I’ve spent far too much time over the last few days scrolling through my social media feeds. All of the despair, anger and hatred I have seen has moved me deeply. I see people hurting, feeling fearful and trying to sort through their anger and disappointment. And I understand it. The United States is in a hard place. This election, more so than any other I can recall, ran on accusations, blame-shifting, name calling and insults. Some of that the candidates directed at one another, and some they leveled at groups of American citizens.
Since Donald Trump was declared the winner of the 2016 presidential election, we have seen fellow Americans react in all different ways. Some celebrating, others mourning. Some lashing out in anger, others taking the victory as license to bring a variety of prejudices to the surface.
And as sad as this makes me, it has also caused me to deeply realize something else.
These presidential candidates, our president elect may have opened the door for hatred and racism and bigotry to rise to the surface (certainly these cards were played frequently during the campaign), but these ideas, beliefs and tendencies already existed within us as a people. Donald Trump did not bring racism or sexism to the United States. Yes, these months of campaigning have shone a spotlight on these deplorable qualities, but this election was not the starting point for any of them.
And that truth brings me back to Jesus. I am reminded, for millionth time this year, that we are so, so sinful at our core. That prejudice is inherent within the soul of mankind. That we search for someone, anyone, to blame for our troubles. That we fear those who are different.
And that ALL OF THESE THINGS are sin.
So when I think about how we, as a nation, can begin the work of healing, I am pointed to my own home. I can teach my children to show love and respect to everyone they meet. I can teach them that all human beings were masterfully created in the image of the Most High God and are deserving of respect and dignity. I can teach my son that he has value as a black man, my daughter that she has value as a woman. I can model these truths for them on a daily basis. I can choose, in all things, to act from a foundation of love and grace, demonstrating to my children how all human beings should treat one another.
And in doing this, I can pray that the rising generation will be one that loves one another.
Because we can disagree on policy and politics, but we cannot afford to hate and rally against anyone and everyone who doesn’t see things our way. Especially if we claim Christ as our King.
The message of Christ is rooted in love. He came because of God’s deep and abiding love for us. Love sent Him to the cross where He would sacrifice His own life for those who hated Him, rallied against Him. That is the kind of selfless love to which Christ followers are called, not just for those who already share our beliefs, but for every human on the face of the earth.
Imagine what would happen if the church lived that way.
With love,
Baylor
Friday, November 11, 2016
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Chariots and Horses
I’m just not sure how to feel today. I knew going in to this presidential election that I would be sad regardless of the outcome. But this morning, I have spent lots of time thinking and talking to my husband as I have tried to sort things out in my mind and in my heart. Adam and I are in a unique and sometimes difficult position being members of the majority race while parenting a precious boy who is not. We often find ourselves discussing and playing out potential “what if” scenarios that I pray will never actually come up in the future. We wonder how we will react, how we will teach our son about things we ourselves have never experienced.
And in the face of yesterday’s election, I have found myself thinking about what I would say to Bradley if he was a teenager today instead of a toddler.
I would tell him this.
We live in a fallen world, a world marred by sin, a world hopelessly lost without Christ. We need Jesus to save us, not only for eternity, but from our daily inclination to sin and give into our inherent prejudices and our tendency to reach for hate instead of love when we are hurting. When sin entered this world, it came because mankind thought he knew better than our sovereign God. That same pride is at the root of all sin we see in the world today. Pride makes us think we are better than someone else, more deserving. But the reality is that we all, absolutely equally, need the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We are lost and wandering without it, reaching for temporal things that we hope will satisfy, only to be left with nothing but ashes.
I would tell my son that he is first and absolutely foremost a child of the Most High God, that his worth comes from the love of his Heavenly Father above all else. That he is secondly a Knott, part of a family who exists and operates out of a deep love for each other and the world, a family that values empathy and compassion. And I would tell him that everything else is tertiary, falling a distant third to these first two pieces of his identity. Yes, he is Ethiopian. Yes, he was adopted. Yes, he is a male. Those things are pieces of who he is, but my son is far greater than the sum of his parts.
I would tell him that our ultimate hope is in Christ and His redemptive plan for all of creation. I would tell him that now more than ever it is important for us to reach out in love. I would tell him that NEITHER political candidate would have been capable of solving America’s ills. Our nation has been running from God far too long.
And then I would point him to Psalm 20.
And in pointing my son to these words from Scripture, I would seek to remind him and myself that our God is all powerful, loving and good. That our final hope is in Him because He alone can conquer the sin that plagues this world.
So, dear friend, if you find yourself hurting and confused today, may I ask you to turn to God for the comfort you seek? Turning to mankind is sure to disappoint. But I can promise that Christ will deeply satisfy. Trust in Him first and Him alone.
With deep love,
Baylor
And in the face of yesterday’s election, I have found myself thinking about what I would say to Bradley if he was a teenager today instead of a toddler.
I would tell him this.
We live in a fallen world, a world marred by sin, a world hopelessly lost without Christ. We need Jesus to save us, not only for eternity, but from our daily inclination to sin and give into our inherent prejudices and our tendency to reach for hate instead of love when we are hurting. When sin entered this world, it came because mankind thought he knew better than our sovereign God. That same pride is at the root of all sin we see in the world today. Pride makes us think we are better than someone else, more deserving. But the reality is that we all, absolutely equally, need the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We are lost and wandering without it, reaching for temporal things that we hope will satisfy, only to be left with nothing but ashes.
I would tell my son that he is first and absolutely foremost a child of the Most High God, that his worth comes from the love of his Heavenly Father above all else. That he is secondly a Knott, part of a family who exists and operates out of a deep love for each other and the world, a family that values empathy and compassion. And I would tell him that everything else is tertiary, falling a distant third to these first two pieces of his identity. Yes, he is Ethiopian. Yes, he was adopted. Yes, he is a male. Those things are pieces of who he is, but my son is far greater than the sum of his parts.
I would tell him that our ultimate hope is in Christ and His redemptive plan for all of creation. I would tell him that now more than ever it is important for us to reach out in love. I would tell him that NEITHER political candidate would have been capable of solving America’s ills. Our nation has been running from God far too long.
And then I would point him to Psalm 20.
May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
May He send you help from the sanctuary
And grant you support from Zion.
May He remember all your sacrifices.
And accept your burnt offerings.
May He give you the desire of your heart.
And make all your plans succeed.
May we shout for joy over your victory
And lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.
Now this I know:
The Lord gives victory to His anointed.
He answers him from His heavenly sanctuary
With the victorious power of His right hand.
SOME TRUST IN CHARIOTS AND SOME IN HORSES
BUT WE TRUST IN THE NAME OF THE LORD OUR GOD.
They are brought to their knees and fall,
But we rise and stand firm.
Lord, give victory to the king.
Answer us when we call.
And in pointing my son to these words from Scripture, I would seek to remind him and myself that our God is all powerful, loving and good. That our final hope is in Him because He alone can conquer the sin that plagues this world.
So, dear friend, if you find yourself hurting and confused today, may I ask you to turn to God for the comfort you seek? Turning to mankind is sure to disappoint. But I can promise that Christ will deeply satisfy. Trust in Him first and Him alone.
With deep love,
Baylor
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