SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE

The week we as Christians call Holy Week is the week an innocent Jesus died on the cross and three days later he rose from the dead with all power in His hands. I find it interesting a little over a week later here we are again having the same conversation about Black Lives Matter. 2020 was not only the year of Covid-19. It was also the year of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the rest of the cases that wasn't in the news. 2020 was the year that I disconnected myself from a guy I knew over 20 years. We had birthday parties. I would go to this person's house to watch wrestling PPVs back when I watched it religiously. Why I don't now is a topic for another blog. I'm all for differing opinions, but racism and my Faith to me is not like debating sports or movies. That's part of the reason I don't use the term friend, ace, homie, etc loosely. I also distanced myself from certain white family members who really let their true feelings be known about black people, and it hurt me cause one it made me wonder how this person really felt about my mom, my sister, and myself when we would visit. I heard all last year that 2020 was the year of "perfected vision," and boy was it ever. 

I put up a status on social media June of 2020 saying, "You know what's scary to me as a mixed man? Like I see all these racist being exposed right now, and what scares me is that what if I'm related to one..." That's was a real fear I had. Ironically the two not named people, made a comment claiming stuff like they loved me and were "not racist." I can't understand why I have trust issues...it's weird.

So now as I'm typing this we got Caron Nazario and Daunte Wright. Many people thought after 45 got voted out of office that things was going to get better, but I know the racist. I told my Dad after Biden got the named the winner, "Trump is a child. He's not getting his way so get ready for  the temper tantrum." Then the news about the election being rigged, and the storming the capital incident, I rest my case. So the question comes, what's the game plan? Do we post black squares again? Do we risk losing friends and family? Do we pray and that's it? What's the move? What's the vaccine to racism? We get flu shots, some of us are getting the covid-19 vaccine shots...there's not needle shot for racism. When we got to go somewhere at night and we're praying not to become another hashtag. There's no vaccine for that. Yes I agree that we need to talk about gun violence in the neighborhood, but does that let the crooked cops off the hook? Some of us on are the same way when we get called out on our foolishness, we try to point the finger at what someone else is doing. 

We got to remember racism didn't start recently, it just got more exposure recently. Some of the things that are preached about when people say, "God is not pleased with..." that didn't start with my generation. It's like that saying, "What's old is new." We got to stop sweeping stuff under the rug for the reputation. Hidden sins are still sins. That's why we pray for forgiveness for sins we committed overtly and covertly or known and unknown. America and the church are trying to progress and yet we can't let go of the past. Modern day Pharisees and Sadducees. When I would teach Bible Band, I would often ask, are they modern day Pharisees and Sadducees? Pharisees "behaved as though their own religious rules were just as important as God's rules for living." Sadducees "were often willing to compromise their values with the Romans and others in order to main their status and influential positions." Got that information out of my Life Application Study Bible. 

How do we solve the problem? I don't have the answers...Sway? I do believe prayer is a solution, but as I heard it say, "we got to feet on the prayers." Faith without works... Conversations not arguments are needed. Listening is needed. If white people are willing to talk, then talk. Don't turn away needed conversations out of frustration. That leads to distrust and life long disgust. I believe that's how some parent and child situations become so jacked. That "that's just the way it is" mentality, and not open to listen. That generation gap is real because of lack of conversation. Too much monologue and not enough dialogue.

These are just my thoughts. I just know something's got to give. Something needs to be done. I still believe "If my people who are called..." (2 Chronicles 7:14). If something was said that spoke to you feel free to share this around anyway you can. I'd really appreciate it. Stay safe and...

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

HOW LONG WILL THIS CYCLE CONTINUE?

"When the weight of this whole world
Tries to slay me
A strong tower from the enemy
You will be for me
So I need to find this place
Yes the special secret place
I'm assured of Your embrace
The place I ca'll my sanctuary
There You are" ~ Lead Me To The Rock, Stephen Hurd

"Truth is I'm tired
Options are few
I'm trying to pray
But where are you?
I'm all churched out
Hurt and abused
I can't fake
What's left to do?
Truth is I'm weak
No strength to fight
No tears to cry
Even if I tried
But still my soul
Refuses to die
One touch-will change-my life" ~Take Me To The King, Tamela Mann

"Pass me not oh gentle savior
Hear my humble cry
While on others thou art calling
Do not pass me by"

The last few posts were focused on mental health. Focused on not holding stuff in and finding people to talk to. Talking about all that, and then the reality of America comes to fruition. The reality that if you're black in America, you are still counted less than a human being. It feels like being black in America, you're still counted as 3/5 of a human being. One would think that the 3/5 compromise was not in affect anymore. Michael Jackson, God rest his soul, put out a song back in 1995 that says, "All I want to say is that they don't really care about us."

Proverbs 23:7a "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" America has tried to push racism under the proverbial rug, but never bothered to address it. I watched this adult cartoon, Family Guy. On a particular episode they had a cut away where the slave owner told the slave he was free and then asked the slave, "So, we're cool right?" It feels like that's what happen after the civil rights movement. America to black people, "So, we're cool right?"

