Common Ground — Kindness is God’s Heart, Not a Political Issue

Posted on August 30, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

Jacob Blake. Another racially charged police shooting, resulting in more social unrest–when will it end? Actually, it won’t until the new heaven and the new earth, when Jesus comes again to make all things new and banish all evil and brokenness once and for all.

Does that mean there’s nothing we can do in the meantime? Of course not! God is perfectly capable of completely eradicating this or any other form of evil just like that, but He tends to prefer to accomplish His purposes by having His people work on His behalf. As much as it grieves Him to see evil take hold of someone’s heart, I think the joy He must feel when one of His followers does something to help another human being in His name surely outweighs the grief.

So what can we do in this horrible situation we find ourselves in? What can I, an insignificant person living in an insignificant town, do to end systemic racism, as the social justice mantra of the day demands? That is a tall order, indeed. Well, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Perhaps instead of trying to end systemic racism, I can search myself, examine my own soul and motivations, to make sure I don’t harbor any judgement toward any other group of human beings because of what they look like or believe or sound like, or any other way of differentiating others from myself. God will be glad to help all of us with this, if we ask Him to show us any such rivers of darkness flowing through our soul, and eliminate them for us.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive say in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalms 139:23-24 – A simple prayer to ask God to find seeds of racism in our own hearts, and eliminate them in order to find find the way everlasting

Further, I can remember that Jesus saw fit to give His life for every single person I encounter, and by remembering that, I can treat them with the kindness and dignity and respect that Jesus would offer them. The Gospels are full of stories about Jesus surprising everyone, even His closest followers, by engaging with people who didn’t matter, people different from Him: women, children, Samaritans, adulteresses, tax collectors, Roman soldiers, lepers. Jesus risked His neck by protecting the woman caught in adultery. He risked His reputation by speaking to the “racially inferior” Samaritan woman. He supposedly became unclean by touching lepers, so He risked not being able to enter a place of worship.

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

John 8:7 – The simple yet brilliant statement Jesus gives in defense of the woman who was caught in the act of adultery. Side question: Why was the man not also dragged in front of Jesus…?

Oh, to be known as someone who loves others sacrificially, even people different from me, even when it’s risky, like Jesus did… Jesus showed us that everyone matters to God, so everyone should matter to us too.

If everyone acted this way, the problem of racism, as well as many other evils in this broken world, would end immediately. But unfortunately, there are far too many people in the world who are not followers of Christ–and sadly, even too many who are–who have no interest in trying to mimic Jesus’ behaviors. So we can’t stop at eradicating all traces of racism from ourselves.

So what else can we do?

If we encounter a situation where someone is being treated unjustly, and especially if that seems to be motivated by race or some other unfair judgment, we can step and try to peaceably resolve the situation. If we know someone who is a racist or displaying racist tendencies, we can lovingly point it out to them and offer to help them navigate away from that river of darkness. We can offer job opportunities to qualified minority candidates. We can reach out to people who are different from us, treat them kindly, and find common ground between ourselves and them. In the grand scheme of things, there really are many more things that we have in common with any person anywhere on the planet than there are differentiate us.

I could go on, but the possibilities are truly endless, limited only by our creativity and other unique gifts God gave each of us.

We may not be able to end racism, but I can end it in me, and you can end it in you. We can lovingly and peaceably help others we are already in relationship with identify and end it in themselves. We can treat our fellow human beings with kindness and show them love–real, true, sacrificial love that puts others above ourselves–the way Jesus would. We can find common ground for us to stand on together, and invite others to come along too. It may not seem like much, but goodness can add up, multiply, and even grow exponentially, so that one day it will overcome evil.

I look forward to that day so much that I deeply desire to do my part to bring it about, to make it a reality. To help love and kindness win. Won’t you join me?

