No Time for Division

I’ll be honest…the last several months have really thrown me for a loop. I have thought long and hard about what to make of humanity. I have pondered what to tell my children when they get old enough to realize that the world around them is not as safe as they believe. I have reminisced about how about 25 or 30 years ago, the biggest fears I had were the wrath of God if I did something bad, being shot in a drive-by shooting, or being chased (again) by a Rottweiler on the way to Circle K and actually being caught by it.

Let’s take an isolated incident like the June 17 shooting of attendees of a  Bible study at Emanuel AME Church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina as an example. Some may argue that racism has begun or resurfaced. Some may say it was never obliterated and has just been hidden or covered up by other issues going on in the world. Some may say those who marched and fought for freedom are probably rolling over in their graves right about now. The interesting thing is that the nine people who died that evening were together, united for one cause, at least that’s what one of faith like myself believe. As a believer in Christ and one who has led and attended many Bible studies in my lifetime, the reason I have been a part of them was to learn about the Lord and how to grow in His wisdom and truth. So, in my heart of hearts, that’s what I choose to believe of each of the individuals in attendance that night.

Was I there? No, but I do know that Bible studies are often held in the evening, around dinner time or thereafter. During this time, most other folks are at home eating dinner or winding down from a long day of work. So Bible study attendance in itself is a form of devotion, or even sacrifice. One who attends is taking from his or her time to meet with other like-minded individuals to learn, to grow, to grasp onto something beyond themselves. Could they be at home and do the same thing? Probably. However, these individuals are those who see the purpose for gathering in this manner and choose to deny themselves time alone to rest, eat, or snuggle in with their families because they are seeking fellowship.

We all do this. For those who go to bars, they seek their own form of fellowship: like-minded folks, those who drink. Those who go clubbing seek fellowship as well. They want to meet like-minded folks who like to “get in there” and “shake their tail feathers”.  Those who attend AA meetings seek fellowship as well. They seek a place where people who have gone through what they have can meet and share their experiences of growth and moments of weakness.

So one day, when my children ask me why God would let people who were gathering in search of more of Him to be gunned down by a young man who had a lot of hate in heart, I’m not quite sure what I will say. I’ll tell them the truth I know though, which is that everything happens for a reason, even though it doesn’t always make sense. We live in a world of chaos, fear, and hate. We live in a world where not everyone acknowledges God or respects His sovereignty. The interesting thing about Him is that He gave us all free will. Therefore, we as humans make decisions that probably often hurt His heart, but He wants us to realize that we need Him. That young man needs Him. There could have been more people there at Emanuel AME Church that night, but I can guarantee you that each of the people that were there that night were not there by mistake. Are their families going to grieve? Definitely. Will they understand? Probably not. Will some even be mad at God? I wouldn’t be surprised if they were.

The thing is that being that those individuals were there that night, I wouldn’t be surprised if one or more of them knew something was off but continued as they were anyway. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was someone who was supposed to be there or had planned to be there who didn’t end up making it to church that night. Was that an accident? No, because God always knows what He’s doing. May it seem confusing? Of course.

The interesting thing is the general theme is that each had lived a life in which Christ was the center. If they had known that night would be their last on Earth, may some have squeezed their family members a bit tighter? I’m sure they would have. Did they all just sit there and wait their turns to be shot? Possibly. The stories we have heard and read about each of them indicate they were strong believers and may very well have sat there and waited for the inevitable to occur. Does it make God any less sovereign though? No.

Yes, black lives matter, but please, let’s not take the examples of the lives left behind for granted. Does Dylann Roof need to be penalized for the lives he took that night? Most certainly. Will justice ever truly be served for any of the victims? No, because no matter what kind of time or sentencing that is given to Roof, none of those who died will come back to life. They will still be missing at their children’s/grandchildren’s/loved one’s weddings, graduations, etc. Rather than rally over the fact that black lives were lost, let us remember that they were more than black individuals. They were individuals of faith who set examples with their lives that many won’t soon forget. While we tweet and Facebook our comments and spew our disgust from side-to-side, let’s not forget the reason and where these people died and the significance of it all. 

Let’s unite; this is no time for division. The world is already ugly enough. Let’s show the beauty and light of Christ by not being overcome with evil but overcoming evil with good. These individuals have families they left behind; they need to know their family members did not die in vain. Let Dylann Roof see that his hate did not prevail, regardless of what he may feel his actions accomplished that day.

                         “Where there is unity, there is victory.” - Publilius Syrus