Revolutionary

REVOLUTIONARY: involving or causing a complete or dramatic change.

Well, at the risk of being attacked, shut down and losing friends, there's something I feel needs to be said....

At my husband's work they've been conducting a meeting with diverse groups of people. It was about how white people need to be apologetic for our racism. As if we all are! A black man yelled out that racism is only a 1 sided problem that all whites have towards blacks! I'm sorry friends, but that infuriates me! I was raised by parents that came here from France and could not have been less racist. My mother sacrificed her life to love, feed and minister in the inner city. There's never been a woman filled with such love for all people. Years ago my husband and I took in a black teenager from her youth center who was having difficulties at home. We consider her to be our daughter and now her son, our grandson. To this day we are mama and papa to her...WE ARE NOT RACIST! She is as much a part of our family as our birth children. Yes! I understand racism exists. We were there for her when a white racist "church" hate group came to her school, protesting against the military and people of color. We taught her that this world is filled with terrible people who would judge and hate her for the color of her skin, but that does not define her! She is a beautiful woman, created by a God who loves and desires her and she was designed with incredible purpose! 

Our white son went through all kinds of persecution from police officers as a teenager. He was constantly pulled over just because he and his car looked suspicious. At one point he was even brutally beaten with a police officer's mag light...our response? If you weren't where you weren't supposed to be, doing what you weren't supposed to be doing then disrespecting authority, it never would have happened. Is that always the case? Absolutely not! Are there evil, racist white people in the world? Of course there are! We live in a fallen world with lost people who know nothing of the love of Jesus, so they are left to be controlled by evil desires that are acted out in horrible ways. But this can also work both ways. When my husband was laid off work several years ago...he couldn't get unemployment or welfare, we had 2 children and no income. He went to a company to apply for a job. The black receptionist handed him an application and starred at him as he filled it out. We had so much hope that he would be hired. As he handed her the application, she looked him in the eye and proceeded to drop it in the trash without even glancing at it. He was turned down from other jobs for not meeting the minority quota. I recently had to unfriend an African brother who continually messaged me about how much he hated ALL white people for their hatred of blacks. I did not appreciate being categorized as a racist simply because of the color of my skin!

What is alarming to me is the division that BLM has caused. People who would have never considered themselves to be racist, now have developed hatred in their hearts for each other and that works both ways. Jesus had each of our blood coursing through His veins as He died on that cross and it was shed for ALL mankind. We were created equal, yet with very intricate and interesting physical and cultural differences, which makes our world a wonderfully diverse and fascinating place to live! If we'd simply take the time to stop hating and judging and begin to appreciate our differences, we'd find we are not so different after all. We are all human and in need of love and a Savior. Black, brown, red, yellow or white we are family, children of God and He desires a relationship with each of us and unity amongst us. With Him, every single life is precious... precious enough to send His Son to sacrifice His life for YOURS, no matter what color of skin you were assigned. Let's get REVOLUTIONARY and bring about change in our world by sharing the love of God for each person He created in His image!

I pray that as you read this you understand that it's out of love for all of my brothers and sisters. No racist remarks from either side will be tolerated and they will be removed. This wasn't written to cause more division, but reconciliation. Love you all! Martine Gray