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My Cup Overflows, and So Does Yours

Posted on August 16, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

Last time, I wrote about the fourth verse of Psalm 23, reminding us that we should not fear any evil. Now I’d like to move on to the next verse. I’m not trying to create “sermon series”, but this song that David wrote thousands of years ago is so rich in gratitude toward our Good Shepherd that it bears dwelling on verses that aren’t pondered as often as the earlier verses.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” Psalm 23:5 (NIV)

The first part of this, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies,” focuses on trusting God. Sure, we may think of our Good Shepherd coming into battle with us in those moments where we know we are fighting something–we just came through the valley of the shadow of death! That is one level of trust, and it is certainly important. But what about in a mundane, everyday activity like having a meal. Do we realize that even in those calm moments, we are in the presence of our enemies? Just like in “physical” warfare, the enemy and his combatants in spiritual warfare look for opportunities for sneak attacks, when we least expect it and are therefore not prepared to fight back. David is telling us here that even in those moments, even when we don’t know it, God is protecting us.

Imagine you are in the middle of an actual physical battlefield, in which you are surrounded by clear and present threats to your life. Now picture this: Jesus calmly walks up to you, spreads out a blanket, and starts setting up a lavish picnic feast He has prepared for you. What do you do? Of course, my natural instinct would be to tackle Him and tell Him to take cover. But before I can do that, He looks at me with a twinkle in His eye and says, “Trust Me.” OK, I feel like I trust Him, but do I trust Him this much??

So what is this about anointing our heads with oil? On the one hand, it’s a reference to God’s blessings, which He so freely gives to us. We have trusted Him, so we’ve made it through the valley of the shadow of death and we’ve agreed to a feast in the presence of our enemies, so He anoints us with oil the way kings of Israel were anointed when they became king. God takes away our filthy rags and replaces them with His own royal robes.

In another sense, though, this also symbolizes God’s protection over us. Getting back to the uncomfortable (but true!) comparison of us to sheep, God is again being a Good Shepherd. Since sheep are prone to attracting insects–not only ticks, lice, and flies, but also other bugs that would crawl into their ears and wreak all kinds of havoc on their brains (enough said about that!). The way a good shepherd would protect his/her sheep would be to rub oil onto their heads, which would keep all the nasty pests away. One thought might be: I wish I could put that oil on my head and it would keep Satan and his demons away from me. But that’s is the point of this phrase–we don’t have to, because the Lord, our Good Shepherd, has done it for us! Simply whispering the name of Jesus is enough to send the forces of darkness running away from us in fear.

And where does all this lead? God’s protection and God’s abundance lead to an overflowing cup. OK, so we’re back at our lavish feast with Jesus in the midst of a battlefield. Now imagine He produces a bottle of 2016 Chateau Lafite Rothschild (and imagine you know off the top of your head that a single bottle of this costs about $1000). He sets your glass before you and begins to pour the wine into it. But instead of being a good sommelier, He keeps pouring and pouring, until the expensive liquid overflows out of your glass. “Jesus, what are you doing?!?” you might exclaim. He laughs, the twinkle still in His eye. This was no careless accident. “That’s OK, I’ve got plenty,” He says. For a moment, the thought flashes through your mind that this is an expensive symbol for His priceless blood, so why would He waste it?

We have a tendency toward a scarcity mindset. If you get a bigger piece of the pie, there’s less for me, or vice versa. That’s not the way it works with God. The word abundance (or variations of it) appears in the Bible about 231 times. If I give you a bigger piece of the pie, God will make more. He is pleased to lavish blessings upon us. This includes the blood of Christ–there is more than enough to go around!

However, when we talk about blessings, we all tend to think of worldly blessings. If I’m blessed, I must have a big mansion (or several), a big fancy car (or several), a big bank account, and frequent foreign vacations. While there is nothing wrong with or evil about worldly wealth, this is not what God has in mind when He talks repeatedly about blessing us abundantly. He lavishes us with eternal blessings, things that get or keep us on the path toward an eternal life that is so grand and glorious that our minds can scarcely imagine it. He blesses us with a close relationship with Himself, and out of that flows abundant love and grace and peace. He grants us the ability to find life and joy through Him, even in the most dire circumstances. All of these things can lead to earthly blessings, but these are not the prize. We are not to hoard them, for often He gives us these blessings to pass along to others. In fact, this is one reason He gives us each other–so often, blessings we receive flow through people we encounter. I can’t even count how many ways God has blessed me through my wife, my kids, my extended family, and friends.

