Pride, Morality, and Hope

PSALMS to God · Pride, Morality, and Hope

Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. Striking Peter on the side, he woke him up and said, “Quick, get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. Acts 12:7 CSB

A more in depth study of Acts 12 can be found here.

Herod Agrippa I
Herod Agrippa was the grandson of Herod the Great (the Herod that tried to have Christ killed as a baby). He actually followed Jewish customs and traditions, strengthening his bond between the Jews he ruled over. Because of this he despised Christians.[1] In the beginning of this chapter we learn that he's alread killed James, the brother of John, now he has his sights set on Peter. Herod's pride eventually leads to his demise. When people exalt Herod as a kind and he allows it, God strikes him dead.[2]

Peter
James is killed by Herod, but Peter is spared. Peter still had a job to do. One of things Peter's experience reminded me of was the moment in my childhood when I realized that morality and legality were two totally different things. There are things that are legal that aren't moral, and there are things that are illegal that are perfectly moral. We often get roped into an idea that because someone is a criminal according to the state/world they're a bad person, but that's not the case. Lots of great people spent time in prison—Peter, Paul, many civil rights leaders, etc.

Rhoda
Rhoda is thought to be a servant, hence why she answers the door. She is so shocked that Peter is at the door that she forgets to welcome him in! Many of us react like Rhoda to the blessings God has for us. When Rhoda tells the others, they don't believe her. The Church's reaction reminded me of when Christ said we could move mountains if we had faith the size of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20). Verse 5 tells us they had been praying constantly, so why are they shocked that God rescued Peter?

References & Footnotes

1. "Herod Agrippa I". Encylopædia Britannica. January 1, 2020
2. When I read through this chapter, I couldn't help picturing Herod as Trump. After failing to maintain his prisioner, Herod jets off (to a vacation?) where he allows people to stroke his ego. Doesn't this sound like something Trump would do?

Acts 12: Herod, Peter, and Rhoda

Easter Controversy

If you read Acts 12:4 in the KJV, it says Easter—pretty much every other translation says Passover. The original Greek word is πάσχα, which means Passover.[2] Some use the KJV to "validate" Easter as a holiday, but even if you could justify the translation, it would not justify the holiday. Verses 1-3 set up the fact that Herod despised the Christians. Christianity was forbidden. Why would the king celebrate/honor a Christian holiday? Would it not have been even more of a show of force to desecrate the holiday?

If you take the KJV's approaach and argue that the translation should be Easter, the only conclusion we can make is that Easter is a Roman holiday. It makes much more sense for Herod to put off killing an "enemy of the state" to celebrate his own holidy that to appease the people he believes are criminals.

In contrast to the Christians, however, Judaism was tolerated in Rome. The Roman govenors waslked a tedious line between exerting Rome's authority and allowing the Jews some autonomy to avoid revolt. The most likely scenario is that Herod thought killing Peter would make the Roman-Jewish alliance stronger, therefore he postponed the execution in honor of Passover.

Herod: Pride

Acts 12 reveals a plot by King Herod (Herod Agrippa I[1]) to kill Christians, specifically Peter. The text doesn't say much about Herod, but it clearly paints him as cruel and prideful. In the first couple of verses we see that he enjoyed harassing Christians—Herod kills James before he sets his sights on Peter. In the final verses of the chapter, we see him killed by God is response to his pridefulness. His existance bookends the chapter. In both sequences he is disobedient to God, but in the latter there are dire consequences. His master plan is interrupted by God, and Peter is saved from the prison. Despite following the Jewish practices, Herod does not see this as an act of God. He instead blames his guards and has them put to death in Peter's place. Reeling from this failure, Herod continues to boast of his own glory. As the kings of other nations claim to view him as a god, Herod does not correct them. This angers God who strikes him dead.

Just as the chapter begins and ends with Herod, Herod's story begins and ends with pride. Proverbs 16:18 says that pride goes before a fall; we see this in practice with Herod. When we behave in a prideful manner, we carve out a difficult path. If we never turn around and repent, we too will end up like Herod.

Peter: Morality

Peter is in jail waiting to die, and yet he is found sound asleep. Its amazing that he was able to sleep in such a situation. The only way you can sleep in times like that is if you have faith and confidence in your actions. Peter did exactly what God called him to do. If he were to die at the hands of Herod, he knew he we would be greeted eagerly by our Heavenly Father. When we stay in line with God's morals—regardless of how they line up with what the world says is right/wrong—we can be at peace in any situation.

