Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”  Matthew 21:12-13
 
 
In the wake of the horrendous killings of eight people in Atlanta recently, six of whom were Asian women, I am devastated over the loss of lives. I am outraged that the local authorities deemed the killer as having a “bad day”. I am frustrated that the murderer’s crime is reduced to a sex addict ridding himself of temptation. And I am concerned that the slaying of these precious lives may not be viewed as the racist, sexist hate crime that it is.  
 
When taken into context, these brutal murders are the culmination of the past 170 years in US history of abuse, discrimination, and violence against Asian Americans that began with the mistreatment of Chinese workers in the 1850’s. In 1854, a California Supreme Court ruling (People v. Hall) allowed white people to perpetrate crimes against Asians with impunity. The Page Act of 1875 prohibited Chinese women from entering the US for fear they were prostitutes. The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act banned immigration altogether from China for 20 years. During World War II, internment camps housed Japanese Americans on the pretense that they were spies. Other horrors have been perpetrated against Asians here in the US, including massacres and lynchings.
 
Today, the abuse continues as Asians are scapegoated as the supposed source of the coronavirus. When rhetoric like “the China virus” or “kung flu” permeates the airwaves and feeds social media, it is no coincidence that violence, verbal abuse, and other atrocities against Asian Americans is up 150% during this pandemic.
 
Historically, racial minorities have been and continue to be blamed for crimes committed against them. During the breaking news of the Atlanta shootings, the perpetrator of this heinous crime was portrayed as someone who was seemingly justified for annihilating his sexual temptation. Along with local authorities, he blames the victims and in doing so, repudiates any responsibility for permanently destroying these cherished lives.
 
The killer grew up actively involved in his church and was a member of the youth group. At the time of this writing, the church is expunging the murderer from their rolls. But they cannot erase him from their memories any more than the victims’ families and friends can erase this horrific crime and monumental loss from theirs.
 
Why aren’t churches having conversations and sermons around racism, sexism, and xenophobia? Why aren’t churches teaching on the sanctity of all life and the sins of marginalization and dehumanization? Why are so many churches silent?
 
It is clear from Scripture that all people are created in the image of God and that God has a heart for the oppressed. Yet we continue to see people of color and women marginalized and dehumanized. While these murders in Atlanta were perpetrated by one individual, this act of terrorism is part of systemic racism and sexism that permeates our society. Ignoring the larger context creates horrific situations that will repeat themselves. Our silence allows these insidious belief systems to proliferate, causing damage to those created in God’s image.
 
In our key verses, Jesus has just entered Jerusalem triumphantly on what we celebrate as Palm Sunday. Straightaway, He goes to the temple to the outer court of the Gentiles. In anger, Jesus overturns the tables of the moneychangers and those who sell animals for temple sacrifice. His righteous anger is in response to the corruption He finds there where huge amounts of money are made by those who extort the poor. Jesus’ response was swift.
 
What is our response in the wake of these killings? Are we angry that violence and discrimination are perpetrated on our Asian siblings? Do we lament the pain and suffering endured by the Asian community?
 
Anger over injustice is not sinful. Lament over suffering is not purposeless. Together, anger and lament can spur us to action, to stand up for what is true, right, and noble, to stand in solidarity with our Asian siblings, and to unravel the threads of complicity that we partake in when we remain silent.
 
We lament by grieving the loss of these precious lives. We recognize that as part of a racist, sexist society, we are corporately guilty. We confess our sins of commission where our words and deeds perpetuate racism and sexism. We confess our sins of omission where we stayed silent and did not call out the racism and sexism in our midst. And we stop blaming the victims for the crimes perpetrated against them. Taking responsibility through true lament, compassion, and confession is the only way to win the blame game.
 
What can we do practically? We can pray for healing for the victims’ families and friends and even contribute to fundraisers for them. Going forward, we can call out racist, sexist rhetoric and “jokes” when in conversation with others or on social media. We can support local Asian American businesses. We can learn from and contribute to organizations who are trying to make a difference, like the Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC Inc.), Asian American Christian Collaborative, Chinese for Affirmative Action, and Stop AAPI Hate. (See links below.)
 
In Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we are all in this together. There is no room for injustice.
 
For a sobering, impactful video, watch A Call for Solidarity by Asian American Faith Leaders at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKd7Xoxf3JE&ab_channel=AsianAmericanFaithLeaders.
The video closes with these statements from the Asian community: “We will not be silent. Raise your voice. We belong. Stand with us.” Amen.
 
 
Compassionate God, how Your heart must break over violence against those You created in Your image. Open my eyes to the ways I am complicit in structural racism and sexism and give me the courage to take action to dismantle it. Help me stand in the gap for my Asian siblings and for other people of color who are treated unfairly. May I follow the example of Jesus in answering Your call for justice and change in the midst of this fallen world. Amen.
 
 
Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC Inc.): https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/
Asian American Christian Collaborative:
https://www.asianamericanchristiancollaborative.com/
Chinese for Affirmative Action: https://caasf.org/
Stop AAPI Hate: https://stopaapihate.org/
 
 
Text and photograph copyright © 2021 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of white tulips at Keukenhof, The Netherlands. White tulips signify both condolences and apologies, or this case, sorrow over the deaths of these Asian women and lament and confession over our complicity in systemic racism and sexism. White is also the color of choice worn by the suffragists a century ago and by female lawmakers in Congress more recently.
 
 
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A NOTE ON RACIAL JUSTICE:  Becoming antiracist is a journey. Together, we can make a difference. Will you join me? Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice.  Click here to learn more.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”  Esther 4:14
 
 
Traversing the many concrete steps downward to where the guide had stopped, I glance behind me. At the foot of those stairs in Auckland is a colorful fresco with the words “The Vote” and the date 1893. I ask the guide about the significance and learn that in 1893, New Zealand was the first self-governing country to give women the right to vote. I am both surprised and fascinated to hear this story of how the Suffrage Movement grew out of the Temperance Movement by wives who were tired of their husbands’ drinking and domestic abuse. By going door-to-door, the women who felt called to right these injustices obtained signatures from 32,000 women, a quarter of the female New Zealand population at the time. Those pages of signatures were fastened together and rolled up on a broomstick. Taken to the legislature in 1893, the scroll was ceremoniously unrolled down the center aisle. The women spearheading this campaign made their point. And the rest is history.
 
March marks Women’s History Month in the US (and in the UK and Australia) when we honor the women who have contributed greatly to our society. We owe a debt of gratitude to the many women who were overlooked or marginalized at the time, but who relentlessly pursued acts of courage, compassion, and justice. Today we reap the benefits of their persistence through medical and science discoveries, inventions, and just laws. Their visionary leadership created community, art, and education. These trailblazing women who significantly impacted our society throughout history had a real sense of purpose and a tenacity to reach their goal.
 
