Monthly Archives: July 2023

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

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God’s Word is clear on what His disciples are to AFFIRM.  He is the Creator and the Giver of Life and calls us  to AFFIRM life.  We are to value each and every human being created in the image of God.

Our current world is not good at this.  We seem to highly value our own life, maybe the lives of our family, maybe our friends’ lives.  But the lives of “others”…..not so much.  From unborn lives to the lives of those from “elsewhere” to the lives of those “different” from us, we are indifferent or even hostile in our attitudes.

God’s children are clearly called to be different.  We are called to AFFIRMATIVE ACTION towards others, not just in words but also in deed.

Where Christians live as Christ intended, there should be a different atmosphere.  There is fruit that comes from Christ’s presence among us –  love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.  It should lead to communities where people of different backgrounds, different skin color, different heritage all dwell together in harmony.  Only Christ’s love can do this.  It can not be artificially imposed from the outside.  Hearts have to be changed.  Galations 3:28 says that in Christ Jesus there is no Jew nor Greek, no slave nor free, no male or female.  All become one.  Love prevails.

Love always leads to real affirmative action – action where others are even preferred over one’s self.  We are called to help and raise up others, justly and fairly.  Station in life should not matter.  Skin color should not matter. We can celebrate each other’s heritage and differences but they should not divide us.

Unfortunately, in this world, as long as men desire power and are self-seeking, some will seek to use differences to divide.  That should stop.   But affirmative action is not needed because of any inate inequality between people, only because of unequal treatment among people.  This unequal treatment comes in so many different flavors.  That is why God’s word clearly says we are not to judge one another by outward characteristics.

Again, for real peace and real fairness to become reality, hearts need to change.  Legislation never has changed a single heart.  Only Christ can do that.

What our nation needs is to turn back to their creator, reconsider that He made our neighbor just as he made us, that He loves all of His creation and calls them all to follow Him.  That is where our focus should be.  If we focus on Christ, the other problems will begin to melt away.

That is the  real AFFIRMATIVE ACTION!  Let’s all affirm that we are created EQUAL by God.  If we are equal in His sight, why do we persist in behaving as if we are not?

Zechariah 7:9 – “Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another.”

Celebrating Freedom

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As we celebrate the beginnings of America, I feel blessed to live in a land where we aspire to certain truths.  The truths which we hold to be self-evident.  I know America has failed at times to live up to her own standards, but that does not change the actual fact that we are all created equal and are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable Rights, among which are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.  We have to keep trying to live up to these truths.

As we consider how to do this, it may be helpful to go to an old Jewish source, the book of Leviticus.  Leviticus 19:15 states,

“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor OR favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.”

To judge your neighbor fairly is an honorable goal!  We should avoid showing favoritism to the great, the rich, the beautiful, the famous.    Avoiding partiality to the poor seems an odder statement and difficult to understand.   But does showing unfair partiality to those who are poor, either in resources, talents, work ethic, or some other way really help them?  Does lowering a standard in an effort to make everyone feel good give a benefit to anyone in the long run?   Are we not, in doing this, ignoring or holding back some of those who  struggle hard to achieve success?

The standard should be the same for all.  We should not ignore the shortcomings of the great because we want to curry favor, and we should never ignore giving honor to those who struggle against fewer resources to achieve success.

Perverting justice never really helps anyone……..it hurts us all.

There are a lot of problems reflected in our American institutions and we can do better.  But we need to remember that these problems only reflect our own hearts.  That is where our real problems lie.  That is where we need change.   Our trouble start with ourselves.

So on this 4th of July, let us reflect on our great country and its challenges but then let us turn and look at our own hearts.  How do we sometimes pervert justice to those around us in our individual and personal lives?

If we change, our country will change.  If individuals change, our institutions will change.

May the Lord bless you this holiday and all the days ahead!