Rhoda: Hope

It's rare that women get named in the Bible, and Rhoda is one of the few who are afforded a name. Rhoda means Rose in Greek. She was likely a servant in the house, explaining why she answered the door, but she had to be involved in the Church to be shocked to see Peter. After Peter was arrested, the church prayed for Peter constantly, yet they still didn't believe it when he showed up. How often do we behave the same way?

References

1. "Herod Agrippa I". Encyclopædia Brittanica; visited June 15, 2020
2. "Strong's G3957. πάσχα". Blue Letter Bible; visited June 15, 2020

Most Likely To Get You In Trouble

Season 1 Episode 32

²⁰Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they were not even able to eat. ²¹When his family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, “He’s out of his mind.” ²²The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.” ²³So he summoned them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? ²⁴If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. ²⁶And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. ²⁷But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. ²⁸“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter. ²⁹But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— ³⁰because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” Mark 3:20-30 CSB

The Pharisees stayed trying to "catch" Jesus. They were against Him, in favor of their own traditions and the status quo (which gave them power). The were so engrossed in trying to harm Jesus, they erred close to the only unforgivable sin. Following in their footsteps is a guaranteed way to get us into trouble. Let's look at how their actions look in our modern world and talk about the dangers of calling good evil and evil good.

References and Footnotes

Yes, that's Bubbles speaking in the background. I had been gone all day and she wanted some attention. Of course she may have also been trying to tell us something about the Word 🤷🏽‍♀️

Other gospel records of Mark 3:20-30: Matthew 12:22-32 and Luke 12:10

Not everyone who says Lord, Lord will get into the Kingdom of Heaven: Matthew 7:21

Sheep of a different fold: John 10:16

Isaiah 15-16: Moab

Moab is discussed quite a bit in the Bible, and most of the time it's not shown in a good light. So, it's not surprising that Isaiah delivers a prophecy for Moab's judgment. While studying Isaiah 15-16, I discovered quite a bit of interesting information about Moab, like the Mesha stele and the fact that there is a Moab, UT. It's definitely a lot to unpack.

Introduction

Moab was not an ally to Israel, despite the fact that one of the most famous Moabites, Ruth, is actually one of Jesus' direct ancestors. The father of the Moabites was one of the sons born to Lot after his daughters committed incest (Genesis 19:30-38). While some may think it's due to the sinful nature of Moab's origin, it's more likely that God didn't approve of the nation due to their sinful behavior. From the exodus onward, the Moabites began luring Israelites to sin (Numbers 25:1-2). They fought countless battles against Israel, so, it's not surprising that one of the prophecies Isaiah receives is about the condemnation and judgement of Moab. Not only is the prophecy revealed to Isaiah, but it is also discussed in Jeremiah 48.

The Mesha Stele

The Mesha Stele
Photocredit: Wikipedia

Before we jump into the judgement of Moab presented in Isaiah 15 and 16, I want to talk about something Moab left behind: the Mesha Stele. The Mesha Stele is an engraving named for a Moabite king. The stele is currently located in the Louvere and is the earliest known original (and secular) writing that mentions the kingdom of Israel. The stele references a victory for Moab over Israel during the reign of king Ahab.[3] The Bible tells us Moab, led by Mesha, lost a battle after the death of Ahab (2 Kings 3). Since Moab and Israel were constantly at odds, it is very possible that two separate battles occurred.

Moab in the U.S.

As I was looking up information on Moab (particularly where it would be located today), I discovered that there's a city called Moab in Utah.[1] Moab definitely isn't the city of the Bible I would want my city named after, but apparently someone decided the name fit this place. I wonder how many people actually live there and if it's a touristy location. In any case, the original Moab would have been located somewhere in modern day Jordan, just East of Israel.

Reason for Judgement

God never judges people with giving a reason. Part of the reason we're told of these judgments is so that we can learn from the mistakes of those who came before us. Isaiah 16:6-7 inform us of Moab's offenses. The people of the nation were proud and haughty, two of the biggest stumbling blocks we tend to trip over. The danger of pride is that the more proud we become, the more we push God away. Since we are unable to be righteous without God, we spiral out of control when we lavish in pride. The lesson to be learned from the Moabites' judgment is that we have to work to remain humble. If we keep the perspective that God is supreme, we should remember that we are inferior and constantly be checked into humility.

Destroyed in the Night

Moab's cities of Ar and Kir are prophesied to be defeated in the night. Reading this made me wonder if God was proving His omniscience by giving a time of day (thus making the fulfillment of the prophecy more miraculous when it occurred), or if He was being figurative. Unless you're in a major city like New York (the city that never sleeps) or Vegas, night is when pretty much everyone is inattentive. Stores are closed and unprotected, people are asleep in their homes; this is the perfect time to catch people off guard. Which is why I wonder if Isaiah was actually inferring the state of the Moabites and their mindset: off guard and unprepared.