Throughout the Bible, we see stories of women who were also brave, purposeful, and tenacious. We meet Esther in the Old Testament book that bears her name. As queen of Persia, she puts her life on the line in order to save her people. In requesting a meeting with King Xerxes, Esther literally can receive the death penalty for such a brazen request. As her cousin Mordecai reminds her, perhaps it’s for this very purpose that she is the queen of Persia. Convinced, Esther states that if she perishes, then she perishes. She risks her life to save the Jewish people from being annihilated by Haman, the racist courtier who is more interested in his own power than any relations of the queen’s. Through her cunning, Esther ultimately exposes Haman and his diabolical plans and saves her people.
 
Esther’s story is one of bravery, yet she clearly feels unworthy of the role and unsure of whether she can even do any good. But yet, she persists while risking her own life. And a whole people group is saved that day.
 
Other women in the Old Testament demonstrate how even less queenly decisions have eternal consequences. Ruth wasn’t thinking about the lineage of the Messiah when she gathered the leftover grain from Boaz’s field. Likewise, Rahab was only focusing on saving her immediate family at Jericho. Yet, for each of them, their courage launched a series of events that culminated in the birth of Christ.
 
As we move into the New Testament, we see that Jesus celebrates women. At a time when women are considered mere property with no rights of their own, Jesus goes against the grain of His culture to show the many women He encounters both honor and respect. In simply talking to them in public, Jesus bucks the norm. He notices them, sees them as individuals, shows them respect, and listens to them, scandalous actions for the times. When Jesus converses with the woman at the well (John 4:25-26), He gives her the privilege of being the first person to whom He declares that He is the Messiah. Likewise, Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18) is the first to see Him resurrected. In other examples, Jesus brings grace and mercy to the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11) and compassion and healing to the woman with a bleeding disorder (Mark 5:24-34).  
 
In reading the stories of women in the Bible, we see that God weaves the events of their lives together to create a tapestry showing His love and compassion for all humankind. He takes brave acts, purposeful missions, and divine appointments and knits them together in a chain of history, for His glory and our good. Likewise, God intertwines our stories into His master narrative along with the stories of those who came before us and those who will come after us, all for His purposes.
 
In last month’s blog, WWJD?, we discussed Jesus’ mission and how our mission can mirror His ministry to the poor, the imprisoned, the disabled, and the oppressed and more. What do you sense God calling you to do? Perhaps like Esther, it’s a mission God has placed on your heart or maybe like Ruth, it is a call to be faithful in everyday decisions. If you are feeling pandemic-weary, perhaps being faithful in taking care of yourself with kindness and compassion is enough for now. Whether the calling seems mundane or magnanimous, be brave and tenacious in pursuing God’s path and purposes for you. It might just be the necessary link in a chain of events that God is orchestrating for His glory and our good.
 
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, may we courageously hold tight to the cords of our faith as the Master Weaver makes history through us. May we remember that throughout the ages, God makes history through those who are faithful to Him to bring about His good and perfect will. Like Esther, perhaps we are here in this moment of history for just such a time as this.
 
 
Lord Jesus, by breaking cultural norms, You elevated women to a higher place than society allowed. Thank You for all the women who have come before me and those who will come after me. Show me my place in Your lineage as Your beloved child and in Your history as Your vessel of grace. May I use the unique gifts and talents You’ve bestowed on me along with the passions and desires of my heart to bring glory to Your Holy Name and good to my fellow humankind. Amen.
 
 
Text and photographs copyright © 2021 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of The Lightpath, a bicycle path in Auckland, New Zealand, repurposed from an off-ramp.
 
 
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A NOTE ON RACIAL JUSTICE:  Becoming antiracist is a journey. Together, we can make a difference. Will you join me? Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice.  Click here to learn more.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

​Women's Suffrage Memorial in Auckland, New Zealand:

Close-up of painting of scroll with signatures:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  Luke 4:18-19
 
 
“Someday, your tombstone will read, ‘She died because she did too much!’”. I confess that was something someone once said to me. Life is busy and there is so much that needs attending to and checked off the to-do list. But if we’re honest with ourselves, our busyness begs the question of priorities. While many tasks are indeed non-negotiable, we will only learn what God really wants us to do when we stop long enough to listen to the still, quiet voice of the Holy Spirit. For many of us, taking that pause is difficult to do as it requires us to temporarily step out of our busyness.
 
In our key verses today, it’s the Sabbath and Jesus visits the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth. When it’s time for the Scripture reading, Jesus stands up and takes the scroll from the attendant. He reads aloud from Isaiah 61:1-2, noted in Luke 4:18-19 above, rolls up the scroll, hands it back to the attendant, and returns to his seat. He then proclaims that the words He just read are not only true, but are fulfilled in Him in that moment. The congregation is astonished because Jesus, their local carpenter’s son, just proclaimed Himself to be the Messiah.
 
In reading aloud these Scriptures, Jesus also delineates His mission. He has no doubt of His calling and His purpose. All throughout His ministry, the Gospels record Jesus living out His mission to proclaim the good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, to recover sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Scripture gives us a window into His ministry of restoring hope to the hopeless, of saving that which was lost, of meeting often desperate needs.
 
If we study each of these facets of Jesus’ ministry from His mission statement, we see that each is spiritual as well as physical. Jesus did indeed come to proclaim the good news of salvation to the spiritually poor. But He also has overwhelming compassion for the impoverished and hungry. Jesus came to set spiritual prisoners free from the prison of sin. He also sets free those who were bound in metal chains, too, as He heals them of illness. Restoring spiritual sight to those blinded by their lack of faith is part of Jesus’ mission. But He also restores physical sight to those who are blind. Those oppressed spiritually by demons are cured, those oppressed by ostracism because of their devastating health conditions are healed, and those oppressed by hatred and contempt like tax collectors and prostitutes are befriended. Indeed, those oppressed in many ways are set free.
 
The year of the Lord’s favor typically refers to the Year of Jubilee (from Leviticus 25) when, every 50 years, lands that had been purchased (or taken or swindled) had to be returned to the original owners. Debts were canceled, inheritances were restored, and slaves were freed. During Jubilee, wrongs were undone and lands, wealth, and freedom were restored. By proclaiming to be the fulfillment of the Year of Jubilee, Jesus declares His mission to reset society and to reverse injustices. His concern reaches from our spiritual needs to our physical distress. Jesus heals us spiritually and sometimes physically, and ultimately purchases our bondage from sin by His death on the cross.
 
Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus was laser-focused on what His Father had sent Him to do. Spending time in prayer with His heavenly Father kept Jesus unwavering in His mission.
 
Jesus says if we have seen Him, we have seen God, the Father (John 14:9*). Jesus, by His words, action, and mission, points us to what is close to God’s heart. Throughout the Old Testament, we read verse after verse about what’s on God’s heart: to care for the poor, the widows, the orphans, the imprisoned, the disabled, the oppressed, the foreigners, and to bring love and justice to those mistreated. In the New Testament, Jesus is God’s love in action, pointing the way more fully to what concerns the heart of God.
 
