War?  If so, you may remember how America responded by going to God in prayer.  Let us not be deceived now.  The threats to America both within and from without are just as great. If you have not made peace with God, please open a Bible, find a Christ-following friend that you trust, and consider the claims of Christ Who offers you forgiveness of sin and freedom from the judgment that will come to us all (Romans 3: 23; 6: 23; 8: 1; and 10: 9-17).  Then, find a Christ-centered, Bible teaching church to join so that you can grow spiritually and prepare yourself to “enjoy God forever” by following His simple command to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6: 8).

Related Articles:
Steps to Peace with God – Your responsibility to God, and how to make peace through Christ
Life as It Ought to Be - Part 3: Set Free…to Lift Up Our Neighbor
Faith, Virtue, and Freedom—When Government Can No Longer Govern
Censoring Vocabulary, But Not Virtue
No Gun Control Without Self-Control
Individual Accountability and Spiritual Awakening

Thinking About Harmony and Discord on Martin Luther King Day

Moody Bible Institute Symphonic Band at West Hill Baptist

Yesterday, the eve of Martin Luther King Day, our church, West Hill Baptist Church, hosted the Moody Bible Institute Symphonic Band under the direction of David Gauger II.  We were treated to 45 minutes of classical music from a variety of composers including Bach, Strauss, Haydn, and Wagner.  Early in the performance, the conductor introduced the audience to the unique musical quality of each instrument by having one student musician for each instrument play a few familiar bars.  Although it was a treat to listen as each artist highlighted their particular instrument, the beautiful symphonies we heard later in the evening were only possible because each artist and instrument within the various categories--strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion—contributed in harmony toward the whole.  Sister Joan Roccasalvo, a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph, Brentwood, NY, explains this relationship between the uniqueness of each individual artist and the beauty of the symphony that is produced when each artist is faithfully committed to the whole score.

Each instrument of the orchestra has its own voice but plays in harmony with the whole. Despite the size or power of an instrumental section, no one group lords it over the others. Each needs the other because no one group incarnates the full meaning of the composition.

As we listened to Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, BWV 1048, by Johann Sebastian Bach, the contribution of each instrument in seemingly perfect harmony touched the depths of my soul as if spiraling down from heaven itself.  I imagined how it might be if the Perfection and Glory of heaven were to descend to Earth and sweep away all of the present disharmony, disunity, and strife. Then, I was reminded that as an expression of Bach’s profession of faith, his aim was to give “Glory to God Alone” as signified by his practice of writing Soli Deo Gloria on his finished manuscripts.  My faith was renewed in God Who has gifted men like Bach and Handel to make it their purpose to bring glory to Him by their beautiful and moving musical compositions.

Steven Spielberg & Liam Neeson on set of "Schindler's List"

After completing the classical music portion of their concert, the Moody Symphonic Band provided another 45 minutes or so of sacred hymns and “contemporary hymns” including “In Christ Alone” by Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend.  However, the performance that spoke to me the most out of this second part of the concert was “Three Pieces from ‘Schindler’s List.”  As I listened, the sad beauty of the music reminded me of having watched the movie, Schindler’s List, the true story of Oskar Schindler who rescued over 1,000 Jews from Adolf Hitler’s gas chambers at Auschwitz.  As I thought of this horrible tragedy, born out of the sinful and deceitful heart of humankind, I wondered how men could take such divergent paths—some like Bach and Hayden who used their time, energy, and talent to bless our ears and hearts with heavens harmonies; whereas, others like Hitler and Stalin used their power to compose the dreadful discordant sound of feet marching to mass executions.

As I listened to the conclusion of “Three Pieces from ‘Schindler’s List,” I remembered the many parallels between the Nazi holocaust and the current “American holocaust” which has taken the lives of over 57 million unborn human beings since the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court ruling in 1973.  Truly, the abortion of these innocent lives is one of the greatest tragedies of human history.  However, I was encouraged by an experience I had had earlier on this Lord’s Day. 

A few hours earlier I had honored an earlier invitation of the Wayne-Holmes Right to Life (WHRTL) Chapter to attend an afternoon worship service in celebration of God’s gift of life as part of their annual Sanctity of Human Life Sunday program.  I was encouraged to hear Ohio Right to Life Trustee, Scott Wiggham relate the progress of the Pro-Life Movement in Ohio, and then to join with these folks in praying.   We prayed (in part) as follows:

Lord, have mercy!  We ask You, God, to hold these little ones in your arms.  Bless and protect them.  May they know love and contentment in Your presence.  Bless mothers who are with child; may they never resort to abortion.  Forgive those who have had, performed, or encouraged abortions.  Turn their hearts away from sin and help them to see the sanctity of ALL life that is created in your image.