Grief

However the attack took place, one thing was for sure, Moab would be defeated and be left in mourning. Classic signs of mourning for the time, like shaving the head and wearing sackcloth, are attributed to Moab. In their grief, they would turn to their gods looking for mercy, but since they did not worship God the Father, it would't be found.

The Dangers of a False God

One of the things that I think is easy to overlook in this passage is that when things get bad, the Moabites run to their high places (Isaiah 15:2) and pray (Isaiah 16:12), but it doesn't do them any good. The reason these actions don't help is because they're praying to a false god.[6] Whether false gods are fallen angels trying to gain worship or figments of the imagination, they have absolutely no power in the face of God. If we fall into the same trap of worshipping a false god, especially a perversion of the One True God (re: the gold calf incident), we too will have empty, unanswered prayers.

Famine and Drought

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Gabriel Jimenez

Much of Moab's suffering comes from the Earth refusing to yield resources such as food and water. Without these necessities, the remaining Moabites are left in dire straits. God reminds us that the only reason Moab was able to thrive is because the land was good to them (i.e., He was good to them). The basic takeaway is we can't make it on our own.

Isaiah 16:8 seems to continue discussing the famine and drought that was to come as part of the judgement. This verse is particularly interesting because the description of destroying the vegetation parallels the descriptions that compare people to vines. There are many verses in the Bible that liken us to vines,; John 15:1-8 and Matthew 7:17-21 are great examples. The gist of the metaphor is that a person's actions are their fruit and identify what type of person they are, just as fruit identifies the type of tree. The vines in Moab are broken down, which means they are growing or bearing fruit—their intended purpose. Similarly, the Moabites are not are broken and not bearing fruit.

No Escape From Judgement

If you study history, you will find that after World War II, a lot of Nazi war criminals managed to escape.[5] In fact, they spent years chasing down people and sentenced someone for their participation in the Nazi death camps just a few years ago.[4] When we hear about people who created such horrific injustices going free, it's hard to get mad. We're often not satisfied with God's timing when it comes to justice, but the fact is, His justice always comes.

In the final verses of Isaiah 15, God makes it clear that the Moabites will not escape judgment. No matter where they fled, eventually they would be judged. While God expresses that there will be some people left alive from the ordeal, He also implies that they will have a rough time as well. The people in this remnant are probably the few good souls God found and chose to save. Remember, a similar type of judgment is awaiting all of us; if we haven't surrendered to Christ and repented of our sins, on judgement day, we will suffer just as the Moabites suffered.

In Isaiah 16:2, God compares the remnant—those not killed in the judgments—to a wandering bird. This imagery reminds me of the phrase "sitting duck," especially in Isaiah 16:14 when He refers to the remnant as feeble. After reading this, I asked myself, if the remnant was so weak, were they able rebuild? When God pronounces judgment on some places, He specifies that the cities would never be rebuilt. However, Moab is blessed to have a remnant, likely because Moab refers to a nation/lineage rather than a particular city. Today, no one refers to themselves as Moabites, but it's likely that the remnant people intermarried with their Assyrian and Babylonian captors until they lost their Moabite identity.[2]

Debt to Israel

Isaiah 16:1 and 5 give us great allusions to the Messiah, while likely references a literal debt owed to Israel. David conquered the Moabites (2 Samuel 8:2), which would have required them to pay tribute to Israel and 2 Kings 3:4 tells us that the Moabites paid Israel 100,000 lambs for a tribute. It is likely that after the revolt mentioned in the Mesha stele, Moab stopped paying tribute.[11] Isaiah 16:1 commands the Moabites to send a lamb to Jerusalem once again.

Of course, when paired with Isaiah 16:5, the lamb mentioned in Isaiah 16:1 makes me think of Jesus, the righteous king who will establish the throne of David. Jesus is our lamb and does cover our sins. Had the Moabites worshipped God, they too would have experienced grace and had their sins covered. Like Israel, they would have been offering real lambs since Jesus had not yet died for our sins, but today we send The Lamb to God in place of us.

One of the signals of their defeat would be the fact that in the midst of this turmoil, they would reach out to become a vassal state to Israel. Vassal states were basically subservient nations that although they had a leader, were really controlled (and thus protected) by a more powerful nation.[8]

Three Years

The time frame of 3 years is mentioned twice in the this passage, once in Isaiah 15:5 and again in Isaiah 16:14. The former discusses the route in which the Moabites would try to escape. For some reason, Zoar is linked to "a heifer of three years old." Modern translations leave this phrase out, whereas the NKJV makes it clear that their journey would be like a three year old heifer. Having grown up around cows my whole life, I'm still not sure what is meant here. I can say that this is about the age when female calves mature, so it may be a references to the haphazardness of youth.