We only need eyes to see the countless ways God has blessed us, and continues to bless us. And He has given us that ability as well, to see the blessings all around us instead of focusing on negative aspects of our lives and the world we live in.

So there it is. We are blessed beyond measure so that we can be blessings to others. That’s the way it works in God’s economy of abundance. And so it is that our cups overflow, thanks to our Good Shepherd.

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Fear No Evil

Posted on August 8, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

In a previous post, I wrote about how the Lord, as my Shepherd and yours, restores our soul if we let Him. This focused on verse 3 of the 23rd Psalm. This time I’d like to focus on the next verse:

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 NKJV

The first part of the verse mentions a place I hope never to visit: Valley of the Shadow of Death. I don’t even want a postcard.

So what is this place? Does it really exist? I’ve heard and seen a number of different speculations, but the best explanation I have heard is that the language refers to the shadowiest of shadowy places. So not really a literal nasty place, but figuratively the worst place your journey could possibly take you.

How do we end up there, then?

Life happens. In this fallen and broken world, this side of heaven, people we cherish pass away, we get various horrible illnesses, jobs get lost, and even our dogs can get cancer. People commit innumerable atrocities to one another with an endless stream of idiotic justifications.

Where is God in all this? Has He lost control? Or maybe He just doesn’t care.

It may seem like He has lost control because of all the terrible things that have happened and that continue to take place. Although this is not the point of this post, let me briefly give an answer that may not sit well, but it’s the truest interpretation of the Scriptures that I can think of. In order to avoid creating a race of automatons who believe in Him because they have no choice, God gave us free will–we have the ability to choose whether or not to love God and believe in Him, because otherwise it’s not love or truly belief. Some people abuse that free will in that they not only choose not to love or follow God, but they also choose to shatter God’s intent for us in unspeakable ways. God designed us to be like Jesus–to love Him and others sacrificially. But if someone chooses to live outside of that design, that is their choice, not God’s. And if they are living outside of that design, oftentimes it leads to horrible, tragic, and terrifying outcomes for others. But even though it may seem like God has lost control by giving us free will and allowing us to make awful choices with it, He has a plan to redeem anyone and everyone who believes in Jesus and that He was sent to pay the sacrificial price for our bad (sinful) choices. One day all things will be made new when He restores all of creation to a new heaven and a new earth. There will be no pain or suffering or atrocities or starving children or dentists. God wins in the end.

I will also reiterate that God, through Jesus, basically guaranteed that our lives will be filled with challenges when He said, “In this world you will have trouble.” (part of John 16:33 NIV, emphasis added). Anyone who believes that by becoming a follower of Christ, your life will suddenly become free from any difficulty must have either overlooked this verse or they don’t know what Jesus meant by “will have trouble.”

Coming back to the thought that maybe God doesn’t care, this leads me to this part of Psalm 23:4: “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” This is more shepherd language (recall that David, the author of this Psalm, was a shepherd in his younger days, before he became a great warrior or Israel’s best king). Anyway, sheep are defenseless and not especially clever, so they need their shepherd to survive.

How are the Shepherd's Rod and Staff Different? » Reasons for Hope ...

What is this about a rod and staff? I’ve seen and heard speculation that these are references to God’s disciplining us when we sin. Although I do believe He may choose to do this for us occasionally, out of love as any loving parent would do, I don’t think that’s why David is comforted by them. A shepherd would not use his rod on the sheep, but rather to protect the sheep. If a predator would try to attack one of his sheep, the shepherd would use his rod to fight off the hungry animal. David mentions fighting lions and bears before he goes to fight Goliath (yes, this is the same David).

And the staff? The reason for the large hook on the end is so the shepherd can use it to gently guide the sheep back on course when it tries to go off and do something stupid or dangerous, or both. This is not something that would generally harm the sheep, although sometimes a minor bruise may be considered preferable to falling off a cliff.

These explanations seem more comforting to me than if the Shepherd were beating me with a rod and staff every time I do something stupid or dangerous.

