THE PERFECT EXAMPLE

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I’m up working this morning earlier than I normally do. I just have so much work to do with a limitation in available time, so I’m doing my best to cram what I can before my flight for Dallas leaves Thursday morning. It means very little sleep, but I can do it.

I just wanted to take a few minutes to jot some thoughts down regarding a current event. Actually, my mind, thoughts, and prayers have been with our fellow Americans in the mid-west region of the country. Those who have suffered from the devastation of the flooding from the Mississippi river. It’s terrible and my heart really goes out to them.

I’ve been kind of quiet on many of my thoughts from my perspective of surviving Katrina. I may have said a word here or there, but not really much of my underlying feelings. Well, something was stirred in me as I read a very open, honest, and sensitive forum discussion initiated by a fellow New Orleanian who expressed his angry feelings. I related very much to what he said. Reading his thoughts allowed me to deal with my own. In doing so, God opened my heart in many ways and reminded me what love is.

Basically, the young man feels that he shouldn’t care about the flood victims because no one cared about us in New Orleans. He made it clear that he’s not uncaring towards the people’s losses and all, he’s quite angry with the government’s response. There is definitely a difference. He also pointed out, as I too noticed from the beginning of the media coverage, that the folks in the mid-west were not referred to as “refugees” as we were. Yet, their situation was the same in that they needed to be evacuated and they lost their homes. The real difference is that from what we’ve seen on television, the people look different than we do. A shelter full of Black people is a room full of refugees. A group of Black people starving and dying at the Convention Center or the Superdome due to lack of government response is a group of refugees.

This is not the picture we’ve seen of the mid-west, nor the vernacular spoken by those reporting the news.

This reminds me of some of the pictures I saw during the aftermath of Katrina. One picture was that of Black people who’d “stolen” some food. They were labeled as looters. Another similar picture was shown of some White people. The caption stated that they found food to feed their family. Same thing, different people, different language.

The young man who started the forum is extremely angry with the government and all of the injustices that have been exposed regarding our plight with Katrina. I told him that I truly understand and have felt the same way.

He mentioned that he was a Christian and that he loves people – but his love is conditional. He says that he loves people who love Jesus. I reminded him that Jesus Christ is our perfect example. We have never been promised that life would be easy. In fact, we are promised that God would be with us when we go through our trials.

Isaiah 43:2 – “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.”

John 16:33 –“ These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Nothing says that we won’t go through anything. We are told that we will, but the comfort is in knowing that the Lord is with us through it all.

My reminding the young man that we can look to Jesus Christ as our example in every way sort of ticked him off.

I’m saddened by that because it is apparent that he is not in a place of embracing who he is. He loves the Lord. Yet, he doesn’t realize that even in the love that he says he has for others, he cannot place a condition on it. You can’t just love those who love Jesus. What if Jesus would have done that? Jesus – our example!
In encouraging him to seek to find peace and to subside the anger, I mentioned Jesus’ example again. As Jesus laid on the cross dying, He still maintained love for those who rejected Him.

Luke 23:34a – “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

As a so-called minority in every way, I have a lot to be angry about. As a survivor of Katrina and a victim of circumstance, I have a lot to be angry about. As a person who has experienced the ultimate betrayal in my own marriage, I have a lot to be angry about. As a person who knows what discrimination is because I’ve experienced it, I have a lot to be angry about. As an American sitting here on pins and needles as a precious loved one is serving in Iraq, I have a lot to be angry about.

I am not alone in any of this. We all have issues that anger us. Anger is a strong emotion and it can harm us in many ways. That is if we allow it to control us and build within us. We can use anger in a positive manner. We can allow it to pull us to action. If we turned all of our anger into a catalyst that would allow us to do something to make things better for others, we could get a lot done.

Ephesians 4:26-27 - "In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”

Paul, in this letter to the Ephesians, doesn’t’ say that we won’t get angry. In fact, he doesn’t even say NOT to get angry. But when you do……….sin not! Deal with it. Process it. Don’t let it simmer and allow the devil to get a foothold. He does this when we allow him to cause us not to love one another. Read the entire chapter of Ephesians 4, Paul discusses loving one another and treating each other with love.

Jesus is indeed our perfect example in everything and every way. When we say that we are His disciples (followers, learners, believers), we have someone to look to for our guidance…..in everything and every way.

Carla

P.S. - My voice blog contains more content than this visual blog.