As humans, we’re wired for purpose. If, according to the Westminster Shorter Catechism*, our primary purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, what better way to live that out than to follow the guiding principles of Jesus’ mission?
 
We each have a divine purpose, to glorify God in ways that are uniquely ours, based on our God-given gifts, talents, and even personalities. How can we use our individual giftedness to follow Jesus’ ministry to the poor, the imprisoned, the disabled, and the oppressed? And how can we shift our priorities and transform our busyness into a laser-focused mission driven by our God-given purpose?
 
We, as Christ-followers, are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a hurting world. To bring the good news of Jesus’ salvation along with practical help in times of need to feed the poor, to minister to those incarcerated unjustly, to stand up for those mistreated by racial injustices, to aid defenseless immigrants, and to help those marginalized and less fortunate is a mission we can all participate in. Our purpose in life can mirror Jesus’ mission if we only open our eyes to the needs around us and our ears to the Holy Spirt while asking ourselves, “What would Jesus do?”
 
 
Lord Jesus, thank You for setting me free from sin’s power and reconciling me to God, the Father. Thank You for Your faithfulness in meeting my needs on all levels. Open my eyes to the needs around me and open my ears to hear the Holy Spirit’s whispering guidance so that I may emulate Your good example in showing Your love and care to the hungry, the homeless, the incarcerated, the immigrants, the disabled, the oppressed, and the poor. Amen.
 
 
*John 14:9 - Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”
 
 
*The Westminster Shorter Catechism is composed of 107 questions and answers to help educate primarily children in the Christian faith. Written circa 1647, it was a tool promoted by the Church of Scotland and approved for instruction by the Scottish Parliament in 1649. One of the questions is, “What is the chief end of man?” The answer is, “Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”
 
 
Text and photograph copyright © 2021 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of bridge over the River Eden near Hever Castle, childhood home of Anne Boleyn, Kent, England.
 
 
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A NOTE ON RACIAL JUSTICE:  February is Black History month. Celebrate by learning something new about Black history in the US. For a list of books, articles, podcasts, and videos to get you started, click here for a free, downloadable PDF. Also check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice.  Click here to learn more.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”  Matthew 2:1-2
 
 
Today is Epiphany. And it’s not just a day. It’s the beginning of the liturgical season which starts with the Magi’s visit to the Christ Child, extends through the start of Jesus’ ministry, and ends with His transfiguration. I suggest that as part of our faith journey, Epiphany never ends. It’s a way of life.
 
Epiphany is a word denoting what we often call a “lightbulb” moment, when we have a sudden realization of a particular reality. Epiphany is also where the extraordinary intersects the ordinary.
 
Matthew 2:1-12 unfolds as the Magi, often called the Three Kings or the Three Wise Men, see a brilliant star in the sky and believe this light will lead them to the king of the Jews. They pack up their provisions, load up their camels, and begin their journey. Expecting to find Him in Jerusalem, the Magi inquire of Herod where they can find this king. Alarmed he may have a rival, Herod learns that, according to Old Testament prophesies, the king of the Jews will be born in Bethlehem and he feigns the desire to worship this new-born king himself.
 
As the Magi leave Herod’s palace, they are discouraged that they do not find who they are looking for in Jerusalem. But when the bright star reappears, they are overjoyed and encouraged. They follow this luminous light until it stops over the house in Bethlehem where Jesus is. The Magi fall down and worship the Christ Child. They lavish expensive gifts on Him, gifts of frankincense, myrrh, and gold. That night, being warned in a dream by God, the Magi leave Bethlehem and travel home by a different route, bypassing Jerusalem and the ruthless Herod.
 
As we dive deeper into this familiar story, we discover the Magi in these long-ago events have much to teach us today. Some scholars believe the Magi were actual wise and learned men who were from Persia (modern-day Iran). When they spot this extraordinary star hovering over Israel, they know from prophesies that this light signifies the birth of the king of the Jews. They immediately pack up and head out to find this newborn king.
 
Understanding God’s Word and listening to His voice enables us to hear His calling and obey immediately.
 
The Magi travel a long way. I wonder if they grew weary. As they leave Jerusalem, they are disappointed and discouraged.
 
Sometimes, even when we know we are following God’s leading, we can grow tired and weary. Following God requires prayer and persistence.
 
When they reach their final destination, the Magi fall down and worship Jesus.
 
Authentic worship requires true humility before God.
 
The Magi put aside any prejudices and cross-cultural differences as they kneel in humility before someone of a different race and religion.
 
Recognizing they are created in God’s image, we accept others who are different from ourselves regardless of the color of their skin, their gender identity, their orientation, or their religion.
 
The Magi unpack their generous gifts to the Christ Child, laying them at His feet.
 
We worship God by generously giving back to Him the best of our time, money, talents, and resources.
 
After worshipping the king of the Jews, the Magi continue to follow God’s calling through a dream and travel home by another route.
 
When we’re up against life’s bad actors, we listen to God’s still and quiet voice rather than listening to those who would deceive us or distract us from our God-given purpose.
 
The Magi’s epiphany doesn’t stop at finding the Christ Child. They experience God in the ordinariness of a dream before traveling back to their homeland.
 
Look expectantly for God to show up in the ordinariness of everyday life. Pray to have spiritual eyes to see Him and then slow down enough to actually see Him at work.
 
Epiphany is the moment the Magi gaze into the face of a newborn baby and behold the face of God. In that moment, the extraordinary interrupts the ordinary and divinity becomes humanity. In their epiphany, the Magi fall down in worship of this Christ Child, this king of the Jews.
 
Jesus stands at the crossroads of His extraordinariness and our ordinariness: God in human flesh, both fully divine and fully human. His birth is no ordinary birth but rather it is the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah. He is no ordinary child born of human parents but rather He is the Son of God who has come to die on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins of living life without God. Our faith journey begins with the epiphany that, through His resurrection, Jesus is our Savior. We are reconciled to God the Father and are empowered to live out His purposes of grace, mercy, and justice here on earth before living forever in eternity with Him.
 
Throughout our faith journey, God continues to interrupt our lives of ordinariness with His epiphanies of extraordinariness. We only need to open our spiritual eyes and ears to see and hear Him working in our midst. It is our continual act of worship.
 
The Magi followed a star to worship the Light of the World. We follow the Savior of the world from a rough-hewn manger to an empty tomb. Our response, like that of the Magi, is worship.
 
