I Shall Not Be Moved....

Today, Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks was memorialized with a bronze statue in Washington, DC, the first African-American to have a full size statue in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall.  The statue is a fitting tribute to a woman who, as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said, "moved the world when she refused to move her seat."

This is not the first or only statue of Ms. Parks.  Her act of righteous defiance has been memorialized all over the country from a bus station in Eugene Oregon:

    to a park in Grand Rapids, Michigan:
                                                        

It is a major tribute to have even one statue made in one's honor, let alone numerous ones throughout the country.  But, the address of this newest statue rises above all of the others.


REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

The location of this statue allows Rosa Parks to have a permanent seat in one of the most prominent seats of power -- the U.S. Capitol.  As this photo shows, it also demonstrates how her divinely designed combination of dignity and defiance resonates loudly enough to override the partisan divide of politics. 

How fitting that the woman whose motto could easily have been, "I shall not be moved," truly shall not be moved from her prominent, powerful perch.  Her permanent presence in the Nation's Capital is a powerful exclamation point to the statement she made decades ago when she refused to give up her seat on that bus in Montgomery, Alabama.  

Perhaps those in leadership who have stubbornly vowed that they would not be moved from their party lines might reflect on the true essence of the Civil Rights Movement and be moved to reflect on how government actions truly impact individuals and the overall progress of the nation.  

Let's not forget that Mrs. Park's action was in response to government-sanctioned laws that denied Blacks equal rights and basic human dignities-- laws that, to those in power at the time, seemed appropriate and harmless; laws that were designed to keep one group comfortable at the great expense of masses of other people.


                                                 
                                                                                                                                                          (AP Photo/Khue Bui)


Let's pray that those who give a hearty hand clap to Ms. Park's statue will have enough heart to hand us the statutes that we need to move our country further away from the injustices that marked the Civil Rights Era, not closer to them. 

BNcouraged!

Rev. Karen

Let Old Habits Die Young

Bad habits are easy to pick up but hard to put down.  Picking up a bad habit is like stepping on sticky tape.  Once it’s on you, you usually aren’t even aware it’s there.  By the time you do realize you’ve picked it up -- which is often days or weeks after you first encountered it -- it's been ground so deep into your sole that it’s hard to peel off. When it does come off, it does so in pieces instead of all at once.

Bad habits can range from nail biting, to chewing while talking, to hastily “chewing out” or berating others. We are not necessarily born with bad habits-- they are things we pick up along the way on our journey through life.  Yet, we often fight with all our might to defend our right to them, sometimes even claiming that they’re all a part of just “being real.”

But, if our habits aren't “really” productive or “really” necessary, and worse yet, if they cause “real” harm to ourselves or others they aren’t “really” what we need to be fighting for.

Perhaps our energies would be better spent in fully examining our soles (souls) for extraneous things we have picked up that need to come off.  Perhaps then we would uncover the “real” us that had been buried beneath the layers of bad habits and deceptive masquerades that fooled no one but us.

The Bible tells us that “whom the Son sets free, is free indeed.”  But, bad habits do just the opposite, they keep us in bondage. It takes a lot of time and energy to peel off all of the junk that has attached itself to our soles, but once free of it, we will walk lighter, straighter and stronger in the direction of our destiny.

Sometimes, we can sense a bad habit attaching itself to us, and when we do sense it, we would do best to put it down early before it brings us down later.  Whenever we pick up a new bad habit, in essence, it’s already an old habit because there is nothing new under the sun.   When we find ourselves suddenly unable to do something without the aid of some sort of emotional crutch, it may be the new formation of an old bad habit.  If we find ourselves turning toward people or things again and again and suffering withdrawal when we can’t have them, there may be an old bad habit looking for a new home.

We must fight to let go of a bad habit while it is still young so it won’t have a chance to grow old with us and confuse us about where we end and where it begins.  Old habits die hard.  That’s why, if at all possible, we need to let old habits die young.

BNcouraged!

Rev. Karen

"Make What Difference We Can...."

Last night, President Barak Obama delivered his State of the Union Address--the first address of his historic second term.  He shared a lot about what is good about America and laid out his agenda for accomplishing those things we still need to work on.  Most importantly, he issued a critical call to action for each of us.  

The call to action I am referring to was not found in his powerful, repetitive declaration about all who "deserve a vote" regarding gun control.  While I certainly agree that we all deserve a vote, I contend that the real, full-scale call to action came when he explained,

"Indeed, no laws, no initiatives, no administrative acts will perfectly solve all 
the challenges I’ve outlined tonight.  But we were never sent here to be perfect.                                                                           We were sent here to make what difference we can...."

