A lot has happened over the past few months, and although some parts of the pandemic are polarizing, none has challenged our hearts to consider a new way like the racial divide.
My first commitment was to listen, but as I did, I felt like I heard a lot of the same things. If I wanted to listen to learn, I would have to listen to things that were going to make me uncomfortable.
And they did.
As I read, my heart started to say, “Yes, but what if,” and, “Let’s not start there.” I was listening, but falling into the same groove.
I had a choice to make.
Last year I wrote about my guiding principles, my code of conduct for how I will choose to live.
I believe if we want to allow God to break our hearts for what breaks His, if we’re going to learn a new way, we will have to hold fast to a code of how we will enter in, or we will end up hearing things that are only an echo of what we have always heard, and nothing will change.
In the next six posts, I’ll expand on each one of the principles as they relate to how we approach the racial divide in America. I believe they will help us to proceed wisely. If we commit to pressing in and continuing to learn from each other better days are ahead.
These principles are for those who are brave enough to enter into the conversation, those gutsy enough to consider how their actions are perpetuating the problem and those who are humble enough to learn.
Would you consider approaching the conversation and making these commitments as you do:
- I will make generous assumptions of others.
- I will not do petty.
- I will not get offended.
- I will not be controlled by my circumstances.
- I will fight for the big rocks.
- I will trust that God knows better than I do.
I believe these commitments are for parties on both sides of the bridge. If we are interested in seeing each other as God sees us, these guiding principles will keep the pathway clear as we work toward operating as a united people made up of every tribe and tongue and nation as those our God so dearly loves.
HLLF,
