Have You Prayed for a Kardashian Today?

The news lately has been dominated by a family that seems to have a knack for becoming a water cooler discussion piece. The stars of several reality programs are a blended family, each member with varying degrees of fame.

The most famous member without a doubt is Kim (the thrice married wife of Kanye West and mother to North West) who first gained infamy as the star of a sex tape. She used that tape to catapult herself into the public eye, becoming an entrepreneur and one of the most prolific users of social media. She literally makes tens of thousands of dollars for mentioning a product on twitter. This girl knows how to get attention and use it for her advantage.

Kim's biological father, Robert Kardashian, a member of O.J. Simpson's famed "dream team" who died many years ago following a fight with throat cancer.

Kim's mom is Kris is one of the most famous "momagers" of all time, getting her kids all the exposure they want (and then some) and then taking her 10%.

Kim's older sister is named Kourtney. She has had three children with her boyfriend who has openly struggled with substance abuse.

Kim's next sister is Khloe who was married to an NBA star until the marriage dissolved amidst rumors of drug use and infidelity on his part.

Kim's brother Rob has seemingly isolated himself from his family as he has been constantly criticized by his family over his appearance.

Kim's two youngest sisters, Kendall and Kylie, are both trying to find their way in the modeling world, frequently posing in revealing and provocative clothing and poses.

And Kim's stepdad is the reason for this post.

Bruce Jenner is hailed as one of the most famous Olympians in US history. He used his gold medal turn to become a sex symbol and actor.

Over the past few months bloggers and tabloids began noticing changes in his appearance, some seemed benign, but slowly they became more jarring. He grew his hair and started painting his nails. Then it appeared as if his Adam's apple disappeared. Recent photos show what looks like female breast tissue forming beneath his shirt. With each day we hear more and more comments from his family that seem to spell out an inevitability- Bruce will likely soon announce that he is "transitioning" to physically become a woman.

I've noticed much discussion on this matter. I've talked about it as I'm sure most who have heard about this have. But there is one thing I haven't done. I haven't prayed.

Let me say, unequivocally, that if he really is doing what it appears he is doing, it is wrong. There is no part of me that can support such a decision. Deciding that God made a mistake when He assigned your gender and then changing that gender on your own is a mockery of the sovereignty of God.

But just as equally as this is sin, it is also sad. I can't imagine the battle that goes on in the mind of men and women who genuinely believe they are "in the wrong body". I can't imagine the daily torment and feelings of loneliness...

Actually, I can.

I have never questioned my God-given identity. I have never felt a disconnect between my gender and my thoughts. But, I know what it is to live every day as a lost soul until God changed me. Jesus did not offer a slow "transition", he offered an instant "transformation".

I'm often labeled as a "hateful" or "not compassionate" because of my hard stance on sin. The truth is, I hate sin. I hate sin for the pain it heaped on my life, I hate sin for the strain it has put on the relationships around me, and I even hate sin for what it is doing in the life of Bruce Jenner and his family.

Am I angry at the recent acceptance of LGBTQ lifestyles in our country? Yes. Am I angry at the individuals catapulting themselves into our public consciousness with their personal stories of how they were born in a skin not reflective of their feelings? No. I don't hate them. I hurt for them. I hurt for them because what they need will not be found in a new body or a new relationship, it will only be found at the feet of the Savior who gave His life for them. Yes, for them too. Romans 5:5-8 tells us

"hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

So why am I so concerned about praying for the Kardashians, people many have labeled as the downfall of our society?

For one, because Jesus died for each of them. I assume they have heard this at some point, because they actually have a "family pastor", even though their lives have not reflected a biblical lifestyle. God loves them just as surely as He loved me in my sin. It is not too late for them, and we shouldn't act as if it is.

For another, Kim Kardashian alone as almost 30 million twitter followers. For good or bad, the girl has influence. Imagine the impact they could have on the world if they gave their troubles to Jesus. How many young people could be reached with the Gospel if we watched a family on the brink of destruction turn it all around with the help of their heavenly Father.

So I ask you, when you hear stories about Bruce, take a moment to pray for him and the others like him who are lost and don't know where their help comes from.


P.S. I began writing this last week but didn't feel ready to publish it.Since then, Bruce was involved in a car accident that took the life of another driver.