Now there is this part of the verse: “For You are with me.” Although God never promised us an easy life (at least, not this side of heaven), He has promised–and demonstrated–that He will be with us through whatever storms get thrown at us by bad things that happen, including events that occur because other people are abusing their free will. He is there to guide us and comfort us and restore our souls and protect us from the evil one’s attempts to drag us onto a path that leads to hell.

So does God’s presence with us through life’s storms mean we will survive them all? Of course not! Martyrs throughout the Christian Era–including Jesus Himself–can attest to that fact.

But God guarantees the destination for all who call upon the name of Jesus, whether they die of natural causes after a full life or prematurely due to this world’s brokenness: eternity in paradise with Him, reunited with our believing loved ones and every dog we’ve ever loved. And although I’m in no hurry for me or my loved ones to get there, that life will be infinitely better than even our best moments in this fallen world.

And this, my friends, is why we should fear no evil, no matter where we go or what is happening to us, like David said. Our Good Shepherd is with us. He protects us with His rod and guides us with His staff toward our ultimate destination, a perfect and joyous eternity with Him. Thank you, God.

Rod and Staff they Comfort - YouTube
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Dance of Three–or Four

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

Imagine that you’ve been wandering through the desert for days. You’re overheated and parched, starting to become confused. Maybe it’s not too tough to picture on this midsummer evening…

Out of nowhere, you stumble upon a cottage. Lights on, blinds up. You can’t help peeking in as you go by. Three people dance an intricate dance together. Chaotic, yet somehow orchestrated, inviting. Dancing as though they are one. You force yourself to look away, embarrassed by your invasion of their privacy.

But too late.

The occupants notice you peeking in their window.

All at once, they burst out their door and come running toward you. They’re moving too fast, you can’t get away in time. You don’t know what to do, start inventing some sort of fib to not make you seem so creepy.

But instead of making you feel bad, they invite you in. You mutter, “Sorry.” So lame. Should you go ahead and deliver your fib?

They insist, you feel strangely drawn into their fellowship. “I’m not dressed right… I don’t know the dance…” They refuse your excuses, and against your better judgment, your common sense, you find yourself following them into their bungalow.

The coolness of the air conditioning inside melts any last resistance you can muster. The trio resumes their dance. You have no idea what to do, but you find your feet moving to their rhythm. This makes no sense, no way you’re going to be able to explain this to your friends, but you are part of their dance. No going back now.

But would you want to?

This is the way it is with the Trinity–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Mysterious Three dance as though they are One. And They are.

It’s confusing as heck, I know, and all the more to people who hear about it for the first time. And that’s OK. One truly blessed thing about the Trinity is that the Holy Three in One invite you to become a part of Their dance, regardless if it makes any sense to you.

Jump into the dance with both feet and soon you’ll find it doesn’t matter to you how much, or how little, you understand of the Mysterious depths of God.

What matters most is the dance, the intimate relationship with your Creator.

Pas de Trois
(Invitation)

I wander down
The street, accepted by
Few, but mostly
Not.

There is noise in one big
House, noise and
Light, laughter.
Music that makes me think of
Something I lost a long time ago.
Outside, I can’t help
Looking in.

The door swings
Open, I glance away
Embarrassed for being
Caught peeking.

“Come join us,” calls
A Voice to anyone
But me.
But there is nobody else around.
“Yes you!”

I shuffle toward the
Open door, the Light,
Stumbling toward what
I do not know.

Three figures dance a
Random dance, or
So it first seems.
I stand at the edge, drawn
By warmth of Light, by
Laughter and Love.

A pattern emerges, complex and
Choreographed, yet elegant with
Eternal beauty.
No one leads, each defers to
The Other Two, fluid grace.
I’ve no idea how it works but
It does, the music stirring something deep
Inside, yearnings, long-forgotten dreams.

I laugh, a childish sound, and they
See me,
Know me,
Love me anyway.

“We’ve been waiting for you to dance your part,”
They tell me.

“I don’t know this dance,” I say, and yet I
Find myself joining in.
Clumsy, I fall and ruin
The dance but they
Catch me like it’s part of
The routine, and
Still we dance.

