People Tell You Who They Are - Just Give Them Time

 Yesterday was a national holiday in the United States - it was Juneteenth, a celebration long held dear in the Black American Community and one that I was introduced to back in 1975 as a Freshman at CAL.  I was pleased when this became one of our new national holidays - it is one that should bring people together, to celebrate how our country tried to do better, once it knew better.  

For the most part, I read positive statements about Juneteenth.  But two people, both who crow loudly about being Born Again Evangelical Christians, posted things that were so horrifically racist it made me sick to my stomach.  I pushed back on one - he called those of us acknowledging the holiday 'stupid' and I will not longer allow people to call me names - but the other was so ugly, and the string of 'ha ha oh you are so funny, man' posts that followed gave me an insight into people I am both glad and sad that I was given.  Glad because I know to just avoid them.  They are what we call White Trash and they are dangerous.  They are the type of men who will gang rape a Black Woman or blow up a church with Black children inside.  Sad because these guys sit in rooms with me declaring their sobriety and their deep love for Christ.  It makes me just weep for them, because their are so off track and they are declaring it to the world on the internet.

Why did this hurt me so much?  Why can't I just ignore ugly people, scratch them off my list of friends and go about my business?  

I had to look at this and be, like St. Teresa of Avila suggests, stern with myself.  I realized these posts reminded me of the father I had and how difficult it is to love someone who is mired in such cultural ugliness.  It made me realize that these two men are so fear driven that the only way they can feel better about themselves is to view their existence through the lense of 'I am inherently better because of the color of my skin'.  That they are lost right now - lost to the Love that Heals ALL things....but they think they are SAVED and can walze into heaven whenever they die because they said a magic prayer.

Because I am reading through the Gospel of John with Jeff Cavins, I have been challenged to think about the service Jesus did for Judas.  He washed his feet too.  He knew what that man was going to do, the events that would unfold as a result of the betrayal and the hatred for his fellows Judas had in his heart (his dismissal of Mary for washing the Feet of God, for instance) and yet Jesus washed that man's feet.

Tall order.

These men that posted these horrible things think they are funny, conservative men defending America.

And it made me so sad...because I know they are damaged.  I also know how hard it will be for them to change.  

My Dad never really did - and died alone.  He had me, and because of The Church I loved him while hating the sins he committed.  He returned to Christ before he died and I trust that my Dad is on his way to heaven, which is why I continue to pray for him every day.

So I guess the answer is to continue to pray for them as well, and to remember that through Christ all things are possible and their salvation is possible as well.  Stand ready to serve them.  Love them anyway.

God help them, today and every day.  And God help me not to hate them but to love them as Jesus loves them....