People always say what a scary place the world is, war and famine and death just some of the things that are making the world the way it is. But in loo of the recent attacks on our own American soil the world is even scarier. America is the land of the free and home of the brave, however, in the past week alone we have become America land of the terrified and home of the hopeless.
Like so many around me, I often wonder what causes this country’s citizens to turn on one another. Is it hatred? Is it something to make them feel better about themselves like a typical high school bully? Whatever the reason, these horrible acts shouldn’t be happening. In the past week or so, I’ve seen hashtags ranging from #blacklivesmatter to #bluelivesmatter. It blows my mind that in one instant cops are shooting fatal bullets into a black man whose kids won’t come home to a father anymore and the next, citizens are murdering and injuring multiple cops on a Dallas street corner whose families will also never see again. I can’t take either side. I can’t stand up for Alton Sterling who was brutally killed by police. I can’t stand up for the police that were shot and injured in Dallas. I don’t know the circumstances well enough to say black lives matter OR blue lives matter. There is no choosing one or the other. There was a video circulating on the day of the Dallas shooting that a black mans face was plastered all over the country because he was accused of killing the police officers. Turns out, he was wrongly accused and he was incredibly upset about the situation. Is it safe to assume that he was accused of the incident because he was a black male? If so then why are people standing so firmly on the statement that black lives matter? Why are people standing so firmly on the statement that blue lives matter since they are the ones that killed a black father and husband in Baton Rouge? Like I said before, I can’t stand on one side or the other. I stand on both sides, all sides. I look past the crime and hatred. Black lives matter AND blue lives matter. It’s not one or the other. It never should be.
Most people have a social media account, whether it be Facebook or Twitter or Instagram. During these recent attacks there have been all sorts of statements floating around. Some of these include: “this world needs Jesus” or “why is God being so harsh to this country?” In reality, the world has Jesus. And there is a reason that God is doing these things to our country. Psalm 9:17 says “the wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God.” Proverbs 14:34 says something similar- “righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.” The Bible flat out says that if a nation forgets about God, then they are pretty much done for. But if a nation or a group of people worships Him the way Christian believers feel we should, then He will cover us in grace and mercy. Because of everything that has happened recently people feel like the world needs God and that He has ultimately forgotten our country. The truth is, the world and this country have God. He hasn’t forgotten about us, we have forgotten about Him.