There are no rules to this dance, only
Love and Light and laughter and
Music that is no longer haunting. It is a
Divine dance, a celebration.
You come in too, there’s
Always room for one more.

David K. Carpenter

Copyright © 2016 by David K. Carpenter

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He Restores My Soul–and Yours Too

Posted on July 12, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Psalm 23:1-3 (NKJV)

Rocky Mountain National Park

These opening lines from King David’s poem that came to be known as Psalm 23 have comforted me from the earliest days I can remember being a follower of Christ. And given that this is one of the most recognizable passages in the Bible, it must have comforted many others before me. Even my prodigal younger daughter has found solace in these words during her prolonged period of being away from the faith.

And here’s one really cool thing (among many) of being a sheep belonging to the Great Shepherd: maybe one of the reasons I (and many of us) have been comforted by these words is because I have actually experienced Him restoring my soul.

I’m going to let you in on a deep theological secret: life is hard. Fortunately, there are some days that are the best day ever, but sprinkled all throughout them are other kinds of days.

For me, one thing that has delivered more than its fair share of hard days in my life is my secular vocation. God has made me good at it and has given me the endurance to continue running this marathon. One role I had took me to NYC regularly for almost 3 years, leading an exhausting engagement for a difficult, unreasonable, and ungrateful client while working for an equally difficult, unreasonable, and ungrateful employer. Yet in the midst of drudging through that valley of the shadow of death (the job, not NYC itself), there were many times when I felt my Shepherd making me lie down in green pastures and leading me beside still waters so He could restore my soul.

For example, I spent countless hours on weekends wandering through the ever-amazing Central Park (which should be renamed to Giant Park with Lakes and Woods and a Little Castle–OK, maybe that doesn’t quite roll off the tongue as well). He also led me to the green pastures and still waters of 2 different but spectacular locations of the New York Botanic Gardens (one in the Bronx and the other in Brooklyn), not to mention the (not to be outdone by Manhattan) Prospect Park in Brooklyn.

He restored my soul from the desert wasteland of exhaustion in these green pastures and beside those still waters more times than I can count.

Another of many cool things about the Good Shepherd is that He offers this to all of us.

One thing that’s probably worth pointing out is that by referring to God as our Shepherd, we are at the same time comparing ourselves to sheep. This is not a compliment. Sheep are really dumb and stubborn. They can get themselves into a bind fairly easily through their own stupidity. Hmm, can’t think why David–or Jesus, for that matter–would compare us to sheep….

But thanks to God’s infinite grace, He will still lead us to green pastures and beside still waters, even when we have wandered into the valley of the shadow of death because of our own stupidity.

I, for one, am very thankful for that.

So no matter what has you wandering in the desert or drudging through the valley of the shadow of death, all you have to do is call upon the name of our Good Shepherd.

He will restore your soul.

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Prowling Around Like a Lion

Posted on June 28, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

I have no intention of getting political here, but let me point out that there are a lot of, well, stupid rhetoric and actions flying around the country right now, and no political party is immune from this. Let me ask some questions:

  1. In what world does it make sense to protest hatred with more hate?
  2. Why is it OK to combat racism with more racism?
  3. Who in the world thinks that trying to end violence with violence of your own makes any sense?

My point in asking these questions is not to stir up political debate, but rather to say that the things going on in America right now make me think of 1 Peter 6:8: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” One of Satan’s most insidious and dangerous skills is his ability to get people–even (or especially) followers of Christ–to take him lightly or (worse) to disregard him altogether. I think this is why Peter starts his grave warning by telling us to be alert and think clearly. If anyone doesn’t see Satan prowling around in the insanity that is sweeping across our country, WAKE UP! He wants us to ignore him, which must make it the wrong thing to do!

So what are we supposed to do?

Although the Bible doesn’t necessarily instruct us all in what to do specifically every day, Peter gives us some ideas in the subsequent verses, and I’ll also add some thoughts from Paul and Jesus.

