#BlackChurchSyllabus
Speaker: Black Faith & Civic Activism
Part of Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Weekend
The Black Church has played a central role in civil rights since the founding of the United States. Black faith leaders have been at the forefront of each of the most significant social movements that have improved the lives of all Americans — from abolition to Jim Crow. Today’s civil rights agenda is multi-pronged and encompasses additional facets- ensuring law enforcement and judicial fairness, economic justice, and upholding human and constitutional rights for all. This session will bring together some of the preeminent Black clergy, faith leaders, and activists to discuss the role of today’s Black Church as leaders in the New Civil Rights movement for the 21st Century and beyond.
Apropos of #BlackLivesMatter and @HillaryClinton
I’m talking about the video of the conversation that is making its way around the internet. Consider this the beginning of a rant …
- If you have not watched the entire video … THE ENTIRE VIDEO … from start to finish, unedited, you are unqualified to comment.
- If what you know about the conversation is what you learned from twitter, Facebook, Medium, the (insert city) Times or Post, CNN, NBC, ABC, other networks, or –lawdhammercy – FOX, you are not qualified to comment.
- If you have spent any time at all complaining about the MSM and its “biased” viewpoint, then don’t use the MSM as the basis or the confirmation of your opinion. How you gonna declare that the MSM is a tool of the government, the Republicans, the Democrats, the oppressor, or whoever else is allegedly holding us back, down, or under, and then believe everything MSM says about everything?
- If you are posting commentary and reaching conclusions based on a redacted statement or ONE LINE or ONE PART of the conversation, your commentary, conclusions, and analysis cannot be trusted. Any one statement considered outside of its full context is a soundbite, and not useful for either critique or praise. Remember what “they” did to Jeremiah Wright or Adam Clayton Powell or INSERT PUBLIC FIGURE’S NAME based on one snippet of one moment in time.
- Where we are in the political cycle and in the life of the Movement deserves more than fly-by analysis and unthoughtful (and unhelpful) commentary. The advance of the Movement is at stake. The future of the country is at stake.
- And God’s sake, stop posting vapid, uninformed, one-sided, unconfirmed accounts of stuff with the disclaimer “I’m just gonna leave this right here.” You are helping no one and are potentially contributing to the intellectual deficiency of way too many people. No, don’t just leave it here; take it with you. Or better yet, keep it to yourself.
Done … for now …
In Control
I recently took on a major new project, and getting it off the ground has consumed a lot of my energy. I landed this project unexpectedly, and though it was welcome, it upended my neat, organized life, disrupting my carefully planned schedule and interrupting all of my routines. And mind you, there was still all the regular stuff … you know, laundry, cleaning, family responsibilities, church work, other projects, staying connected to people I love, etc., etc., etc., etc.
Before I knew it, I was overwhelmed. I became so fearful that I was going to drop some really big ball that I started obsessing. (Yeah, I know that Scripture about not having the spirit of fear, but in the moment, well, let’s just say that that wasn’t the Scripture I was quoting.) And for me, obsessing means working overtime – mentally and physically – trying to control every little and big thing. And working overtime means no sleep. And a sista is cranky when she doesn’t get her eight hours!
After my third night of tossing and turning, list-making, and schedule planning, I decided that there was no way I was gonna win this battle, and, on the path I was on, this project was gonna get the best of me. Well, I am a daughter of the King and I refuse to be defeated!
So I did what I should have done in the first place: Acknowledge that the God I love and serve is the One Who is ultimately in control of everything. Release all my concerns and fretting to Jehovah-Jireh, the One Who Provides. Trust that He is working out everything for my good (Romans 8:28). And praise Him in advance for provision, solution, direction, and favor.
And you know what? Just like that, I got my peace back. My spirit calmed. My soul was soothed. And in less than 24 hours, I got confirmation that help was on the way. A door that had been shut suddenly reopened. I could see a clear path ahead. And, most of all, I got my eight hours.
The lesson: You and God can’t both be in control. So just acknowledge that God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Lover of your soul, is better at steering the ship than you are. So just let go and let God do what God does best. And love and adore God because God loves and adores you enough to make everything, everything little and big thing, work for your good. And God can accomplish this because he is in control of everything.
May God bless your week.