 
Jesus, Your light shines into my darkness, illuminating my path to follow You. I thank You for the epiphany that You are indeed the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. May I fall down and worship You as the one true King, bringing what I have to lay at Your feet. May my joy overflow as I live out Your calling on my life to shine Your light of grace, mercy, and justice into the darkness of this world. Open my spiritual eyes and ears to experience Epiphany throughout this coming year as You reveal more of Your extraordinariness to me in the ordinariness of life. In Your precious Name I pray, Amen.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2021 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of an old barn in California.
 
 
A NOTE ON RACIAL JUSTICE:  Becoming antiracist is a journey. Together, we can make a difference. Will you join me? Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice.  Click here to learn more.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  Luke 2:8-11
 
 
This year 2020 has been unlike anything any of us expected. As it draws to a close, I find myself feeling relieved that it’s almost over. I am also desperately wishing that 2021 will be a new year indeed, one of hope and promise, rather than fear and devastation.
 
As we look in the rearview mirror at 2020, it’s easy to focus on the negatives. Often, our minds have a negative bias that naturally pulls us to negative thoughts. We dwell on what didn’t go well and what we lost in the process. Not to minimize our real losses, but when we fixate on the negatives, joy and contentment flee as fear and despair worm their way into our hearts and minds.

Even in “normal” times, when we focus on what we lack rather than on what we have, we will be discouraged. When our perspective skews to the negative, that negativity poisons not just our thought life, but our attitudes, words, and actions as well.
 
We have to consciously steer our thoughts toward the positive or as 2 Corinthians 10:5* says, we need to take our thoughts captive, especially the negative ones. While it may seem counter-intuitive, the shortcut to joy in the midst of despair is gratitude.
 
Instead of dwelling on what we don’t have, shift the focus to what we do have. What we each have is relative, of course. But even seemingly minor things are often what we take for granted, like the breath in our lungs or the newness of another day. Maybe it’s food on the table, a roof over our heads, or connecting with someone we love. Or maybe, as the Bible puts it in Psalm 51:12*, it’s restoring the joy of our salvation by thanking Jesus for His sacrifice to reconcile us to God who is still in control despite any seemingly contradictory circumstances.
 
Gratitude blossoms into joy. Taking a few minutes each day to reconnect with what we are grateful for allows joy to bloom in our hearts and a new perspective to spring up in our minds. Our souls find peace and contentment in spite of the unfortunate circumstances swirling around our feet.
 
Maintaining joy in the face of despair is not “Pollyanna-ish”. In fact, it’s actually biblical. In Philippians 4:4*, we are actually commanded to rejoice in the Lord always. That doesn’t mean to rejoice in our circumstances but in spite of them. It’s focusing vertically on the Lord rather than horizontally on our current landscape. We can rejoice in God because, regardless of our circumstances, God’s grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9*), Jesus is with us always (Matthew 28:20b), and His love for us never ends (Lamentations 3:22). When we allow the Holy Spirit to rein freely in our hearts, joy is one of the Spirit’s manifestations (Galatians 5:22-23*).
 
Our key verses today are from a familiar passage about the birth of Jesus. This angelic birth announcement comes first to shepherds who are uneducated men and low on society’s ladder. They are in the middle of an ordinary night of protecting their sheep from predators. How like God to seek out the lowly and marginalized and elevate them to a place of honor. But when the shepherds see this stunning apparition, they are afraid. They have never before seen the dazzling brilliance of an angel. When they realize this pure, holy light is from God, they are acutely aware of their own sinfulness. The angel reassures the shepherds that they don’t need to be afraid.
 
The good news that God provides the way of salvation to all who believe, despite no one deserving it, is cause for great joy. The shepherds are the first to hear and experience this joy in the long-awaited Savior. What an incredible rejoicing there must have been in the fields that night!
 
Like the shepherds, we may find ourselves in fearful circumstances. But we need not fear, for Jesus brings joy and hope. In the midst of ordinary life, the shepherds are grateful for the arrival of the promised Messiah and experience the joy of knowing their Savior is born that night. Whether life is extraordinarily ordinary or devastatingly extraordinary, we, too, can experience gratitude followed by joy.
 
During this Christmas season, Luke 2:8-11 reminds us that the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus brings joy to the world and hope to all. He has overcome. And by His grace, with gratitude, we will, too.
 
 
Lord, I thank You for the simplicity of entering humanity that Holy Night, where the power of the Divine touches the frailty of humanity and where the glory of the Divine meets the flesh of a newborn baby. Thank You for humbling Yourself as a tiny human to bring hope to all who believe in You as the divine Savior of the world. Like the shepherds long ago under the clear, starry night, may You transform my fear and despair into hope and contentment. May joy rule my heart as gratitude rules my thoughts. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.
 

*2 Corinthians 10:5 - We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
 
*Psalm 51:12 - Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
 
*Philippians 4:4 - Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
 
*2 Corinthians 12:9 – But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
 
*Matthew 28:20b – “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
 
*Lamentations 3:22 – The Lord’s love never ends. His mercies never stop. (ICB)
 
*Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of a red Peony from Melrose, Scotland.
 
 
A NOTE ON RACIAL JUSTICE:  Becoming antiracist is a journey. Together, we can make a difference. Will you join me? Check out my web page on “Justice Matters” to find resources and to connect with organizations engaging in the cause of racial justice.  Click here to learn more.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
 
ICB translation - Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  Psalm 23:4
 
 
I live in a valley between two mountain ranges. It’s a beautiful place and I love looking up on either side at the peaks and ridges as I travel along the freeway or the bike trail. Green in spring but brown by summer, the terrain is something I just can’t get enough of.
 
Until fire season rolls around. Those varying shades of brown signify the arid composition of the land. There are no summer rains to bring the greenness back but rather lightning strikes to start wildfires and fierce winds to fan the fast-moving flames. Because of climate change, the summers are hotter and drier. The fires get closer.
 
Fear has a way of imbedding deep into your mind and creating a stronghold, a venerable fortress that forces all other, perhaps more rational thoughts, to succumb to the strength of that fear. Anxiety, a close cousin of fear, guards this prison of the mind as it exerts control over the body in a visceral sort of way.
 
To unlock the prison of my anxious and fearful thoughts, I open my Bible. Psalm 23 is a familiar one. I read it this time with new eyes as I pray for the Holy Spirit’s illumination. The key verse today, verse 4, leaps off the page. I can certainly relate to walking through a valley, especially one that is threatened by wildfires. David, the shepherd boy turned king who penned this psalm, declares in verse 4 that he will fear no evil. Why? Because the Lord is with him. I, too, need not fear both real and exaggerated dangers. God’s presence surrounds me and melts away the stronghold of fear within my mind. But first, I have to recognize His presence with me, trust in His faithfulness and sovereignty to protect me, and make a conscious choice not to allow fear to control me.
 
“Your rod and your staff” in verse 4 do not initially sound very comforting to me. Yet, as I dig a bit deeper into this verse, I realize that “rod” simply refers to God’s Word and the strength it imparts. God’s Word is indeed a source of strength to me, especially when I tuck verses like Psalm 23:4 or Psalm 56:3* into my memory to recall when I start to feel afraid again.
 
