Delectable Thought

We Are The Evil There is a narrative that began the moment Adam and Eve believed the lie of Satan and disobeyed God by eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. The fruit they ate did not make them unrighteous. The disobedience was sin and sin entered their hearts and thus the heart of every person after them. Their natures changed when they made that choice and thus the nature of every person after them.  We are the Evil. Skin color is not the evil. A uniform and badge are not the evil. Money is not the evil. A raised fist is not the evil. A movement is not the evil. We are the evil. Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick. Who can understand it?  Every. single. person has a heart set on sin and wickedness. It is only the blood of Jesus Christ that offers forgiveness and washes this heart clean. It is only by turning away from this sin and believing in Jesus that we are afforded the luxury of Jesu...

Since the events of last week, I've seen a lot of my African-American friends talking about starting conversations, keeping dialogue alive. I hear them and think it's important to keep the conversation alive and to constantly seek pro-active things we can do to bridge the gap. Part of breaking through barriers is understanding why the barrier is there to begin with. Aren't we better armed with knowledge and some understanding than none at all? I think so. As the weekend is upon us, I have some suggestions for movies that you could watch. Remember they are movies, produced by Hollywood, but I've found these movies to be helpful in my quest for understanding these past two years. 12 Years A Slave http://www.12yearsaslave.com This story is a hard one. It is based on the true events of Solomon Northrup, a free black man who was stolen from his home and family and enslaved in the South for 12 years. I've read the book written by Northrup and found that the movie clos...

Today marks the start to a new week, a new day, a new opportunity. As a new week begins and the news stories begin to shift to the "next breaking" thing, we can be tempted to move on from the events of last week and the weekend. We can be tempted to stop the conversation, end the dialogue about the issues of race in America, but this can't happen . If we do that, we become reactionary and not pro-active. In order to truly make a difference, to really begin to see change, we have to move from reacting to tragedy to seeking out change and making sure that type of tragedy isn't commonplace. I want to continue the conversation. I can't explain what it's like to be black in America. I can only write from the perspective of a white mother raising two sons, one white, one black. I'm going to ask a few things of you today and this week. They won't require you to do anything really other than reflect, think, consider, and maybe ask a few questions. I'm ...

I am the first to confess and admit that I do not have all the answers. I don't know that I have any of them really. I only have the Word of God and the experiences of black men and women whom I respect and trust. I must also confess that my desire to begin a dialogue among people, my reason for posting anything about race is that the stakes are high for me. I have a black boy who calls me mama and I feel as if I fail him if I do not use my voice to be a part of the solution. Part of stepping across the dividing line and seeking to understand our black brothers and sisters is admitting that white people have privilege in this country. I think the term "white privilege" is grossly misunderstood and misconstrued. I don't think I have all the answers about it, but I do want to clarify what I mean by it and how I understand it. I welcome any civil and open dialogue about it.  White Privilege Does Not Equal Guilt.  When I think of white privilege I don't think of...

Since the death of Trayvon Martin in 2012, I have written blog post after blog post about race only to delete each one out of fear of the opinions of the people I interact with daily and weekly. I've felt the swell of "something" continue to grow inside of me. I can continue to be quiet and seek to live simply and quietly, but I am the mother of a black boy and that puts me in the middle of the racial divide in this country. I am not black so I do not have firsthand knowledge or understanding of what it means to be black in this country. I only have history lessons, books, friends, and the experiences of black people to enlighten me and help me on my journey of understanding. I've spent the last few years reading what I can, listening, thinking, praying, attending conferences on racial reconciliation and I have arrived at a few thoughts. Know that the lens through which I view the world is a Biblical lens. My worldview is determined by God's Word. I won't elab...