Blame It On the Alcohol

For the last week my attention has been captured by a trial being aired on local television. On trial are two young collegiate football players accused of rape. The victim is sometimes referred to as the new girlfriend of one of the accused. Her "boyfriend" brought the extremely drunk girl back to his dorm where his friends raped her with various body parts and objects. We know this occurred because this event was filmed on a camera phone before this man she trusted sent the video to friends. The defense of at least one of these young men is that he was "too drunk to know what he was doing."

This has been a shocking trial so far, but nothing turned my head as quick as the order of events explained by the defendant seen on video raping the victim. The attack happened early on a Sunday morning, around 2:00 am. The next thing he remembers is waking up the next morning-to go to church. The defendant stated several times that he often attended this church. He also stated that he often got drunk even though he was underage.

I know that the topic of drinking is a hot button issue among Christians. I've heard every argument on both sides as to why it's okay or not okay for a Christian to drink. Over and over I see blogs and magazine articles explaining why the Church needs to back off because drinking isn't that big of a deal. Interestingly, these are often "shared" by young Christians, most of college age. I generally stay quiet (though I have, on occasion, added my opinion), but this trial has necessitated that a comment be made.

The young people involved in this trial were just looking for fun. They are smart young people attending a very prestigious university. These were future athletes, doctors, and biologists just looking to "blow off some steam". Little did they know that when the night was done their lives would be changed forever.

I know what you will say, "Lindsey, there is a big difference between having a drink and drunkenness." Yes, there is, but drunkenness begins with one drink, and with each drink your inhibitions lower more and more, encouraging the cycle to continue.

My question to my young friends is "what does it benefit you to drink?" Is it a matter of relaxation? I hate to break it to you, but you have no clue what real stress is yet. If you run to alcohol for your comfort and way to unwind now, you are putting yourself on a dangerous path for your future. Is it a matter of loosening up so you can better socialize? If so, then maybe you need to assess what is lacking in your personality that you have to be mentally lubricated to talk to people, because, again, this is a skill you have to learn without the aid of alcohol for the future.

I hear over and over from young people that they don't feel guilty about drinking. They feel personal "freedom" to partake. I would invite these friends to read Paul's writings in 1 Corinthians 10 in which he says, "'I have the right to do anything,' you say—but not everything is beneficial. 'I have the right to do anything'—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of other" (v. 23-24 NIV)

You see, the thing all these people trying to rationalize Christians drinking miss is that Christianity is about solidarity, not singularity. When you accept Christ, you are grafted into His family. Issues like this are not about what you feel personally comfortable with, they are about your brother and sister and how they are impacted. Does your drinking add anything to the kingdom of God? Does the dulling of your senses help the family of God in any way?

If your only argument for allowing Christians to drink is that the bible doesn't expressly forbid all alcohol consumption, then you need to read verse 31 of that same chapter, "whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." If you can explain to me how you are truly bringing glory to God by consuming alcohol, I would be happy to offer my concession on this point, but I don't think you really can.

As I watched this trial I couldn't help but think how different this could have all been if these young people had resisted alcohol. At the end of a night of drinking we find a young woman humiliated and broken and multiple young lives thrown away as their promising futures have been traded for potential jail sentences.

Is drinking alcohol a sin? Whether you believe it is or not, you cannot deny it leads to an awful lot of sin.

Lord, open the eyes of our young people that their decision cannot be made based on what seems right to them, but rather by what brings glory to You.

The Next Chapter

Nearly a year and a half ago I shared news with my readers that Andy and I were going to take a youth pastorate near Nashville in a blog entitled "The Field". In that time I learned more than I could begin to share, but I want to name just a few things.

We learned what it is to really "work" in a church. Our lives began to revolve around the mission set before us. This not only meant showing up whenever the doors were opened, it meant painting the sanctuary when I was 4 months pregnant (fume-free, no worries), attempting to play frisbee with neighborhood kids when I could barely twist, and knocking on doors in our less than "desirable" neighborhood. I know that most people don't like going door to door because of the awkward factor, but when there could very likely be a drug dealer, child molester, or a woman being beaten on the other side, it adds a whole new element of nerves.