The shepherd’s crook or staff in verse 4 has several meanings. The staff refers to the way the shepherd guides and protects his sheep by gently keeping them on the right path and by using the staff against predators to protect his precious sheep. Whatever my fears are, Jesus protects me and guides me through this darkest valley on a path of faith and trust.

The staff is also a symbol of God’s promises. Two such promises spring to mind:  God is with me and will strengthen and help me (Isaiah 41:10*) and when I pray about everything with thanksgiving, God promises to guard my heart and mind with His peace (Philippians 4:6-7*). While fear is a normal human emotion, I don’t have to let it control me. God is with me and through prayer, I can experience His peace in the midst of fearful circumstances.

Lastly, the staff is instrumental in aiding the shepherd as he counts his sheep, which, in biblical times, were considered very valuable. This reminds me of Jesus’ words in Luke 12:7, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Jesus values me and cares for me so much that I can trust Him to take care of me and I don’t need to be afraid. I can cast all my anxiety on Him for He cares for me (1 Peter 5:7*).
 
The whole imagery of sheep and a shepherd is comforting. Isaiah 40:11 says, “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” Parking my mind on this imagery of Jesus carrying His lambs close to His heart, to love and protect them replaces the negative and rampant thoughts of fear and reassures me that Jesus loves and protects me, too. When I’m afraid, I have the abiding presence of Jesus to calm my fears and His strength to carry me when my own strength has been sabotaged by fear.
 
What causes your heart to seize with fear? This year has held us hostage to the fear of a pandemic with its many horrible implications. George Floyd’s murder has awakened many to the fear gripping Black communities every day. The stress of the election (yes, election stress disorder is a thing) can evoke both fear and anxiety regarding the uncertainty now and the outcome later. (I’m writing this a couple of weeks before Election Day.) Perhaps you have your own unique fears layered on top of these underpinnings of national angst. Whatever causes trepidation in your heart and keeps your mind on a loop of perpetual anxiety, know that God is in control, that He is with you, that He will strengthen and help you, and that He tenderly cares for you as a shepherd cares for his lambs, especially in the midst of trying and scary circumstances. (Click here for a free, downloadable PDF of Bible verses on fear and anxiety.)
 
Choosing to trust Jesus as my Shepherd who lovingly cares for me as His sheep, His precious lamb, fills me with hope and comfort instead of anxiety and fear. I don’t have to be afraid when the Shepherd walks with me, whether it’s in the valley of the shadow of death or in the valley of California wildfires, global pandemics, racial injustice, or national elections. In whatever fearful valley you find yourself in today, know that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, lovingly walks with you and will gently lead you through to peaceful green pastures and calming still waters.
 
 
Lord, You are the Good Shepherd who lovingly looks after Your sheep. I don’t need to hold onto fear, even when circumstances tell me otherwise. My truly safe place is inside where Your Spirit brings me the gifts of Your presence, strength, and peace. I thank You that You are sovereign and faithful to lead me through whatever valley I’m walking in today. Amen.
 
 
*Psalm 56:3 - When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
 
*Isaiah 41:10 - So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
 
*Philippians 4:6-7 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
 
*1 Peter 5:7 - Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of grazing sheep in Paradise, near Queenstown, New Zealand.
 
 
A NOTE ABOUT RACIAL JUSTICE: The conversation on racial justice must continue. But change will not happen with only conversations and demonstrations. Cultural and legislative changes are key to dismantling systemic racism. Antiracism is a journey. Will you join me? Click here to check out my new website page on “Justice Matters”.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  Matthew 22:37-40
 
 
I remember a particular visit to my grandmother’s house many years ago with my parents and brothers. My father and his mother loved to talk politics. At one point, my grandmother, sensing that my mother was bored out of her mind, looked at my mom and said, “You may not be interested in politics now, but someday you’ll realize how important political affairs are and how they impact your whole life.” My grandmother’s words never changed my mother’s mind, but they have stuck with me all these years. I’ve come to realize she was right. When you boil politics down, you have policies that govern every aspect of our lives here in the US. And these policies matter.
 
Despite that enlightening conversation I overheard as a teen, my grandmother’s words would lie dormant for quite a while in the otherwise fertile soil of my young mind. Years later, a busy life of family and work left me little space for becoming informed of political affairs. My apathy towards politics blinded me to the intersection of political life and my own life. But as my grandmother’s words began to germinate, I discovered I had a lot to learn.
 
At some point, I had become a single-issue voter, regardless of how many other important issues were on the ballot. I chose a candidate based on where they stood on this seemingly all-important issue without thinking about and researching whether there were other issues this candidate stood for that might negatively impact me or others in the broader community. I also never considered other aspects of this over-arching issue. I discovered I had been wrong in voting this way. It's like hiring someone solely based on one characteristic without looking to see if they are truly qualified. Yet that was how I hired with my vote. Resolutions and referendums on the ballot were reduced to questions like “What's in it for me?” and “How will this impact me?”. To ignore the rest of a candidate’s platform or a referendum’s implications was at least ignorant and selfish and at most reckless.
 
Moving from a single-issue voter to voting on a broad array of issues takes thoughtfulness and intention. I had to broaden my perspective and consider the impact of what and who I was voting for. And I had to put the good of the country over loyalty to any party. I’ve realized that a democracy does not exist for the purpose of a select few, but for the good of all people. As a citizen, I have to take a stand on issues that impact all of us, including, but not limited to, the pandemic, racial injustice and oppression, climate change, job opportunities, education, medical care, and food and housing insecurity. These topics have far-reaching consequences for every person in this country and issues like climate change impact the entire world. All of these issues are on the ballot this year.

As Christians, where does the kingdom of Jesus intersect the world of politics? In Jesus' day, His followers expected Him to overthrow the Roman government. Instead Jesus ushered in a kingdom of love, reconciliation, justice, grace, and truth that operated within the framework of the existing government. While the disciples didn’t have the right to vote, we as US citizens cannot take this precious right lightly nor exercise it in a vacuum. Becoming knowledgeable of today’s issues with God’s wisdom allows us to change our society to be more just to all people, not just for an elite few. We each have a voice. Our voice is our vote.

How do we vote as Christians? To vote by biblical principles means to first become informed. For ballot initiatives, check out government websites that explain the referendums. Regarding candidates, look at their websites to find out where they stand on issues. Compare their views with their opponent’s and compare the platforms of the major political parties. Listen to and/or read news that is reputable (not on social media).

Secondly, take the information you glean and run it through what I call the “Grid of Love”, a template through which we can test the issues and the candidates based on John 3:16* that tells of God’s love and sacrifice for the whole world. This Grid of Love uses God’s principles of love, reconciliation, justice, grace, and truth to help us discern God’s heart and mind as we sift through the issues.

