...all are precious in His sight...

"Jesus loves the little children...all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white--they are precious in HIS sight...Jesus loves the little children of the world"

It's not a scripture...it's a simple song that most of us were taught as children. Our parents, church leaders, Sunday school teachers, or whoever else taught it to us to help us understand we are to love one another. Everyone. We're called to love everyone. THAT is scripture. 

"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins" 1 Peter 4:8

I've kept silent over the issues of the world lately--in fact I tend to keep silent over the issues of the world most of the time--not because I am consenting to what's right or what's wrong...but because I do not feel led to speak on matters that I feel strongly about with hatred...which is the way most of the world is speaking right now. 

I've kept silent because there's no side that I stand on. I've kept silent because my opinion will more than likely be stomped on. 

You see I'm noticing something based on social media. Through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram I am seeing amazing Christian leaders who are consenting to the WRONGFUL situations going on. I'm not talking about consenting to what happened to George Floyd. No...amazing Christian leaders are consenting to not spreading the gospel. Amazing Christian leaders are consenting to compassion OVER the gospel. 

That...is not what we as Christians are being called to do. However, because of a large amount of flack Christians are receiving over the circumstances in the world, the gospel is being thrown to the wayside and being replaced solely with compassion. 

Compassion is NOT wrong...please don't think I'm saying that. 

But God did NOT call us to throw His message aside to consent to worldly opinions. 

I've remained silent because where I stand will surely get me in trouble with people who I love. 

I've remained silent because I do not agree with the movements overtaking our country. 

I will more than likely lose followers and friends over this. However...if what I say is gospel-centered and related to what GOD has called me to, then those friendships aren't the ones I'm supposed to have. 

I'm not writing this because I want to start a debate. I'm not writing this to even have a conversation. I hate conflict and drama so please...know that I'm not here to start it. 

I'm here to state my stance. 

Everyone else gets to state their opinion...and I've been fearful to share where I stand because I don't want to lose people. I don't want to be stomped on. 

I'm not called to fear. 

"Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." Colossians 4:5-6

I want to tread carefully. 

I don't, however, want to silence the gospel to appease the public. 

There is so much going on in the world. In our country. We've gone from panicking over COVID-19 to being outraged over the treatment of civilians. 

I, too, am outraged over the power trip some people will take. 

Some. 

Not all. 

What happened to George Floyd was sick. It was wrong. More than wrong. I do not have the words to give my utmost condolences to George Floyd's family. 

One cop chose to go on a power trip, and use his power against George Floyd and against his coworkers and other civilians who were standing around. 

Wrongful. 

One cop. 

What about the people who videoed the situation rather than taking action? 

They were fearful of the response that could have happened had they stepped up. 

Fear. 

NOTHING that has happened has been right. 

From the moment Derek Michael Chauvin placed his knee on the back of George Floyd's neck...and STAYED there as George Floyd said he could not breathe...cried for his mother...cried. Nothing was right. 

Chauvin's decision to do wrong plummeted our world into unsettled riots and protests to try to make things right. 

His decision to do wrong threw many into anti-racism and compassion. 

I GET IT. 

I am, however, noticing that it has turned the white race against the white race. 

It has made the white race feel bad for being white. 

Or tried to. 

It has made people decide it's okay to erase history. 

I am a history teacher. I teach my students each year that we learn about history so history doesn't repeat itself. 

If you want to take a stance then stop allowing history to repeat itself. 

If you want to take a stance as a Christian...stop allowing people to make you feel bad for who you are. Stop allowing people to stomp out the gospel and replace it with liberalism. 

God has called us to love. YES ABSOLUTELY. 

To love my brothers and sisters I should take every opportunity I am given to share the gospel with them. Whether they choose to believe or storm away is their decision. 

Christians, stop telling Christians not to take an opportunity from what's going on. 

Just the other day I was on twitter and I saw that an amazing Christian leader had liked the tweet of someone who said..."stop making protest groups a mission field. Don't go there trying to tell others about Christ. Go there to love on them and to show compassion"

WHAT? 

That is NOT okay! TAKE opportunities! 

There's so much I'm tired of. 

I'm tired of hearing the terms "White Privilege" and "Systemic Racism". 

White people didn't ask to be White. Please don't take that as a cop-out for what's going on. 

Yes, I'm as white as the next person is brown or black or porcelain or whatever else. 

Yes, I come from a history of slave ownership and racism. 

History. 

That history stopped. 

My family no longer owns slaves. 

And I am not racist. 

Not even systemically. 

I grew up in lower-income neighborhoods and I was friends with people of every color. I didn't see color as a kid. (Don't correct me for that one, I was little, and I didn't see a point in seeing color. I saw friendships). We were kind to each other. We played together, went on trips together, and we loved each other regardless of the color of our skin. 

I have never used the N-word. 

I have never seen people because of their socioeconomic status, or color. 

I still do not see people because of their color. That does NOT mean I do not recognize the hardships that people of other ethnicities have gone through. 

Where am I going with all this? 

I'm tired of seeing white people hate their color. We are not all racists. We are not all wrong. We were born who we are. Stop hating who God created you to be just because the pigment of your skin is less than that of others. 

I recognize there have been situations that have happened because of color. 

I recognize the wrong in the world. 

I see the need for action. 

I see the need for JESUS. 

I see the need for the spreading of the Gospel message, and I see the need for Christian leaders to stop allowing their beliefs to be suffocated because the world wants peace. 

I refuse to not spread the gospel. 

TAKE the opportunities when you see them and think for yourselves. 

Stop allowing other people's personal agendas to be pushed on you. 

I might lose friends for this. I might say some things that are wrong. It's not on purpose. I'm still learning and educating myself...I willingly will accept peaceful rebuke if I'm wrong. I will not debate. 

This is where I stand. 

He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,[a]
    and to walk humbly with your God?