Turning first to Peter, in verse 9, he tells us to “Resist him, standing firm in the faith…” I think we mostly know what that means so I won’t go into that much, except to say that if you’re not sure, a couple winning strategies are prayer and immersing yourself in God’s love letter to us, the Bible. In His Word, he gives us many ways to stand firm in our faith, and numerous reasons why we should. In verse 10, Peter give us mostly good news, with a little bit of character-building bad news mixed in: “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

Next. what does Paul have to say? Well, a lot, of course, since he wrote most of the New Testament. One bit of background about Paul that’s interesting here is that before he became the guy we know as Paul, he was called Saul and he was part of the roaring lion, looking for people to devour. If he were around today, maybe he would have been one of the people behaving in ways that are causing the more sensible people to be scratching their heads. But after he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he totally changed directions and wrote many encouraging exhortations. One such passage is Colossians 3:17: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Granted that some really dumb things have been done in the name of God throughout history, but it seems to me that if we really honestly ask ourselves whether that thing we are about to do is something that God would want us to do in His name, it will likely help keep everything we do consistent with Biblical principles.

Finally, I’ll close with some words of wisdom from Jesus, God in the flesh Himself, from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, verses 43 through 47. He tells us how to avoid getting sucked into the ever-widening vortex of hate: love our enemies. While His words are simple, that doesn’t mean they’re easy to put into action…

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the pagans do that?”

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The Essence of Dadness

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

I’ve been a dad now for 25 years. Many of the best moments of my life–and many of the most difficult and painful–have been because of my kids. Giggles, laughter, bedtime stories and snuggles and prayers; sweet and heartfelt Father’s Day messages. Memories I’ll cherish all my life. Sure, there are also plenty of things I wish I had done differently, things I could have said better. But time flows like a river, inexorably one way toward its unseen destination. All I can do is the best I can from this moment forward. No regrets, because regrets struggle mightily against the current you can’t possibly defeat and leave you facing the wrong way.

But I don’t mean to make it sound like I don’t love being a dad–I do, and I have for all 25 years of it. My kids are all interesting and beautiful people, each in their own way. My life has been enriched in countless ways by each of them, and my music playlists might still be stuck in the 80s and 90s if not for the fresh and (mostly) enjoyable music they’ve all introduced me to.

While each of my kids is their own unique person, I see in each of them little pieces of myself that I have placed in them, some intentionally and some not. I helped set their lives in motion, carrying these thousand little torches I have lit throughout their lives. In a way, they are the gift I give to the world in a future some of which I likely won’t see. One of my prayers for them is that they will be better people and better parents than I have been–not saying that I’ve been bad at either, just hoping that they will do even better.

Anyway, in honor of Father’s Day, I have been pondering what is the most essential theme I want to impart to them that has been driving me as their dad. After covering a lot of ground, I finally landed on this: I have always wanted them to know that no matter what has happened, no matter what they have done, they are loved. That I love them. So I think and hope and pray that they know this.

And, thankfully, I am not the only father who feels this way. In addition to the many great dads out there (and even in spite of the not-so-great ones), we all have the greatest Father in heaven who loves us all so powerfully and unconditionally that He sacrificed His Child to bring us close to Him, into the protective shadow of His wings. If I in all my brokenness can love my kids as strongly as I do, it’s hard to imagine a Father loving His children more than that. But He does, and I am at once amazed and grateful for that. How could you not be?

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there, and blessings to all.

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Quick to Listen, Slow to Speak and Become Angry

Posted on June 14, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

Brady Boyd, Senior Pastor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO, is doing great things to help the Church lead the way out of racial conflicts in meaningful ways–not sweeping the issues under the rug hoping they’ll go away. Instead of giving a sermon today, he led an open and honest dialog with two black couples in the church so we could hear their perspectives on racism. What we heard from them was quite eye-opening. Brady introduced the topic by quoting James 1:19, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry….” He also concluded the discussion by saying that he didn’t mean for this time today to patronize our black brothers and sisters, nor did he mean for it to shame those of us who are white. His intent is to guide us all to the table for constructive, challenging, and needed discourse.