1 – Love – Matthew 22:37-40 – Our key verse for today is about Jesus’ greatest commandments of loving God and our neighbors. Love must be at the forefront when we think about a political issue. Ask yourself whether the issue or the candidate’s platform shows love to people, keeping in mind God’s particular concern for the poor and the oppressed.

2 – Reconciliation – 2 Corinthians 5:18-20* – Ask yourself how this issue or candidate enables us to be ambassadors of reconciliation so people understand who God is and will want to be reconciled to Him. Does this issue or candidate divide people or bring them together?

3 – Justice – Micah 6:8* – Consider whether this issue or candidate establishes justice or oppression. Sometimes what is legal is not just. Again, keep in mind God’s deep passion and love for the poor and the oppressed.

4 – Grace and Truth – John 1:14* - Grace and truth can exist simultaneously when we consider all the angles, when we allow our consciences to be informed by the Holy Spirit, and when we consider God’s character and His desires for humankind. When we consider the truth or the legalities, add the dimensions of grace and compassion. How does the issue impact all groups of people? How would you feel if you were in an impacted group? Ask yourself how you would wish to be treated in this situation.

When we use the Scriptures to inform our response, the Holy Spirit has an opportunity to engage our consciences. We may come to different conclusions (Romans 14:4-5*) but if we are sincere in our approach, research, and prayer, and we’re being led by the Holy Spirit without being under the influence of political parties or religious groups’ political persuasions, we can decide confidently for ourselves and know in our hearts and consciences that the Holy Spirit is guiding us. Our vote matches our convictions when we’ve thoughtfully wrestled with the issues with the help of the Holy Spirit and the guiding principles of love, reconciliation, justice, grace, and truth. It’s important that we don’t judge others for their conclusions as we would not want them to judge us (Matthew 7:1*).

Let’s view the ballot, not with myopic eyes for only one issue, but with foresight toward the horizon, encompassing many issues, for a better, healthier, and more just society for all. Let’s be the hands and feet of Jesus as we bring His values of love, reconciliation, justice, grace, and truth to shape the policies that will affect the common good, including our own good. Maybe, then, we will all share hope for the future, a better future for us, our neighbors, and our country.

The seeds planted by my grandmother in my adolescent mind have germinated and blossomed into an interest in political affairs that still surprises me. I think she would be proud of me for picking up her mantle and carrying it forward. And I believe our heavenly Father is also proud of us when we live out His commandments of love by showing we care about all our neighbors in how we vote at the ballot box.
 
 
Lord God, I thank You that Your kingdom is based on love, reconciliation, justice, grace, and truth. May I live out my faith by loving You with all my heart, soul, and mind and all my neighbors as myself. Where politics intersects my life, may Your Holy Spirit be my guide. Grant me Your wisdom to choose wisely at the ballot box so that Your grace and compassion will be evident to all. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
 
*John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
 
*2 Corinthians 5:18-20 - All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
 
*Micah 6:8 -He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
 
*John 1:14 - The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
 
*Romans 14:4-5 - Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.
 
*Matthew 7:1 - “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”
 
 
Note: Inspiration for this blog post is from Voting by the Book which appeared in the May/June 2008 issue of Discipleship Journal magazine (Issue 165).
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of a lone tree in Paradise, near Queenstown, New Zealand.
 

​A NOTE ABOUT RACIAL JUSTICE: The conversation on racial justice must continue. But change will not happen with only conversations and demonstrations. Legislation is the key for change. Cast your vote for candidates who pledge to dismantle systemic racism. Antiracism is a journey. Will you join me? (Please see previous posts entitled Waking Up, Loving Mercy, and Humbly Walking.)

 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.  Micah 6:8
 
 
In the previous posts entitled Waking Up and Loving Mercy, we looked at systemic racism and racial injustice through the filter of Micah 6:8. To act justly involves becoming informed in order to better understand the realities and causes of systemic racism. Then we can seek justice in our own actions and in society. To love mercy means to delight in having compassion and showing kindness toward others regardless of their race. Today’s post will dive into the last part of the verse on what it means to walk humbly before God.
 
In the days of Micah, the Old Testament prophet, injustice and oppression were rampant. Those who acted cruelly and unjustly toward others created and sustained this system of oppression with impunity. They felt they were above the law. As I study Micah 6:8, I wonder why “walk humbly with your God” is last and not first, for it would make sense to be right with God before one could act justly and kindly toward others. Yet, perhaps the verse is in this order for a reason.
 
The word humble is defined as modest, not proud or arrogant, and courteously respectful. Humility is thinking of ourselves rightly and truthfully, not as superior. In the previous post, we defined racism in part as thinking of our own race as superior. When we view humility through the lens of racism and injustice, we discover that it is impossible to be humble if we hold the racist belief of racial superiority.
 
Luke 18:9 states that there were “some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else.” To speak to His listeners’ lack of humility, Jesus tells this parable in Luke 18:10-14. A Pharisee goes to the temple to pray. Pharisees were zealous Jews that proudly upheld and enforced over 600 laws of do’s and don’ts. In reality, the Pharisees oppressed the poor and held groups of people like the Gentiles and women in contempt.(1) At the temple, standing further back is a tax collector, a member of a profession held in contempt by the Jewish people because they worked for the Roman government and were known for cheating and greediness. As the Pharisee prays, he commends himself to God based on his fasting and tithing and thanks God that he is not like everyone else, particularly the tax collector. Meanwhile, the tax collector, by standing far from the Pharisee, shows his respect and humility. In his shame and unworthiness, he can’t even look up toward heaven. He beats himself on the chest to show his contriteness as he confesses his sins through this simple prayer: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” He knows he cannot be right with God on his own merit and that his righteousness only comes from being in a right relationship with God who alone pardons sins and shows mercy. The Pharisee, by contrast, is proud and arrogant as he trusts in his own righteousness. Note there is no real worship of God in the Pharisee’s prayer or any confession of sin. His prayer displays his contempt for others while it shows his blatant refusal to see himself as he is: a sinner in need of grace. Jesus states that the tax collector, not the Pharisee, is absolved from his sins and made right with God that day. Jesus says, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
 
In contrasting the Pharisee with the tax collector, the connection between mercy and humility is clear: when we do not love mercy, we become judgmental and critical of others, thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to. Perhaps this is why walking humbly follows acting justly and loving mercy in Micah 6:8. If we do not act justly and kindly toward others, it’s impossible to walk humbly with God. For it is in our deeds that we show our true heart.(2) And God is not fooled by our hypocritical thoughts and actions. Only when we act justly and love mercy can we walk humbly with our God.   
 
