Eradicate
e·rad·i·cate /əˈradəˌkāt/ verb
destroy completely; put an end to.
I’ve heard a lot of conversation about police defunding and reform. I agree that those things are necessary, but it’s bigger than that. We must eradicate systemic racism. In order to truly do that, we must also eradicate the systems that have benefited from racism. This is when you really can see results. This is when true change can occur. America was built on racism. Our economy was built on racism. Our laws are derived from racism. Our educational systems are rooted in racism. Our housing market is rooted in racism? What do we need to eradicate? Everything.
Love Covers
1 Peter 4:8-And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
This was yesterday's daily scripture. I started to think about divorce rates and came to the conclusion that we have been conditioned to quit. We don’t forgive. We don't give second chances. We quit. We get mad. We feel wronged, and we quit. Our love is circumstantial instead of unconditional. Our love is conditional. Our marriages are not based on devotion, but mutual convenience. We don't let love cover. We don’t love. We “like” strongly. Maybe we need to revisit the book of Peter to get a better understanding of the power of love. Real love covers.
Broken being built
In my experience, God rarely uses things in a traditional sense. He uses pain to bless. He uses turmoil to elevate. He uses detours to direct. Why wouldn’t he use brokenness to build us? I’ve learned more about myself and God in isolation than any church pews. I’ve gained wisdom and insight through heartache that I never learned in any classroom. What lesson is God trying to teach you? Have you ever thought that maybe you’re broken being built?
Rise
In Greek mythology, the Phoenix is a bird that regenerates. The Phoenix obtains new life from rising from the ashes of its predecessor. In some sources, the Phoenix dies by bursting into flames and is reborn from its own ashes. I've always admired the ability to reinvent oneself. People do not have the ability to regenerate in the mythical sense, but we do heal. We do reinvent ourselves. We do rise from the ashes of our failures. We do rise and we have the ability to be reborn. We can always change our mind. We can change our trajectory. Every day is a second chance to get it right. What are some of the areas in your life that you can rise from today? What have you overcome? How have you reinvented yourself?
Process
Trust the process! We hear this all the time, but its hard to trust the process when you don't trust the processor. God is the processor. He is the one who is ultimately in control. It's easy to acknowledge God as creator, supplier, and healer because all those roles benefit us. However, it can be difficult to acknowledge God as a processor. A processor by definition is responsible for executing a sequence of stored instructions called a program. There is a plan for your life that was established before your creation. God designed your program. He is the executor, all you have to do is trust the process.
Black Power
The term "Black Power" was popularized by Stokely Carmichael and Willie Ricks during a speech in 1966. However, Richard Wright's book entitled Black Power was published in 1954. Since then, there have been several terms that celebrate Black Empowerment, (#BlackGirlMagic, #BlackGirlsRock, #BlackLivesMatter, #BlackisBeautiful, #ImBlackandImProud, #BlackPride, #BlackExcellence). All of these terms resonate within the Black community.
I finally saw Black Panther. I posed with my fist in the air next to signage. I dressed in all black. I encouraged my daughters, mother, and mother in law to do the same. We posed with our stuffed T'Challa beaming with pride. Representation matters. Gianna and Jai'Lynn will remember that three generations of their family went to see Black Panther on a school night. They will remember the Dora Milaje. They will remember the pretty little girl in the bathroom with dashiki. They will remember Shuri, the STEM genius.
Black Power is about representation in the global marketplace. It is about economic, social, and political empowerment. It is about positive media representation. It is about reclaiming our time, our talents, and our heritage.
Martin's Dream
The political landscape in America is changing. Party lines, race, sexuality, and religion have divided us more than ever. Ignorance is running rampant. Tolerance is running low. We are still struggling to realize Martin's Dream. We have yet to hold certain truths to be self-evident. We still don't believe that all men are created equal. We have yet to sit at a table of brotherhood. Mississippi has not been transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. Black and Brown children are not being judged by the content of the character. Our nation, now more than ever, seems to be determined to undermine the progress of the last fifty years. We are moving closer to embracing Jim Crow and redlining and calling it the norm. Systematic racism and sexism is alive and well. I often want to ask, whatever happened to Martin's Dream? Do we still want freedom to ring from every hill and mountaintop? Do we want to stay woke or are we content with the nightmares on our street?
“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love, 1963