Black History is American History!
Matthew 5:14-16 NIV states, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
As I meditated about this scripture and how it pertained to Black History Month, this thought came to my mind: “Black History Month is another opportunity for us to let our light shine as one nation under God, so the world can see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven.”
So, let’s talk about the “good deeds” for a moment. For example, one might conclude that the 13th Amendment was a good deed because it abolished slavery. One might also conclude that the tireless efforts during the Civil Rights Movement produced good deeds. In 1954, Brown versus Board of Education ended segregation in schools. In 1964, when my mother was four years old, Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act and that ended segregation legally, bringing a legal end to the Jim Crow laws. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act secured minorities’ rights to vote. In 1968, the Fair Housing Act made it illegal to discriminate against someone who wanted to rent, purchase, or finance a home based on their race, religion, national origin, or sex. And while these moments in history are a testament to God’s amazing grace and answers to fervent prayers, mankind admires how things appear to be, but God looks at the heart. Our good deeds begin and end with our heart posture.
So, let’s talk about letting our light shine as one nation under God. For starters, we should be a stepping stone instead of a stumbling block. Don’t wait until the government steps in and put a mandate on you. Let the Lord order your steps. Be what he called you to be! We should be for others what we want Christ to be for us. We should be a help in times of trouble; however, some people continue to be a hinderance based on their prejudices, stereotypes, biases, and political parties. It is truly disheartening. From a world’s view, they seem to be winning. The key word is “seems,” because God sees everything!
In the same vein, some people spit in the face of progress. When someone tries to extend an olive branch, their best is never good enough. Ouch! “…Now I know you can teach about someone other than Dr. Martin Luther King, and why do you have to talk about the I Have A Dream speech every year? He gave other speeches, you know. Uh, oh! I’m sorry. I had a flashback. Looking back, I recognize the fact that I wasn’t letting my light shine. I was finding fault. I was blaming them for not being where I thought they should be based on their age or status in the community; however, that was not pleasing to the Lord because I am not where I need to be in some areas either. If you think about it, you aren’t either. So, if you find yourself being a hinderance or holding people to your standards in this season, I want you to think about it. Then, go to Father and pray about it.
#Soul Searching Black History Edition#