We learned about real outreach. I don't mean "let's have one event a year to feel better about ourselves." I mean the kids weren't coming in, so we went to them. I mean your carpets are gonna get filthy and there is a real possibility that a window will be broken when "those" kids come in.

We learned about flexibility. We found that in a small church, you do what has to be done. It doesn't matter what your "calling" necessarily is, you fill in the gaps however you can.

And now I am learning about the simultaneous joy and heartbreak of following God's Voice...

For some time now, my mind has been on the youth group at the church Andy and I attended when we were engaged. While there I held no titles, but we helped when and where we could. Had the Lord not led us to Nashville, we wouldn't have left that church. I knew they had been without a youth leader for a while and I wondered what would happen in that community in which there is so much potential. I didn't know it yet, but Andy was feeling a call to return as well.

In November, I ran into the pastor of my former church and asked him if they youth had a leader yet. He told me that they were currently searching and asked me to keep my ears open for anyone desiring the position.

As he began to talk about the church's feelings and what their plan was regarding youth, my heart began to beat wildly as I realized this was where I needed to be.

Several other things occurred in this time that felt as though they were major confirmations that the next chapter in my ministry was ready to begin.

I spoke with my pastor and mentor and let him know how I felt. He encouraged me to do what God was calling me to do and released me to apply for the position.

When I told my former pastor of my desire to return and work with the youth, he told me that I had been in his mind for the position, and we both felt even more that this was a "God thing".

Last week the administrative committee of the church voted and approved me for the position.

It is with great joy that I announce that I will begin as the youth pastor of the Gallatin, TN Church of God of Prophecy effective February 1st.

While we are over the moon about his appointment and the contentment of knowing we are going where God has called us, there is that heartbreak I mentioned above.

I have and will cherish every moment I spent at Old Hickory Fellowship. It was here that I learned an important principle: sometimes you follow God expecting to do good works, but in the end you realize He was doing a good work in you. I believe whole heartedly that the last year and a half were meant to prepare me for my future in ministry. We went into it knowing it would not be a long-term situation, but that God was using it for a purpose.

Last Wednesday, as we walked into a room full of screaming middle school boys arguing over who liked us the most, my heart hurt thinking that I wouldn't see them each week. As strange as it sounds, I started to realize how much I would miss breaking up their fist fights, being eaten alive by mosquitoes as they played football, and hearing their interesting interpretations of the Scriptures which they sometimes confused with movies.

I'm sure that any minister who has moved from one church to another knows this pain. I am certain we are doing the right thing, but I will miss those rowdy kids none the less.

I want to thank Pastors Jeff and Kimmy Jones for all they have meant to Andy, Kai, and myself. They are our family now and forever. Their zeal for the lost has made an eternal impact on my life and I look forward to continuing to work with them on other projects in the future.

Thank you to everyone who covers me in prayer as I continue to navigate the waters of God's calling on my life.

The Pentecostal Problem

I will never forget my most uncomfortable moment in a church service.

In the middle of an evening prayer service I felt as if my body was on fire as a since of dread and fear over came me. What had begun as a normal service praying for our community and families took a turn when 2 key leaders in the church gave what is known in Pentecostal services as a "message and interpretation" from the Holy Spirit. A message came forth regarding business dealings that had been pushed through even though the church could not afford the proposed plan. Something struck me wrong about the exchange. I felt like I needed to get away quickly out of fear for the sure retribution that would come over false prophecy. I looked at my then-boyfriend and said, "it's time to go."

I had for some time felt uncomfortable in that church (this was not the denomination in which I now hold my license). These "messages" had become common and predictable. They always came from the same 2 leaders. They always spoke words that benefited those leaders. They were always followed up with the instruction that "this is perfectly in order". No one else seemed to be bothered in the large congregation, as each message was met with claps and shouts of "HALLELUJAH!"

After my last service there, the business the church had conducted after many prophecies that it would lead to an explosion in attendance turned out to be a risk that did not pay off. Soon discrepancies were revealed in the handling of monies and guess who seemed to be at the helm-the 2 who claimed to speak for the Spirit. Anger grew within the congregation over secrecy and misappropriations and now the attendance that was guaranteed to grow into the thousands is dwindling.

I don't say any of this with a happy heart. This is not an "I told you so" moment. A threat to the integrity of ministers anywhere is a threat to ministers everywhere.

