Black Lives Matter or Black Lives Shattered?

This weekend has been one of hate and rage.  Lives have been lost.  Lines have been crossed.  People on both sides of the "color" argument have been left with no real wins.

As the wife and mother of officers, I feel as if I have a voice in this whole "Black Lives Matter" movement. 

I have felt the rage well up within me.  I have swallowed back the tears of frustration at yet another life lost...another family shattered by vile hatred.

I have felt the emptiness of a no-win situation, and the sting of a President who encourages death and division.

Yet...

My heart is tender to the Lord and His Words, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

There are many, many people involved in this Black Lives Matter movement.  I know I probably write this blog to a small percentage of people to whom it really won't affect, because more-than-likely, none of those who are a part of this chaos will take the time to read it, yet my heart goes out to them.

Did you read that?  This middle-class white woman...an active member of the blue-line family, has a heart for these individuals being sucked into a lifestyle of constant hatred and ugliness.  Why?  Because my God tells me to do so. 

If any one of these protesters would stop and have an honest, heart-to-heart moment...an "I'm gonna tell you the whole, gut-wrenching truth" acknowledgment, I think they would have to admit that this is not really about Black Lives Matter, but about Black Lives Shattered.

These people - all shapes, sizes, ages, backgrounds, and even colors, for whatever various reason, have learned to live with emptiness and heartache their entire lives.  Hurts and deeply hidden wounds have morphed into a lashing out at the very ones who represent any type of authority.

For many, absent fathers within the home, abuse, poverty, a lack of godly direction and discipline, and simply a void of a God who can truly love them and give meaning and purpose to their life...all these things add up and cash into a vile, ill-will which lashes out at whomever is felt to be the blame for their own sorrowful situation.

Yet, if any one of you are reading this blog, please take a moment to really listen here...God loves you!

You have not fallen so far or done so much that you cannot be forgiven. 

This cult-like occupation that you have placed yourself in is not the answer.  Killing will not satisfy the deep longing of your soul.

Hatred will not solve anything, but will turn onto your own head and cause you even more pain.

Please do not continue to engage in this vengeful and evil process.  Your life matters to God because you were created in His image.

Yes, black lives matter.  Yes, white lives matter.  Yes, all lives matter.  You and I and everyone else on this planet were chosen by Him, created by Him, and loved by Him.

We can ultimately continue this blood bath, fighting and discourse, but it will not solve a thing. 

You and I must have the courage to change things the right way.  We can no longer live under this entitlement attitude, but must for the sake of all that is right and good, lay down our weapons...our anger...our hurt...our unforgiveness, and instead find a way to work together.

White people are not the enemy.  Cops are not the enemy.  Black people are not the enemy.  Our enemy is the unseen one who the Bible tells us comes to "steal, kill and destroy."  He wants nothing more than for us to devour one another and ultimately bring down our society as a whole.

I want to challenge you today to be different than what the world is calling you to be.

Make a change. The first change must be to find peace with God.  The Bible tells us that we are enemies of Him before we come into a right relationship with Him, but it also tells us that He loved us so much that He sent His one and only Son to die in our place on that cross.

He was a an innocent God-man who was lashed out at and killed just because He was different...because He represented something the people did not want to wrap their minds and hearts around.

Yet...Jesus died so that you and I can live; so that we can have purpose and hope.  So that our lives will mean something.  So that we can make a difference for the GOOD and not for evil.

Secondly, make peace with yourself and those you hate.  When we are at war with our own selves, that war begins to conquer everyone else around us.  You must allow God to become your inward peace.  You must allow Him to enable you to love yourself so that you in turn can love others.

This great divide which is continuously being fueled within our nation can be reversed.  We can overcome, but it is going to take individuals to stand up and make the change.

Will you continue on with the brokenness of  Black Lives Matter?  Or, will you be a part of a movement that can really make a life-changing difference....yours!


Be different because you are loved,
Kristi