Alone this morning, I reflected once again on the heavenly harmonies that were provided by the Moody Symphonic Band yesterday evening, and the harmony of Christian brothers and sisters who gathered yesterday afternoon to praise our Creator for the gift of life.  As has been my habit, I read the Psalm appointed for today, January 19, which was Psalm 139.  In it, David reflects on God’s omniscience, even to the point of knowing all about David while he was as yet unborn:

My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.  – Psalm  139: 15-16

My frame was not hidden from You, God

What an amazing revelation from Scripture: God sees us and knows us as a person even before we are fully formed by the expression of genes we obtained from our parents at conception.  Biology reveals to us what David didn’t know, but God knew because He designed the whole process; namely, soon after conception and as the tiny embryo of a new generation is implanted in the uterine lining, he or she produces and sends into the mother’s bloodstream a message in the form of a hormone (Chorionic Gonadotropin, or CG). 

The hormone, CG, is the tiny embryo’s way of making his or her first “cry” to mom, saying, “Mother, I am here.  I hope you won’t have your monthly period.  Instead, I want you to protect and nourish me while God’s wonderful plan works in harmony between us like a symphony to unfold in proper order each of my bodily systems.  Soon, my nervous system, and before a month is passed, then my heart will be beating.  Before you know it, you will feel me moving inside of you and I will begin to hear your voice and become acquainted with your movements.”

Do you see the Earth-shattering contrast between the harmony of God’s creation and the discord introduced by the fall of man in the Garden and the subsequent rebellion, pride, and violent acts?  The harmony, or Shalom, of God’s creation includes the development of a human life beginning at conception and leading through a seamless path forward toward birth like a symphony performed without flaw by an orchestra.  Yet, the sinful discord of abortion continues to interrupt this harmony in all too many instances like a meteor blast into an auditorium during symphony orchestra performance.

Marchers in Support of Sanctity of Human Life

Many of us deeply regret the Nazi holocaust while others find it hard to believe it could have even come about in a civilized world.  Likewise, many of us regret the American holocaust, and many are active in bringing it to an end.  But I wonder how many human tragedies like this it will take before we are humbled before God to realize that there is no hope for us without confession of our sins and surrendering to God’s forgiveness through the sacrifice of His sinless Son, Jesus Christ.  We have absolutely no reason to trust human reason apart from the searching light of God’s Word.  As Psalm 139, quoted above ends, David realizes his need for God to search his heart, try his thoughts, and lead him in the everlasting way.

M.L. King Jr. & niece, Alveda King, civil & Pro-Life leader

After meditating on Psalm 139 this morning, we were blessed to awaken our granddaughters Kiara Maetta and Della Rose who had spent the night in our home because their schools were closed to observe Martin Luther King Day.  After breakfast, Kiara and I watched a YouTube video recording of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream Speech.”  Once again, I was reminded of the contrast between the symphonic harmony and the discordant outcomes from sinful mankind.  Through His grace and mercy, God had provided a man with a vision to see past the discord of hate and racial discrimination to a day when God’s love and harmony would characterize life in America:

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.  – Martin Luther King, Jr.  (1963)

Prayer:   Father in Heaven, thank you for Your encouragement through the heavenly harmonies of a symphonic band and the blessed fellowship of fellow Christians praying on Sanctity of Life Sunday; and then today, to reflect on the efforts of Dr. King and the peaceful protests He led on behalf of human rights which contributed much to the progress in reconciliation among racial groups in America.  Remind me continually of my own double-mindedness.  You’ve made me walk with You in peace and to enjoy harmony all around me; but, my heart is deceitful and tends to promote discord.   Remind me of my constant need of repentance from sin and refilling with your Holy Spirit.  And would you also bring revival to America, a nation so capable of great accomplishments for good; but, like me, so prone to deception and discord.  Renew within me a commitment to do my part in sharing the Gospel of repentance, reconciliation and revival in an America—for her only hope lies in whether individuals and families will respond to Your call through your people full of the love of Christ and His Holy Spirit—the very Source of truth, justice, mercy—and harmony.   Amen.