I share this because we seem to have a major discernment issue in the Pentecostal church. What if everyone in that congregation recognized the manipulation of the Spirit in the beginning? What misdeeds could have been avoided?

How can it be that churches occupied by members claiming to be Spirit-filled don't notice an impostor of the God inside of them?

I submit to you that we have 2 major issues that allow this to happen:

1.) We desire God's Presence, but not His Word.

Imagine that when you opened this blog you found ideas and words that don't sound like my normal writings. Those who have read faithfully know my tone and my convictions. You would know that someone had hacked my account. So it is when God speaks to us. If we have studied His Words, we will know His thoughts. How can we expect to recognize His Voice if we don't know the way He speaks?

Growing up around Spirit-filled churches there have been countless times when I have heard members excitedly say "church was so good Sunday, the preacher didn't even get to preach!" That phrase pretty well sums up this point. We view an outpouring of the Spirit as a replacement for the Bible, which He is not. Many Spirit-filled congregations have all but abandoned Sunday School and Bible Studies as our pastors build their entire sermons around "good advice for living" instead of Bible truths.

My greatest fear for the Pentecostal church is that we have traded Scripture for shivers and our pastors have gone from anointed ministers to advice columnists. In these days in which false prophets run rampant, we must know God's Word for ourselves.

2.) We constantly pray for God to "meet with us" but not to "dwell in us".

Pentecostals tend to live as spiritual mountaineers. Meeting times are our mountaintops where we meet with God. We sing about it. We pray about it. The problem is that the Holy Spirit wasn't meant to "show up and show out". He was meant to fill us and empower us day to day. When we treat the Spirit as a once a week meal, our perceived "hunger" is actually "starvation".

The problem with Spiritual starvation is that we settle for anything and call it a message from above. We are so desperate to hear from God that we don't bother to discern the spirits that are speaking. We would rather blindly accept every word than to ask the Holy Spirit to help us know His voice.

Until He truly dwells in us, we will continue to be deceived.

Lord, help us to know that the Spirit is not something to be used and abused to get what we want. Keep our leaders faithful to you. Let them not use their influence for selfish gain. Fill our congregations with men, women, AND children who hunger for You and Your Word. Keep us accountable to You and to one another as we strive to be the bride You intend for us to be.

When the Mills Stop

Long time readers of my blog may remember an entry from last January entitled "The Mills of God's Justice", in which I discussed my mother's relative who was awaiting trial for molesting her and others as children. More than 50 years after his trespasses, his victims found the courage to come forward and he was arrested in December of 2013.

Over the past year, this man has been awaiting trial from his jail cell. We waited. The trial date was moved numerous times. We waited. Attorneys changed. We waited. Charges had to be renamed and brought before the grand jury again. We waited.

The wait is now over. This ordeal has ended.

The victims never made it to the courtroom.

The defendant passed away last week, before the trial could commence.

Our family wishes to thank all for the support, prayers, and love during this time.

Let me say how proud I am of each and every survivor who has come forward in this case and in others like it that are brought forward everyday. In an environment that seems to be increasingly hostile towards survivors of abuse who come forward as adults, their actions are nothing short of heroic.

Please continue to pray for those who came forward in this case that they would find peace and closure.

As this chapter closes, I pray the same blessing upon them that the Lord spoke to Moses for the Israelites:

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ (Numbers 6:24-26)

Mary's First Name: "Mommy"

Millions upon millions of people say prayers through one of the most important woman in the history of our world. Her name was Mary and she gained her notoriety by accepting God’s will in her life, which was to give birth to a son named Jesus. Around the world in countless languages people will pray this way:

“Hail Mary,

Full of Grace,

The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women,

and blessed is the fruit

of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary,

Mother of God,

pray for us sinners now,

and at the hour of death.”

Of course, we Protestants don’t pray to Mary, but I share this prayer because of one very important line: "blessed art thou among women". “Blessed among women” has been her title for centuries.

Mary herself fortold that “blessed” would be her title throughout the ages.

In Luke 1, after she learned that she would become pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit she traveled to Judea to see her cousin Elizabeth. Mary says in verse 46;

“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is His Name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.”

Even though she knew how special it was that God had chosen her, I wonder if Mary always “felt” blessed?