In light of what’s happening in our country these days, I thought it would be worth briefly summarizing what I heard today, then sharing some quotes from Scripture and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that seem particularly relevant. So here are some interesting points:

  1. We may not see racism in action because of our perspective. This hit home for me because I have been guilty of thinking that racism is on its way out since I don’t see any examples of it in my everyday life. But I am not black. These brothers and sisters shared recent personal stories where they (and even more sadly, their children) have experienced racism. Bottom line: we all (people of every color) need to wake up and realize that racism is very real. Admitting we have a problem is the first step toward curing it. One of the gentlemen said that while working on his master’s degree, he read A Country of Strangers: Blacks and Whites in America, by David Shipler, who pointed out that blacks see race in everything and whites see race in nothing. This seems to be a good summary of the difference perspective makes in perceiving racism.
  2. We need to celebrate our differences, but also recognize the vast sea of similarities. One of the ladies on the panel said she really doesn’t like it when people say that they don’t see the color of someone’s skin. She added, “Please do see it. When you don’t see the color of my skin, you don’t see me.” The point, however, is not to judge someone because of the color or their skin. If we are going to do anything with our differences–and it seems like we should–we should celebrate them in mutually respectful ways, and then land together on the realization that we have much more in common than we do differences. Ultimately, if we were to take the time to make a Venn diagram with a very detailed list of characteristics that make up a person, we would see that it looks something like this:
Venn Diagram for characteristics of a black person and a white person

In other words, there are far more things that link us together than those that separate us. But let us celebrate both.

  1. If you have pain in your elbow and do nothing about it, that pain is going to keep getting worse until you do something about it. What we are seeing now in our country is an explosion of pain resulting from a group of people who have not been truly heard. In order to make this pain go away, we need to be able to come to the table–all of us–to have civilized discourse, something that has been nearly eradicated by people on both extremes of the political spectrum who freely spew hateful speech in social media that they would never say to someone’s face [I recognize the irony of me saying this in a blog, a form of social media, but I do not intend for this statement to be hateful and I would say the same thing (in calm and soothing tones) to anyone in person who would listen to me.] We need to ask each other earnest questions with the goal of creating common understanding of one another and working together to find peaceful solutions that are more than a simple detente (i.e., sweeping it under the rug).
  2. The best hope for a resolution to our current situation is Jesus Christ. Although this isn’t a new idea to me, it warrants repeating anyway because it is a hope we already have in common. Jesus is the answer, and not just because we were in church! Jesus told a radical story about how the only man who would help a stranger who was beaten almost to the point of death was someone from a different–and hated–racial group: a Samaritan. So He clearly understood our human tendency to hate or fear people who are different from us, and in this story He give us the simple (although not easy) answer, that if we see another human being in need of help, we are to help them.

With that summary, let me now get to some scriptural references and quotes from Dr. King, all of which I hope will make you–will make all of us–think about how we can work together constructively toward a real unity and toward a real end to the festering would of racism. As Brady pointed out, the Church can and should lead the way out of this national nightmare.

Scripture

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” I Corinthians 1:10

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” Revelation 7:9

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?”he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,”Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)

Dr. King Quotes

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. ”

“Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.”

“There comes a time when people get tired of being pushed out of the glittering sunlight of life’s July and left standing amid the piercing chill of an alpine November.”

“A riot is the language of the unheard.”

“The limitation of riots, moral questions aside, is that they cannot win and their participants know it. Hence, rioting is not revolutionary but reactionary because it invites defeat. It involves an emotional catharsis, but it must be followed by a sense of futility.”

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”

“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.”

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

“Only in the darkness can you see the stars.”

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

“We who in engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive.”

“History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.”

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Praying for National Healing

Posted on June 8, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

In light of the fact that some of our great American cities seem to be tearing themselves apart at the seams, the best thing I can think of to say to anyone who reads this is that we should all be praying feverishly for healing in our country. A few thoughts to go along with this…

I’m not suggesting we pray that it all just goes away, like it never happened. One thing that’s clear is that we have an urgent need in our society for reform, to work together to attack and eradicate all forms of racism. As followers of Christ, we should do all we can to give voices to those who are not being heard. I’m pretty sure this is what Jesus would be doing. So in praying for healing, I suggest we ask for God’s help to cure the disease of racism, not just treat the symptoms.