There's a Will Smith quote making the rounds, "Racism is not new, it's being filmed." That's facts. But even when it's not filmed, we should care just as much. People were mad at the group NWA back in the late 80s when the song, F The Police was released. Instead of looking into why the song was written in the first place, or listening to the rallying cry that the song was talking about, they got brushed off as just about of "thugs." Good thing that doesn't happen in 2020....cough cough. The world did to NWA what the church does to the world which is look at what they look like and what they're wearing and disregard them. Maybe the problem is not the clothes. Maybe the problem is the heart that's corrupt. 

Now some may look at me as a mixed man and ask why do I care? Why do I care about Blacks Lives Matter. Why I do I talk as if I'm a black man when I'm mixed? Well first of all, let's not act like being mixed is all Sunshine and rainbows. Let's not act like when I go out in public I don't get looks. Let's not act like when my parents were together, and we went out as a family, we got stared at like we were illegal. Like we were in South Africa during apartheid. I can remember when we would visit my Dad's side of the family in Kentucky, we'd stop at Wendys to get something to eat, and the atmosphere was scary. I remember feeling like I didn't belong. Kinda like I was counted as 3/5...yeah so that's why I speak up. I may not have had a bad encounter with the police, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. All it takes is one time. All it takes is one time for me to get pulled over by the wrong cop and all the sudden I'm a hashtag.

The church has been quiet on this issue for too long. The church has swept this under the rug for too long. It's time to speak up. It's time to say hey, enough is enough. It's to work the faith. It's time to as my dad would say, "Put feet on them prayers." How many more wake up calls do we need? How many more decades have to pass? How many more generations have to hear songs like "F The Police" by NWA or "Good Cop Bad Cop" by Ice Cube and say, "That's still relevant today." How many more moments do we have to get by? How many more deaths do we have to "get over?" When is enough really going to be enough? When are we going to stop hitting the snooze button on the alarm clock? When are we going to listen to the cries of the people and stop putting a pacifier in the mouths so they will shut up? 

This world needs hope. This world needs Jesus. This world needs love. Agape love. True love. That love of Jesus that we say we have? The world needs that. The world needs to see that. Put down the religious rule books. Put down the religious traditions, and show people Jesus. If Jesus gives you joy, why not present that to this joyless society? I'm tired.

I know it's not all police. I know it's not all white people. I know it's not all---but one bad apple...

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

THERE'S A MESSAGE IN THE MESS

I've actually been working on this new blog for months now, but I could never get it to come together. So if this gets posted, then obviously I could get my thoughts together in a way that it made sense enough to post something. If this works, to God be the glory.

Since the last post I've started a new job. While on this job I sometimes zone out to some music that's playing in my head to try to keep my emotions in check. To try to keep that low self esteem in check. Sometimes it works. On two occasions it didn't. The first occasion, I was getting into my own head. I was being told what to do by literally everybody but the person who is supposed to tell me what to do. I felt like I was being pulled in every direction but the right one. Even by the person in charge. I would openly vent, not knowing or even caring who heard me. When I didn't vent, that's when I would zone out to that musical space. But one shift I couldn't take it anymore. I stopped trying to fight the tears. They just started coming down my face. I did my best not to be seen. I turned my head from my co workers and would try to wipe my face fast so no one would ask. Sure enough, know one asked what was wrong or maybe didn't even care, I don't know.

The second occasion was a mixture of things. The same old crap was going on at work, plus stuff outside of work as well. One night after work, I was driving home and I drove past cops who were apparently on the road with flashlights and green vests. I didn't see them. I got pulled over instantly and was told that I could've been shot due to almost running over cops. Again I didn't see them. Good news, I didn't become a hashtag, and I got let go without any ticket or anything. So that left me shook, then the next morning I had some business to handle so I couldn't get rest before going to work and didn't have anything to keep me awake. At one point, I was on a two line road, and I nodded off at the wheel and ended up in the other lane with cars coming. Fortunately I was able to snap out of it just in time before something drastic happened. I made it to work, and again the same crap. So again, I couldn't hold back the tears. They came down again. I started thinking I wasn't good enough for this job or for life in general. Nobody said anything. Nobody cared.

I'm still in the process of learning how to like myself. How to see worth in myself. That's why I started using this gimmick where I refer to myself in 3rd person like Eddie Murphy did in I Spy. Instead of Kelly Robinson, of course I use Daniel Richerson. I also take a little bit from the late great Don Rickles and point out my "greatness." All in fun and jest, but it's a way that I try to build up my self esteem. It was a way to keep a smile on my face. Other people started finding the gimmick fun too and they started running with it. Haven't really started using it at this new job yet.

All is not bad at the new job tho. Some of my co workers are actually patient with me. It's as if I haven't been there long enough yet and I'm still trying to understand certain things. I haven't really clicked with anybody just yet like I have some previous jobs I've had. I guess that all will come in time.

I guess the message in all this is that sometimes when you encourage yourself, you really got to encourage yourself. An old song says, "Nobody told me the road would be easy, but I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me." I know it's popular to talk about "The Universe", but I'm old school to the fact that I stand on the B.I.B.L.E. I stand for Jesus the son of God. I stand for the creator of the universe. One thing my current pastor told me some time ago, which he was quoting a verse from Psalms, that says, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in." That has stuck in my mind and even when the tears were coming down my face, I would put my hand under my chin and try to lift my head up.

The first four letters in message is mess. There's a message in the mess. There's a saying that says, "There's a blessing in your lesson." Don't allow the mess to mess you up. Look for the message, wash your face, and go on with your day.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson