This week there has been a hot button issue revolving athletes, the national anthem, and our President Donald Trump. While it’s easy to fall into anger and claim one side of this issue is completely evil, there is wisdom from above. Our Father has not left us as orphans to figure these things out on our own. His heart delights in His children, those who bear His image, and He desires peace and reconciliation for us.
Below is a Facebook post from Johnny Enlow, an author and speaker. Johnny typically carries fresh perspective from heaven on tough issues. He discusses the importance of leaders in ministry, especially white leaders, seizing this present opportunity in America to be peacemakers. If this post stirs you up, check out his books “7 Mountain Renaissance” and “The Rainbow God.”
Facebook post from Johnny Enlow:
“Hey church we are not helping the reconciliatory discourse. Here is a thought- if “taking a knee” means we are not where we need to be as it relates to racial relations and racial justice matters then maybe it is not an “anti-American” sentiment. However, if “taking a knee” means “I hate the USA” and “I disrespect our military” then of course that is an undesirable negative action. Wouldn’t it be perhaps best to hear why someone is “taking a knee” before judging how right or wrong it is?
I fear that especially among white leadership we continue to miss opportunities to unite rather than divide. As one who has researched in depth on the matter, let me just point out that it has to be considered nothing short of miraculous for any black in America to not have at minimum “mixed feelings” about our “judeo-christian” roots and our “founding fathers” original declarations, constitutions and anthems.
It was the partnership of both of these that declared that a black man was worth 3/5ths of a white man and that fought against the abolition of slavery. It was doctrinally defended as an extension of “predestination” (i.e. the black man was predestined BY GOD to serve the white man!). For better than 200 years in America it was “Christians” who were MOST against slaves being set free and they violently defended their right to enslave. The atheists knew that the black man shouldn’t be enslaved- but the “Christians” did not.
Our revivalists “heroes” Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield were not only slave owners but opposers to the abolition movement in America. During their “Great Awakening” tour George Whitfield is directly the reason the state of Georgia returned to slavery after having banned slavery. George Whitfield told the state that they would not be blessed economically until they returned to having black slaves – because that was the predestined lot God had assigned them in life. He intensely campaigned for the abolition of slavery to be overturned so he himself could purchase slaves for HIS plantation. You ever wonder why blacks aren’t looking for the next George Whitfield or Jonathan Edwards- and if they say they are, how much they are having to overlook?
So yes blacks need to forgive our forefathers/us and quit holding grudges, but how many of you whites knew this part of your history? Furthermore, today we still have laws, ordinances, justice procedures and sentencing guidelines that show systemic racial bias. I write about some of these in my “7 Mountain Renaissance” book. Racism of the heart is the responsibility of the individual and cannot be dealt with by laws. However racism that is built into the judicial system must be discovered and eradicated because it is unjust and it can be eliminated. Justice matters.
To those who “take a knee” for that- I am with you. For those of you uncomfortable that I am again talking about “black and white issues” please understand these issues will never go away by simply pretending they don’t exist. It is like ignoring teeth with cavities- they don’t get better. It is also not about again “feeling bad” about our history of slavery. For those who care to really research there are identifiable matters we can actually reform today.
It is way beyond better treatment by the police and perhaps Black Lives Matters has harmed the narrative from that standpoint. Good cops don’t drop 50% unemployment rates of inner cities. Good cops don’t improve schools and raise illiteracy rates. Good cops don’t turn prisons into the actual rehabilitation centers they are supposed to be. Good cops don’t provide guaranteed competent legal defense etc. etc. Good cops, at least don’t add insult to injury- but they do not fix that which is broken. I am again calling all ministers of reconciliation to arise and shine. Jesus is still saying “Blessed are the peacemakers”. We don’t have to keep taking the divisive bait. Reformers must also be Reconcilers. We are better than this and we can do better than this.”