Happy Juneteenth 2020!

Celebrate Juneteenth!

Inner thoughts . . . . .

No, I am not black or brown, but my wife, kids, and grandkids are every shade thereof. I do not have a clue what is is like to be in darker skin. I am white and was raised in a discriminatory culture to say the least. I have a white experience, yes white privilege! I did not ask for it. It just happened. As I matured in high school and was able to be the " minority" on numbers of sports teams, I began to question what I was exposed to....lies, misconceptions, evils of society. Living side by side with my brothers of color and varying other cultures, my eyes and my heart were opened to truth. I hurt for my friends.

As I  began to coach and invited kids of every culture to play on my teams, I had to defend my kids from racial taunts, embarrassing words written on church busses, and physical confrontations. I was not welcomed anymore! Even the church was guilty! (Some things never change!)

I matured. When dating, color did not matter to me, but it did to my "friends"! I received all kinds of reactions from honest questions (What is it like to kiss a black girl?), dirty looks, to having our mailbox blown up with M-80's! Once I married a black woman, even my family asked "Why?" In fact, few came to my wedding and many began to totally ignore me. My own flesh and blood! Wow, were my eyes finally wide open!

Once my daughter began school, she was once asked, "What color are you"? She was called names. I simply told her to only answer to "Nichole". Then, after a sudden divorce, I became alone, not trusting anyone really. But one day a minister shared with me Romans 10:9-10 and the Light went off! I accepted Christ as Lord and Savior and The Truth became alive within me!

So here I am, after twenty-three years in my second marriage to a beautiful God-fearing and honoring woman of color with now four black/brown children and six beautiful and handsome grandchildren of differing hues. We've had dozens of children over our 23 years of teen ministry, many now adults,  whom we consider our own....white, black, tan, and in between. I have degrees from three CHRISTian institutions. I teach the Word to high school kids of color and love them all dearly. I belong to a ninety-nine percent black church and it is my home.

Yet I still feel somewhat alone! I still mistrust. I still have doubts. I ask myself if I even have a voice. Is anyone listening? In a world of so much evil, should I even speak? Would it do any good? Maybe just being there helps.

God knows. He cares. He sees. To God . . . to me. . . . BLACK LIVES MATTER!