Day 144: Everyone is guilty in this
The thing I don't like about racism is that everyone seems to think it is only white people that are racist. Racism exists in every culture and race, but everyone justifies their own racist beliefs. She is right about it begins in the heart, because the heart rules the mind. It begins in her heart, too, but I don't think she sees that, yet.
I don't even get the term 'snowflake', but I do know that it is being used to connotate white people - isn't that a form of name calling; therefore, racism? Cracker? White trash?
I am sure there are many names to denigrate anyone's culture and/or race. And, I bet if I listed them here, each one reading this would know which culture or race I was referring to.
One of my black colleagues at a seminar dinner said to me, a bit snidely, "where do white people come from?" - like we fell from space. This person has her doctorate, and has never wanted for money because her dad was wealthy and took care of any financial needs, including to pay off her husband to leave her because she didn't want to stay married to him. She has traveled to many areas of the world, but her favorite is India. She is not fond of Christians, either..
Because I am Christian, my Jesus teaches me that all lives matter, and that He came for everyone, and anyone willing to follow Him, gets to go live with Him when they die. That's my belief. If it was good for Him, it is good for me.
I can understand why some black people are angry, and some get held down by others. Women went through this type of mentality, too. They fought and made changes to laws, they can hold higher places in any professional industry. But, there are still many who don’t believe in it, many cultures still hold both down.
It’s the same for blacks, yellows, reds, browns, and any shade in between. People hated the Irish when they came here, and they are pretty white. People hated the Jews and they are white. People hated Natives and they are red. People just like to hate. It seems to justify their own low self esteem, or somehow increases a fear in them and they lash out. That’s Satan’s work, not God’s work. If people followed God and what He wanted for us and this world, we wouldn’t be in half the trouble we are in. But, Lucifer was jealous of God, and had to destroy His goodness. Because all emotions were created along with our beings. The choice is ours who to follow. I can fall into the downward spiral just like anyone else. It is a constant daily struggle to stay positive all the time, and it is very hard to love your enemy, but we are not only commanded to do so, we must also forgive. Lack of forgiveness is what keeps each one of us in our own hell. I struggle with that, too.
“You can love a person dear to you with a human love, but an enemy can only be loved with Divine love..” “Let us forgive each other…only then will we live in peace.” Leo Tolstoy
Someone is always going to have a problem with something. Now, the black faces of people are being removed from boxes of food because someone considers it racist — Aunt Jemima — which, btw, her descendants aren’t so happy about, and I would imagine if they were receiving royalties because her face and legacy were still being used, that will stop once a change is made. Probably the same with Uncle Ben’s rice, Cream of Wheat… maybe some of those faces were used because someone created the cereal (Rastus?) and they were actually being given credit instead of being racist. There would be a similar uproar if white faces were on there, meaning only white people were being portrayed. No one is going to win this.
Your grandma followed Jesus’ teachings and that is what matters. The preacher will have to answer to Him when He dies, too. He is promoting hate and racism. It is that kind of teaching coming from anyone that is keeping racism alive. Those in higher places, have a higher responsibility to uphold. “…for what you measure, it will be measured unto you…” Matthew 7:2
Again, from Leo Tolstoy
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”
