I will never move the needle, I'm learning to be okay with that.

I'm picking up my shovel, and doing my best to dig to the roots of racism. It starts in my own heart.

If you read my post last week, you felt the emotional current beneath it. Raw, unruly, angry, disgusted, heartbroken. The journey towards doing justice is long and full of obstacles and hardships. I promise there is hope. I believe the most effective way to lead in this climate is to shepherd. Processing heavy emotions necessitates taking heavy emotions in small chunks. I’ll be working through each topic I touched on in last weeks post, inviting you to see my process, and offering an invitation to join me through dialogue and community.

BLACK LIVES MATTER. Friends this should not be a controversial sentence. Let that sink in.

Black lives matter is a statement of fact.

I want to point out motivations and fears potentially hidden under the surface if you experience discomfort hearing this statement, and ask that you take honest look into your own heart with me. Full disclosure this may be uncomfortable to hear, but it is worth it.

First, by stating that black lives matter one does NOT negate the value of other lives. Again saying “Black lives matter” does NOT mean that other lives don’t matter. Grammatically you cannot make that assertion. Second, and more to the root, I believe this statement is met with such violent pushback because it spotlights a heart issue. That is what I found in myself.

If this statement causes you to feel discomfort, I ask that you sit in it for a moment with me. Please. I don’t believe that by having polarized opinions can lead to justice. We MUST be willing to hear each other out. Here is what I know. I have to repent daily for the racism inside myself, not because it is systematic in our country (which I believe a good point can be made that it is) but because it is a SIN issue in MY OWN heart.

Why do I feel uncomfortable when I hear “Black lives matter”? Why does my body tense, get short of breath and my mind starts racing with quick witted rebuttals that typically devolve into character attacks of the person making the statement? Why does it discomfort me to hear that someone else’s life matters while not directly addressing my own value? Is it because maybe deep down I need to be validated because I have put my worth in what others think of me? Or maybe seeing someone else valued directly and not receiving validation myself makes me afraid? What if someone doesn’t turn around and see my value? What if the world doesn’t think that I matter?

These are all extremely valid fears and may be difficult to hear. Maybe they hit close to home. Have grace with yourself. Here is hope. Our value does not have to be determined by others. There is a better way. When you trust that the value of our life can’t be taken from you nor is is given by yourself or others, you are able to have PEACE AND LOVE. The only actions that will make a difference in this cultural climate.

This is what Jesus offers everyone. An identity that declares you are made in the image of God, therefore you have extraordinary value.

You are made in the image of God. You have EXTRAORDINARY value. Let that sink in.

When we are secure in our identity only then can we sit with someone different than ourselves and empathize. Wouldn’t that be beautiful?

This is my invitation. Come, sit and know who you are. Made in the image of God. Worth more than you could ever image. Then sit in a place of peace and love. Listen and have empathy for our neighbor who is hurting, and crying out to be heard. Let us do the heart work of repentance so that we can call out the discomfort inside us when someone else has value attributed to them directly and not ourselves. Only then can we truly hear what our Black brothers and sisters are saying as they cry out for change. Only then can we partner together and do justice.

Our Black brothers and sisters are made in the image of God. Their lives matter. I pray that when we say “Black lives matter” we will no longer be met with hostility but a resounding AMEN as people of every color, tribe, and lounge in the kingdom of God are willing to attribute value to others. To empathize with people who see differently. Who love their neighbors. Who partner with God in restoring our world.