To that end, though, I think we should pray that the criminals who are using George Floyd’s death as an excuse to act like criminals will end their cycle of violence–not only because they are destroying our cities, but also because they are undermining the cause of the peaceful protesters, who legitimately seem to want to improve our society (not destroy it) and who seem to be making a positive difference.

Also, we should pray for our city, state, and national leaders, that cooler, more logical heads will prevail. One thing that has been made clear by the peaceful protesters across the country is that there is a need to identify and eliminate systemic racism, particularly in our criminal justice system. Be that as it may, and while I agree with that, we have to be careful not to choose knee-jerk reactionary courses of action that could be even more dangerous. I just saw a news story that 9 of the 12 Minneapolis city council members announced today that they are going to disband the Minneapolis Police Department. What?? I admit, I don’t know what their plans are, and maybe they intend to replace the Police Department with something different but similar, but I will say that the idea of a major city without any police seems like a colossally bad idea. I for one would never go anywhere near such a city. So we should pray that our leaders won’t do anything catastrophically stupid that ends up endangering even more lives.

Finally, the last thought I’ll leave off with repeats some thoughts from previous posts of mine, but I think they are worth repeating, at least in summary. For one thing, we always tend to act like praying is the last ditch course of action when everything else has failed (“all we can do now is pray…”). However, we should never underestimate the power of the God who crafted the universe, which of course includes our little world and each of us in it. Also, neither should we think for a moment that the turn of events since George Floyd was brutally killed in police custody have caught God off-guard. It may seem to us like things are spinning out of control, but we should console ourselves by remembering that God has it all in His more than capable and loving hands.

So anyway, please join me throughout this week in praying for healing for our nation.

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The Light Shines in the Darkness, and the Darkness Has Not Overcome It

Posted on May 31, 2020 by Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter

There is no excuse for what was done to George Floyd, how he was killed. It was unspeakably tragic. My heart and prayers go out to him and his family. Moral outrage, expressed with dignity, is certainly an appropriate response to what happened.

But this?

Rioting and looting? There is no dignity in this. Behavior stooped way down to this level accomplishes nothing.

I admit I will never know what it’s like to be a black man, to know that a life-threatening atrocity can happen at any moment just because of the color of my skin. It is unconscionable to look at someone and make judgments about them because of the color of their skin, or their gender or religion. I’m disgusted that this happens. It is disappointing and foolish that there are people of all races who strive to keep racism alive.

What is the point of these violent protests? It can’t really be a cry for justice–the perpetrating former policeman was fired, arrested, and charged, as it should be. The other 3 cops who stood by while this atrocity occurred and did nothing have been fired. Justice is on its way to being served.

Is the point of the riots to end racism? Nothing says “Why can’t we all get along?” like burning down local businesses and destroying neighborhoods. I wonder what Dr. Martin Luther King would say about all this.

When things like this happen, it’s easy to think that the darkness, the evil in this world, is winning. Isn’t it?

Well, when the church was born on this day, Pentecost Sunday–the day the Holy Spirit was poured into this broken world–racism already had a lengthy and notorious history. In fact, as ugly as what’s happening now is, people tended to do even more awful and evil things to each other 2000 years ago. God was and is disgusted by racism and the endless other examples of the depravity of man, but He was not and is not surprised by it.

This is why the world–and each of us in it–need redemption, forgiveness, reconciliation. This is why we needed, and still need, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Strange as it may seem to us, this is God’s plan to turn the world around: to live in us and guide us as we each in our own small way, day by day, brandish our flickering little candles of light against the seemingly bottomless pit of darkness in this world.

But this is how we win.

Nothing banishes darkness like light. Nothing overcomes hate like love. It doesn’t always make sense, but it doesn’t have to–it’s God’s plan. He will find a way to make it work. He will take our 2 fish and few little crumbs of bread and feed 5000 people with it.

We can and should be assured by reminding ourselves of how the Apostle John introduces Jesus in his gospel (John 1:5): “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

And it never will.

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