In Sunday School in the Church Of God In Christ, we'd have a responsive reading. And the Leader starts off with the verse above. Which is is a little ironic right? The late Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "It is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is 11 o’clock on Sunday morning." He said that in 1963. Here we are 57 years later and not much has changed. One commentary says, "Living in harmony does not mean we will agree on everything; there will be many opinions just as there are many notes in a musical chord. But we must agree on our purpose in life--to work together for God. Our outward expression of unity will reflect our inward unity of purpose." We can't even agree on racism being wrong, yet we try to draw people to a loving God who loves everyone.
Song writer said, "We're shouting, we're dancing, but can the world see a change
Am I just too selfish to see, the love they need you put inside of me
If we say we love Jesus, but they can't see our Jesus
Tell me what's the use if they can't see Jesus in you and me
No more excuses, we give it all away
Because we may be the only Jesus they see."
Am I just too selfish to see, the love they need you put inside of me
If we say we love Jesus, but they can't see our Jesus
Tell me what's the use if they can't see Jesus in you and me
No more excuses, we give it all away
Because we may be the only Jesus they see."
Same song writer said, "Sunday everyone looks like you But if our lives are cold inside tell me what's the use."
I got atheist on my social media having field day watching those of us that call ourselves believers act a fool over petty things. To be honest, I can't blame them. 1 John 4:20-21 "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also." I feel that there's a lot of people that are window shopping the Kingdom. People are looking for help. They're looking for what's real. How can we help the people looking for help while attacking each other? We have to get to a point where we love past disagreements.
Let's keep it 100, you're not going to get along with everybody. That's life. But not getting along should not mean hate. Not vibing with people should not equate to hating them. Let's compare it to sports. There's been numerous sports teams that had players on the team that couldn't stand each other, but they knew they had to work together for the common goal. When the NBA played it's season in the NBA Bubble, some knelt for the anthem and a couple didn't, but at the end of the night, they all played together to win the game. Off the court, I'm sure they had conversations about kneeling vs not kneeling, but on the court, the goal was to win the game.
Dwelling together in unity doesn't mean going to the same ministry or church, I understand that. Using terms like black church and white church is not unity whether they go to your church or not. I read no where in the Word that there's a heaven based on your race. I read no where in the Bible that there's a heaven for white people and there's a heaven for black people. Old song says, "When we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we will sing and shout the victory." Noticed what's not in those lyrics? Nothing about race or ethnic background. Another old song comes to mind that says, "When all God's children get together, what a time, what a time, what a time." A song I learned as a child, "Jesus loves the little children. All the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they're all precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world."
It is written, 'For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law, (being not without the law God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the week: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you." (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
A former co worker of mine and I were talking. The subject of church came up. He told me that the last time he went to church, he walked in and immediately the preacher started talking about him causing an immediate u-turn. Makes you wonder how many gangstas, homosexuals, white people, black people have that same testimony. Walk into a spiritual hospital, only to be told in a nut shell, "We don't treat your kind here." Forgetting where they were when they found the Lord. If it took love to lift you, what do you think it's going to take to lift somebody else?
Song writer said, "It ain't a black thing. It ain't a white thing. It ain't a color thing. It's a kingdom thing." The late Pastor Anderson Gray Sr. had a saying about the church. "This is a place where everybody is somebody and Jesus is Lord." Again keyword everybody. We can't let the actions of a Dylan Roof and others like that to dictate how we treat people that look different than we do. We can't let the actions of Paula White, Kenneth Copeland, and others like them dictate how we treat preachers of the Gospel that happen to be white. It is written, "Then came Peter to him and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." It's written, "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful." Colossians 3:15
If you made it this far, I would like to thank you for reading this. I hope it made sense. I hope you got something out of it. If you did, I ask that you share this with friends and family.
Stay saved,
Daniel Richerson
