What's On Your Mind?

“Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh? “Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. “Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday. Isaiah 58:6-10 NASB

People are always on God’s mind. He loves His creation and has commanded each of us to love each other, even our enemies. Jesus further tells us to bless those who persecute us. These have been trying days as many grapple with the images of a white man with his knee on the back of a black man who cried out, “I can’t breathe.” The world held its collective breath in shock at this sight. Protests have erupted in many nations and symbols of racism have been toppled. Yet, I wonder what truly is on our minds.

Nearly thirty years ago, I befriended some guys from St. Maarten during my first days of orientation of college in Pittsburgh. They invited me to go to the movies and I welcomed this activity being new to the area. As we entered the bus, one of the guys accidentally tripped over the foot of an elderly white man. Immediately, he started yelling, “Pigs! Pigs!” They laughed, but everyone else on the bus was eerily silent. I was in disbelief. I was no longer in Jamaica where I had only seen this in the movies or documentaries. This was real life and I began to start to understand the reality of being black in America.

Several years later while doing an internship in a television newsroom, the Ku Klux Klan had a rally on the steps of the courthouse. Tens of thousands of dollars was spent by the city to keep approximately twenty members of this white supremacist group safe in order for them to exercise their rights to assemble and have free speech. An eight foot fence was erected at a distance from them to keep away angry protesters. I really wanted to go to this ignominious event to see what this was all really about, however my supervisor asked me not to as she was concerned I may have gotten hurt. Therefore, I opted to go to the Unity Rally just blocks away. That evening a member of the Ku Klux Klan called in the newsroom to express his dissatisfaction about the unfair coverage of his beloved group. My Jewish supervisor was having none of it as he repeatedly called back. I on the underhand wanted to speak to him to hear what was on his mind. When he called for the third time, I answered. We spoke for a bit while my Jewish supervisor and African America producer looked on quizzically, not understanding why I would even want to speak to him. But, I was curious and wondered why he thought the way he did. He told me that he loved black people and hired them at his business, but his big issue was the mingling of the races. He felt that a mixed children were mongrels. Undeterred, I persisted with the conversation and told him I thought they were hybrid. He seemed receptive to me, so I asked what would be his response to see a white person and a black person holding hands walking down the street. He was adamant that he would spit on them. Then came the big reveal, I told him I was mixed with white, Indian and next the big bomber came - black. He was shocked. Knowing my penchant for hanging with people from all races and cultures, I told him he could be spitting on me. He said he would never want to do that and told me he had liked engaging in a conversation with me. I hope we both learned something that evening that would make us both better persons. I know I did. We should always try to get another person’s perspective no matter how different they may seem. Dialogue is important.

These past few weeks haven’t been easy for many of us as racism has taken the stage with the coronavirus as a backdrop. With most of the world quarantined, under stay-at-home orders, or in isolation for weeks we got to think about our lives, its uncertainties and our purpose. Well, I know I have. Then came along this tragedy of epic portions that stunned the world and brought millions into action, ignoring social distancing guidelines to stand up, kneel down and sit in to say in unison “black lives matter.” Lives that for centuries have been beaten in fields, got the back of the bus, incarcerated without proper evidence because of color, and Jim Crowed.

I have found myself first sad, then angry and now grieved. My responses and posts on Facebook have not drawn as much likes as they used to because they may make some folks uncomfortable. I have had to pause and take a breath to make sure whatever is on my mind is aligned with the mind of Christ. I can’t get in the boat of the black liberal or the white conservation if Jesus is not onboard. I am a follower of Christ before my color, my culture or my country. I want to have His mind, although I know His thoughts are not usually mine, so I cannot lean on my own understanding. If we are Christians we must stand on God’s Word and not deviate. His Word is a love story that is marked by sacrifice and selflessness. It is about putting others above Himself. Jesus came as flesh to not only give us eternal life, but also to show us how to truly live in the face of suffering and persecution. This is how we should all live as His disciples. But, He also knew it would be difficult, so He gave us a Helper, the Holy Spirit so we can bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, in spite of the turmoil around us. If we are Christians, then there should be no separation of black, white, brown, yellow, or red as we should be standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. Philippians 1:27 NASB. And as Apostle Paul exhorted the Corinthians, “by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” 1 Corithians1:10 NASB.

And what was on Jesus’ mind as He prayed to the Father for the believers? “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” John 17:20-12 NASB. How is the world supposed to believe when it is said that in the United States Sunday is the most segregated day of the week as the different races go to their own churches? This was definitely not on Jesus’ mind as He prayed that all may be one. As we speak our mind, we may miss the mind of Christ and cause more divisions. Why not listen to what is on the other person’s mind, especially those who have been in bondage, oppressed, hungry, homeless and afflicted? Then we will be better able to loosen the bonds of wickedness, let the oppressed go free, divide our bread with the hungry, bring the homeless poor into the house, and give ourselves to the hungry, while satisfying the desire of the afflicted because that’s what’s on Jesus’ mind.

Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians 2:1-4 NASB