Racism is more than explicitly feeling superior toward people of a different race. We can implicitly and subconsciously perpetrate racism without knowingly thinking we’re superior. But if we view this passage in Luke through the lens of racism, we see that when we believe we are superior, we act like the arrogant and judgmental Pharisee. Superiority (or supremacy) is incompatible with humility before God. We cannot walk humbly with God while walking self-righteously before humankind. When we condemn people of color to a life of poverty and oppression by wrongly thinking they are somehow inferior and thus deserve it, we are exuding self-righteousness. The justice, mercy, and humility from Micah 6:8 cannot be experienced if we are caught up in superiority and self-righteousness. We cannot act justly by blaming people of color for their unfortunate and often horrific circumstances when it is the systems of racism that perpetrate inhumanity on our fellow humans. And by our silence and complicity in those systems, it is we who are guilty.
 
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, in his 1963 Letter from a Birmingham Jail written to eight prominent white clergy, shared his disappointment and disdain for “the white moderate”, someone who is “more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: ‘I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action’; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom…Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.” Dr. King expected to count the white church as his allies. Instead, some were “outright opponents, refusing to understand...all too many others have been more cautious than
courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained glass windows.”
 
Saying we agree in principle but doing nothing to stop racial injustice allows systemic racism to continue. Standing up for what is right takes courage. But we, as individuals and as the Christian church, have the collective power to interrupt centuries of injustice. How we use our power is a choice. The question is not should we do it, but how will we do it? First of all, pray and ask God to show you how He wants you to become involved in the conversation of racial injustice. Continue to become informed. (Click here for resources.) Give to and reach out to organizations who are trying to make a difference. Ask how you can get involved. (Click here to learn more.) Write letters to your state legislators and representatives in Congress asking for changes in laws that massively incarcerate and discriminate against people of color.(3) Peacefully protest. Vote for candidates who view systemic racism as an issue that they are willing to address. Get to know a person of color. Stand up for what is right, just, and merciful.
 
Each of us has the power to make a difference. By acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God, we can be the change the world desperately needs today.
 
 
Lord, how Your heart must break from man’s inhumanity to man. Continue to open my eyes and heart to oppression, systemic racism, and racial injustice. Give me the boldness to continue this conversation and the courage to do all I can to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
 
(1) Traditionally, Pharisees recited a prayer daily thanking God they were not born a Gentile, an unlearned man, or a woman.
 
(2) In Luke 6:41-45, Jesus, using the analogy of taking the plank out of your own eye before taking the sawdust out of someone else’s eye, says we are not to judge. He goes on to discuss that the fruit of our actions reveals what’s in our hearts.
 
(3) Beginning with the “War on Drugs” in the 1980’s (when drug use was actually on the decline), federal funding under the Byrne program incentivizes local police to arrest high numbers of drug offenders without search warrants or probable cause and allows them to seize all kinds of property. Without adequate legal representation, many offenders plead guilty to avoid higher sentencing, even when they are innocent. Mandatory prison sentences for drug use, more stringent than other countries’ laws for murder and violent crime, often arbitrarily result in locking up a minor drug offender for life, rather than providing drug rehabilitation. Mass incarceration is used solely for the purpose of destroying the families and communities of people of color. It replaced Jim Crow laws, which had replaced the institution of slavery. For more information, read The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of entrance to a Burgundian winery, Corgoloin, France.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.  Micah 6:8
 
 
In the previous post entitled Waking Up, we began our look at systemic racism through the lens of Micah 6:8. To act justly involves becoming informed so we can better understand the realities and causes of systemic racism. Then we can seek justice in our society and in our own actions. Today’s post will delve into the second part of the verse:  what it means to love mercy.
 
The ICB’s translation of loving mercy in Micah 6:8 is to “love being kind to others.” Mercy is kindness; it’s compassion in action. We are to love or delight in showing kindness. And we know from Galatians 5:23* that kindness is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit living in us. In an age of racism, how do we develop compassion and put it into action as kindness?
 
First, it’s helpful to define racism and how it fits into our own narratives. Racism is the belief that inherent differences (for example, biological) between racial groups determine achievement instead of individual merit and that one’s own race is superior. Racism becomes systemic when those beliefs are built into society, into each of its institutions, to give preferential treatment to the dominant group and allow discrimination toward the oppressed group.
 
I’m learning that typically, as white people, we do not believe we are racist. We have been taught that being a racist is always someone who is bad and intentionally racist. We become defensive if someone implies that we are racist since we believe we are “good” and that we would not intentionally say or do anything racist. This binary way of thinking of ourselves as good people who are not intentionally racist lets us off the hook for being racist. Consequently, we believe we are not responsible for sustaining racism in society.
 
Because we are all born into the same society with institutionalized racism, we all have internalized messages that are racist. Our challenge as white people is to replace those messages with biblically-based thoughts that align with the God who created every person in His image. One concept I find helpful is to think of racism and antiracism as a continuum rather than a binary option. When we can admit and confess our internalized racist beliefs, then we are free to move forward without defensiveness as we start to shed our racist beliefs and begin to reshape our thinking. Ultimately, our actions will reflect our true values based on how God says we are to treat others. 
 
In Luke 10:25-37, when a leader in the synagogue asks Jesus what are the greatest commandments, we learn that they are what every good Jew recited every day:  to “love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5), and to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). The leader presses Jesus to define “neighbor”, perhaps to prove he has sufficiently loved his neighbor. To the Jews, “neighbor” was narrowly defined as someone who was either kin to you or who ran in the same religious circle as you. Jesus answers the question of who is my neighbor with the parable that we call the Good Samaritan. We see a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho who is beaten, robbed, stripped naked, and left for dead. A priest comes along, but not wanting to be made ceremonially unclean by touching a potentially dead body, he walks on the other side of the road. A Levite, a member of the tribe of Levi who serves in the temple, walks toward the man, peers at him, and walks on. Finally, a Samaritan man comes along and stops to help the injured man, binding up his wounds and taking him on his donkey to a nearby inn where he cares for him. He then pays the innkeeper to continue the care until he returns. Jesus asks the question: “Which of these was a neighbor?” The leader answers that it is the one who helped him. Jesus tells him to go and do likewise.
 
The fact that neither of the religious leaders stopped to help displays their hypocrisy. One avoids the injured man and the other stops to peer at him and then looks the other way. How often, throughout history and even now, does the Christian church turn a blind eye to oppression when it has the power to stop it and offer help?
 
In the culture of Jesus’ day, the Jews and the Samaritans were enemies. The Jews looked down on the Samaritans as an inferior race because they had intermarried with other races. They also practiced their religion differently than the Jews. For a Samaritan to be the hero of this story was shocking to the Jewish listeners. But for this Samaritan to go the extra mile in seeing that the man is well taken care of shows his compassionate heart, for he doesn’t stop at just a minimal amount of help but continues to go out of his way to provide aid. Jesus shatters their idea of “neighbor”, for compassion has no borders.
 