Partisan politics might cloud our ability to hear this simple yet profound challenge, but if we are serious about doing our part to make this world a better place, those of us who know God's Word should have heard:

Whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, be at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18)

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. (Colossians 3:23)

You are the salt of the earth....(Matthew 5:13)

Each of us has a divine assignment and we have been given all of the tools to accomplish our assignment.  We are not all the President of the United States, but we all have a sphere of influence for which we will be held accountable.

Prayerfully, we are using our influence, skills, talents and time to point people toward Christ, to point people toward healing and wholeness, to point them toward love and not hate.

As we sit on the eve of Valentine's Day, the day designated for expressing love, let's look for opportunities to commit random acts of kindness, especially to strangers.  Who knows if a little more love and kindness might be just enough to deter someone from taking their own life or the lives of others?  Who knows if a compliment or helping hand might be just the encouragement someone needs to make it through the day?

We shouldn't expect politicians to completely shoulder the brunt of finding ways to make us behave more civilized toward one another, nor should we seethe and blame them for our every woe if they don't govern the way we expect them to.  

The apostle Paul said, "I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:12-13)

Regardless of the state of the economy, and regardless of who is to blame for it's failure or success, when it comes to living day-to-day on the ground level, there are opportunities all around us to share the love of Christ.  And, it is in the strength of Christ that  we will accomplish far more than we could ask or imagine if we just remember that we were sent here to make what difference WE can.

BNcouraged!

Rev. Karen

"What's Love Got to Do With It?"

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Hello, Friends and Family!

Please enjoy this re-posting of my blog, "What's Love Got to Do With It?" It's quite fitting in advance of Valentine's Day....Also, all who can are invited to join me at 7:30 pm tonight at the Cathedral of Christ Baptist Church 5354 Sheriff Road, Capitol Heights, MD 20743 for the Women in Worship Winter Revival.  

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Sometimes, we use the word "love" a little too loosely.  We "love" ice cream; we "love" animals; we "love" sports; we "love" being in love.

We do a lot of things in the name of love without always knowing the true definition of love.  There are many interpretations, perspectives and opinions about love, but only one truth concerning love.  That truth is found in God's word in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails..."

I saw a program about "strange love" that showed individuals who were madly "in love" with inanimate objects.  The object of one person's love was a section of the Great Wall of China.  He would visit a specific section of the wall and kiss it, caress it and press his face and entire body against it.  He even had "conversations" with it.  He "loved" the wall, and from his sincere perspective, the wall "loved" him.

What's love got to do with it?

Just because we have declared love for someone or something doesn't mean that it is honoring to God, or that God is obligated to honor it.

So many people are searching and aching to be loved.  Some are so desperate to find and to feel love that they will take anything that resembles love, even if it is a fantasy, even if it is violent, even if it is degrading, even if it is unhealthy, even if it is with someone or something forbidden--especially if it is forbidden. 

We are sometimes so blinded by our quest to find love that we react angrily to anyone, including God, whom we feel might be standing in the way of us having our way. We will even, like Eve did in the garden, entertain the serpent's crafty questioning about God's directives and wonder did God really say not to look for love under that tree?

God made us and knew us all before we were formed in the womb.  He knows all about our intense need for love and acceptance, and has given us clear guidance on expressing and experiencing true love. 

In contrast to some secular definitions of love, God's directives about love do not result in confusion and shame, but bring joy to all involved and ultimately give glory to God, the author and epitome of love.

The love God gives us is a love unparalleled.  It is exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or imagine and far better for us than anything we could craft with our own hands, heads and hearts. And, as the ultimate match maker, God knows not only what we want, but what we need regarding love and affection.  He knows how to help us meet those needs without strings attached.

Before we rush to call something we're experiencing "love" let's check in with God to see how it lines up with his plan for our lives and his overall plan for creation.  No relationship is ever truly limited to the people in it, for we are all connected and are all impacted by one another's decisions. 

For example, some employers have begun to provide support for domestic violence victims because they realize that "what happens behind closed doors" often impacts the bottom line in the workplace.  Physical and emotional distress can lead to increased employee absences, illnesses, lower productivity and even increased safety risks to the entire workplace.

Our relationships are not just our own business, they are our families' business, they are our communities' business, they are God's business. 

So, what's love got to do with it?  Nothing if God is not the author and finisher of it.  What's love got to do with it?  Everything if the love we proclaim is God-led, Godly and geared for the greater good.

BNcouraged!

Rev. Karen