When I was pregnant I knew that Kai was a blessing from God, but there were times it didn’t always “feel” like a blessing. It didn’t necessarily feel like a blessing when I had to try 5 or 10 times to get myself out of bed. It didn’t feel like a blessing when my feet were so big I could feel water sloshing when I moved. It really didn’t feel like a blessing when I was in labor. Although I knew I was blessed to have him, “blessed” wasn’t the word I would have called it at times.

I wonder if Mary felt “blessed” as her young body changed. I wonder if she felt “blessed” as she walked through town amongst the whispers that hers was an illegitimate child. And I wonder if she felt “blessed” when she finds herself in Luke 2, away from her home, with a carpenter as a widwife, and nothing but some cloth to cover her newborn.

Luke chapter 2 reads like this:

“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place will Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth in Gaililee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, b/c he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, bc there was no guest room available for them.” (1-7)

What I love about the way Luke tells the story is that it is told so simply. He gets to the root of the story that we miss when we add pieces to it. It doesn’t say “the ultra holy mary and joseph gave birth to the King of Kings." It says a man and a woman were expecting a baby, He was HER firstborn, and she did the best with what she had.

This scripture is the reason for the picture above. That is a photo of my son in the moments after his birth. It’s one of my favorite photos even though he is screaming and clearly angry. It wasn’t a silent moment. It really wasn’t that peaceful. But that photo marks 2 births; the birth of my son Kai, and the birth of the woman I was becoming. This photo marks the beginning of my new life and my new name-"mommy". No matter what I’ve been or what I’ll be, nothing is as important as that name-"mommy".

See, even though I didn’t always feel like “blessed” was the right word for how I felt, in that moment even with him screaming his lungs off, when they laid him on me “blessed” wasn’t the best thing I could be called, “mommy” was. In that moment I became his and he became mine.

The birth of Jesus wasn’t important to Mary because it made her blessed or holy or ready to be a saint, before she was “blessed among woman” she was simply-“mommy”. That was her first name that mattered. Luke 2 isn’t just about the arrival of a Messiah, at its base, Luke 2 is about a young woman doing the best she could for this son she would ultimately have to give up. It was about the moment when he became hers and she became his.

As she laid there cuddling her baby, angels appeared to nearby shepherds telling them of the birth of the Messiah. Verse 16 tells us, “they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

We always take that “pondered these things” line as if it were referring to the shepherds’ words, but I think it was more. I think she was doing what parents do, she was making memories of each moment.

When Kai was born I would spend hours holding him, smelling his skin, trying to memorize every piece of him. I refused to let andy use Kai’s hospital blanket for anything when we got home bc I wanted to preserve the way he smelled in those early days.

When the bible says Mary “pondered” these things, I think she did the same things. I think she was trying to remember the way his skin felt and how he smelled. I think she locked all those things away for the day when he wouldn’t be little anymore. Because to us Luke 2 is about our Savior, but to Mary, it was about her baby.

I know that seems very ordinary for the mother of Jesus to be doing, but if He was fully God AND fully human then it makes sense for him to do all the things a normal baby does, and if he behaved as a normal baby, then it makes sense that she would be a normal mom.

I wonder if she was sleep deprived like the rest of us. I wonder if she worried all the time about him.

When I first brought Kai home I worried he wasn’t breathing right, so I would literally stay awake all night and watch him breath in and out, watching his chest move up and down. I think if she did those same things, those were moments she pondered. I wonder if in those early, frustrating, draining days with  a newborn if she felt “blessed”.

I wonder if “blessed” is how she felt as he traveled performing miracles.

I wonder if “blessed” is how she felt as he preached to multitudes.

I wonder if “blessed” is how she felt when he started preaching hard messages that turned people away.

I wonder if “blessed” is how she felt when the people started to turn on him.

I wonder if “blessed” is how she felt as she stood at the foot of the cross where her son had to die as a criminal.

I have to wonder as she watched her son die a slow, painful, sacrificial death if all those memories she locked away, all the moment of “pondering” flooded back. She wasn’t just watching the death of the Messiah, she was watching her little baby give up his life when he had done nothing wrong.

As she looked at the edges of the wooden cross did her mind go back the edges of that manger where she was just a few short years before trying to do her best to take care of her baby when she was just a baby herself?