The person called the Good Samaritan is a great example of how to break down our prejudices and our learned racism. He sees the wounded man as fully human and in need of help that he is in the position to give. We, too, need to view everyone as humans who deserve our respect, dignity, and love, for that is how God views everyone. His compassion has no borders.
 
While we may think we are not responsible for systemic racism, we are both individually and collectively responsible. As we allow God to open our eyes and change our hearts, we realize we have both the responsibility and the power to interrupt systemic racism. By our words and deeds, we can make a difference. Jesus calls us to be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32**). Perhaps we start with acknowledging the mercy we have received from the Lord and then extending it to those He puts in our path.
 
What are practical steps in loving mercy? Pray. Ask God to show you how to be a His vessel of mercy to those oppressed by systemic racism. Continue to become informed. (Click here for resources.) Give to and actively engage with organizations who are trying to make a difference. (Click here to learn more.) Volunteer and peacefully protest where you can. Vote for candidates who want to change the systems that perpetrate racism. Get to know a person of color. Stand up for what is right. Silence is not an option.
 
While we may not be traveling the steep road from Jerusalem to Jericho, we are indeed on a journey of antiracism. Our society is screaming for the conversations, the actions, and the results. To love mercy, we need to realize that racism is a continuum, that we have to start where we are, acquire the knowledge that we need to change our stereotypes, and transform our prejudicial thoughts into loving acts of mercy. Then and only then will we be able to do as Jesus says and truly love our neighbors as ourselves.
 
 
Dear Heavenly Father, I confess my racial biases and prejudices to You. Open my eyes to see the devastation wrought by oppression on individuals that You created in Your image. Change my heart to be filled with Your compassion to reach out in kindness to do my part in stopping the tide of systemic racism. Grant me Your wisdom and love to act justly and to love mercy in my sphere of influence today. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
 
 
*Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
 
**Ephesians 4:32 - Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of the Adriatic Sea from Otranto, Province of Lecce, in Puglia, Italy.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
 
ICB translation = Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.  Micah 6:8
 
 
I have this terrible habit. I call it “waking up in the middle of my story”. In the hard things in life, it’s when I finally realize the truth of my circumstances and wonder how in the world I got there.
 
Recently, I’m waking up in the middle of a new story. When the reality I’ve been living doesn’t stack up to the truth, I wonder where I could have gone wrong. Why didn’t I see this before? Where was I?
 
When I wake up to discover that our Constitution which states “liberty and justice for all” doesn’t really mean “all”, I’m waking up to the nightmare that is everyday reality for people of color. When I realize that police kill Black people without justification and with impunity, I’m waking up to the horrible reality of police brutality and the injustice in the “justice” system.
 
Systemic racism in the U.S. is real. It has not been eradicated, despite numerous Constitutional amendments, laws, and litigation.*1 Yet, white Americans may view events in the news as racist without seeing the interconnectivity of these events as part of the bigger picture of systemic racism.

Nikole Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist, puts it this way:  ”There is a collective grief that Black Americans feel [that] where white Americans have often used these as individual incidences, Black Americans understand that this is part of a collective history and when we see this, we always know that this can happen to our own communities.” She adds, “There is a sense that white Americans will tolerate so much pain, so much suffering, the lack of Black Americans having their civil rights and full citizenship, until something so egregiously horrifying occurs that they can no longer be in denial about that. And I think we're just tired of having to prove our humanity only when the most inhumane thing happens to us."*2

While white people may react defensively, we who live in this society are complicit because we are part of the same community. To paraphrase Tim Keller, author and pastor, the biblical concept of community means that by being part of a community, you share in its responsibility. In a powerful example, Keller says that because no one resisted the Nazi regime, it was successful in killing Jews. Everyone in that society was part of the system. They supported it by participating even when they didn’t know what was happening or when they looked the other way. They were all responsible for it.*3 We are all collectively part of the same society and bear responsibility. And we cannot afford to be silent to injustice. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
 
In our key verse, the prophet Micah does not remain silent about things that matter by calling out the sins of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, specifically the sins of abuse of power, oppression, and injustice.  When the leaders ask Micah what they can do to move back into God’s good graces, Micah tells them what God requires of them. Note that he does not say the following is optional. They are commanded “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
 
Over the next several posts, we’ll unpack this particular verse. For today, let’s start with the first command. What does it mean to act justly? Justice is truth in motion with a sense of fairness. In order to act with justice, we must first become informed. Just as a jury must hear both sides of the case before making a decision for justice, so should we open-mindedly become informed of the facts.
 
In this digital age, we are bombarded with news on every front. By choosing reputable news sources (and not believing everything we read on social media), we become better informed. By reading books and articles written by sociologists, activists, and other experts, we become particularly informed on the issue of racism and how it has become institutionalized in many parts of our society. White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo is a good place to start. Choosing books by Black authors broadens our perspective. I highly recommend When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele. Click here for a downloadable list of suggested readings, videos, and resources.
 
When we seek the truth with an open mind and heart, we realize that the very whiteness of our skin determines in many unjust ways our quality of life. “White privilege” is not so much about what you get as a white person as much as what it protects you from. While white privilege absolutely opens the door to opportunities for education, employment, and wealth creation, it also protects white people from fear of police brutality, from fear of being incarcerated for having done nothing wrong, and from fear that you or your loved one could be shot and killed at any moment for no good reason.
 
Becoming informed is an ongoing process, but just knowing the truth is not enough. We must act on it. Just as faith without works is dead (James 2:26), knowing the truth and not putting it into action is useless. A good place to start is to give your time and resources to organizations that are making a difference. Click here for suggestions. Dr. King said, “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children. It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment.”*4
 
Liberty and justice for all isn’t a zero-sum game. There is enough for all to live in this country with dignity, respect, and yes, even dreams. The dream of a young, Black pastor assassinated in 1968 for daring to speak up still lives on in this current generation. May we act justly as we work urgently to implement needed changes. And may we all wake up soon in the middle of a new story, one of reconciliation, peace, and liberty and justice for all.
 
  
Lord, You are always on the side of the oppressed and their cries for justice do not go unheeded. Help me remember we all are created in Your image, God, and we are all Your children. Give me eyes to see injustice, the motivation to change it, and the will to act justly in all I say and do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
 
NOTE 1:  These include the 13th amendment to abolish slavery, the 14th amendment granting citizenship to former slaves, the 15th amendment granting voting rights to Black men, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Fair Housing Act of 1968, litigation such as Brown v. Board of Education (outlawed segregated schools) and Loving v. Virginia (allowed interracial marriage), plus the Civil Rights Movement itself.
 
NOTE 2:  From Own YouTube Channel, 6/9/20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Le2IQh1uGw
 
NOTE 3:  From Racism and Corporate Evil: A White Guy’s Perspective
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhJJcTKTVGo
 
NOTE 4:  From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I Have a Dream…” speech, 1963
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of the sands at low tide behind Le Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™