As he hung gasping for every breath, did she watch his chest move up and down up and down and remember watching him sleep as a baby and his little chest moving up and down up and down? As she saw the blood pour down did her mind go back to scraped knees and kissing away his boo boos when he would cry for “mommy”?

I can’t imagine she felt “blessed among women” in that moment. In that moment, just as with his first moments, I think all she was was his mom.

Nothing in scripture highlights their relationship more than where we find her in John 19:25. “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, mary the wife of clopas, and mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, 'woman here is your son' and the disciple, 'here is your mother.' From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.”

I wonder if when he looked on her his memories came flooding back too.

Did he remember her gentleness when he had wondered off to the temple?

Did he think back to this woman who raised him in the midst of being falsely accused of becoming pregnant out of wedlock?

Did he, too, think of the times as a child that she would scoop him up in her arms and make his troubles go away?

He must have cared a great deal to look out for her well being in the midst of his death. Because at the root of their story is a mom and her son.

I think we work so hard to make the story of Jesus holy that we forget the purpose of him coming to earth. He made himself like us so he could minister where we are. We want to focus on him being fully God to the point that we forget he was fully human too.

Mary was indeed blessed among women and it was all because she said she would do whatever God had for her. And what he had for her was to raise a son who would live a life that was ordinary in a lot of ways and give his life for you and for me. He gave up his rightful position as God to come and give his life for you.

The truth is that when you accept his will for you, that you would be saved, you won’t always feel blessed. But you will always know the love of a savior who gave up all of heaven for you. Just as Mary didn’t always feel blessed, but knew her most important role was as “Jesus’s mommy”, you may not always feel blessed but your most important name could be “child of God.”

Separation of Church and Race

(Photo Personalliberty.com)

Anyone paying attention to what's going on in America knows that the land I call home has become a powder keg as of late. Following what are being deemed "controversial" court rulings involving high profile cases, protesters have taken over our streets in countless cities to voice their outrage. In both cases, African American men were killed by Caucasian police officers during attempted arrests.

There are some Americans who are angry because they think there is a war on the black population of our country, that they are the target of unfair policing practices.

There are some Americans who are angry because they think police officers have been unfairly vilanized by the media and even our leaders.

Yes, I have my opinions on what the outcome should have been in each case.

No, I'm not going to share my opinion because it doesn't matter.

What does matter is that these incidents have proven in one way or another that we do not live in a post-racism society. Whether these incidents were racially motivated or not, the fallout has proven that there is enough of a perception of racism to paralyze our nation.

Most disheartening to me in the last few weeks has been the response of some claiming to speak for the religious community. Watching "ministers" call for deepening the racial divide is painful when we should be calling for deeper unity among believers in these difficult times.

Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. After all, we have long known that the most segregated time in America is Sunday morning. We identify our houses of worship by the races that make up the congregations. If I were to use the labels "white church" or "black church" we would all have it in our minds what that means. We have convinced ourselves that this segregation is okay because it is giving people what they want based on their culture. But the truth is that religion has long been a central connector for community and culture and the longer we stay separated the more we will drift.

When religious leaders are seen calling not only for further segregation and distrust but for physical vengeance against what they deem a "racist society" they are actually calling for their followers to live in defiance of the prayer Christ prayed for all believers in John 17,

"I pray also for those who will believe in me through [the disciples'] message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (v.20-23 NIV)

These were some of the last wishes uttered by Jesus before His arrest. In those moments before the ultimate unjust apprehension, Christ prayed that we would live in unity so that the world would believe in Him. So regardless of what race we are and what injustice we are claiming, if we are a Christian and our words are not calls for unity, then they should fall silent.

We, as children of God, cannot view the events around us as those who are godless, and we certainly can't react as they do. Colossians 3 offers a stern command,

"Now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (v.8-14 NIV)

We are one body, purchased by the blood of Jesus. Christ gave His life for us to live in unity and for anyone to encourage us to separate over something as silly as the pigment of our skin is to disrespect that sacrifice.

If our words call for division, they are wrong. If our words demean our brother or sister based on their race or ethnicity, they should not be uttered.

May God use men and women to call for the unity He demands of us. May the Church bind together to bring hope and healing to our communities and nation. May we see one another as Christ does, as one body, devoid of color.

"So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise." Galatians 3:26-29