Whatever it means, the authors of my study Bible also linked it to the latter reference. Isaiah 16:14 states that the prophecy would be fulfilled within 3 years. It is thought that fulfillment of this prophecy occurred in approximately 718bc when Assyria launched a campaign against northwest Arabia.[8] Assyrian inscriptions confirm that Moab paid tribute to Sargon, an Assyrian king who ruled from 721–705bc, which means they had been subdued by the Assyrians.[7][9] Given that Isaiah is thought to have lived during the 8th century (800-700) bc, this event falls in the timeline.[10]

References

1. "Discover Moab". Moab; visited July 2018
2. "Moabite. Encyclopædia Britannica. November 02, 2007
3. "The Mesha Stele. Louvre; visited July 2018
4. Bard Wilkinson and Nadine Schmidt. "'Bookkeeper of Auschwitz' Oskar Groening dies before serving sentence". CNN. March 13, 2018
5. Christopher Klein. "The 7 Most Notorious Nazis Who Escaped to South America". History. December 27, 2017
6. Judd H. Burton. "Chemosh: the Ancient God of the Moabites". ThoughtCo. March 12, 2018
7. Joseph Jacobs and Louis H. Gray. "MOAB (Hebrew, ; LXX. Μωάβ; Assyrian, "Mu'aba," "Ma'ba," "Ma'ab"; Egyptian, "Muab")". Jewish Encyclopedia; visited July 2018
8. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. 1151. 2014
9. Jorgen Laessoe. "Sargon II". Encyclopædia Britannica. September 18, 2008
10. Sheldon H. Blank. "Isaiah". Encyclopædia Britannica. May 14, 2013
11. "Isaiah 16:1 Commentary". Bible Hub; visited July 2018

Isaiah 3: Judgment of Israel

Isaiah 3 gives us a preview of Israel without some of the most productive members of society and suffering with vanity. The punishment for Israel's behavior is discussed and includes terrifying consequences such as children ruling over them.

Proverbs 10-22: More of Solomon's Wisdom

Solomon tells us that it is better to be hated than to be without bread. He didn't say this because he was obsessed with the rolls at his favorite restaurant, either. In the Bible, bread always represents substance. Jesus tells us the bread it His body and what is the Body of Christ? His believers, who sustain His Kingdom on earth. Solomon is telling us that substance (both literally and spiritually) is more important than being liked an accepted by the world.

Introduction

A lot of topics are covered in these proverbs—eventually, I will separate out the topics covered across the whole book into individual posts. Below, I cover the highlights of the verses found from Proverbs 10-22. Major points include listening to our parents, following the commandments, non-violence and peace, criticism, and treatment of the poor. Solomon tells us that wisdom is more valuable than gold and silver! I can't cover everything, so I strongly encourage you to read Proverbs often.

³⁰There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord. ³¹The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord.Proverbs 21:30-31 KJV

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The Commandments

One of the main points of Proverbs is to remind us to keep the commandments. Since these Proverbs were written by Solomon, who is suspected to have also penned Ecclesiastes, which proclaims the whole of our duty is to serve the Lord and follow the commandments, it stands to reason Proverbs would echo that sentiment.

The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.Proverbs 13:14 KJV

Solomon informs us that the law is very important in our life. We know that we are actually saved by grace, but with grace, we gain a desire to follow God's Word. The commandments are not particularly convenient to keep, but they are prudent to our survival. Think about all the troubles that come with alcoholism, drug usage, sexual immorality, violence, etc. Surely, by listening to God this will save us from pain. When we accept Jesus as our King (the point of salvation), He gives us the Holy Spirit, Who inspires us to keep these commandments.

Follow the Ways of Your Parents

Many of the proverbs stress that children are to heed the wisdom of their parents. When we sin and reject wisdom, we are an embarrassment to our parents. Similarly, we are an embarrassment to God (our Father) when we disobey Him. Proverbs not only reminds us to follow our parents, but reminds our parents that they have to train us. Famous proverbs such as "spare the rod, spoil the child"^[3] and "train up a child in the way he should go and he will not depart"^[4] substantiate Solomon's point that children have to be corrected to help them grow into wise adults.^[5] Once again, this principle can be applied to each of us as a child of God; we should be thankful when God corrects our behavior.

Violence is of the Wicked

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Adam Birkett

Proverbs has so many verses that say violence is the fruit of wickedness, I don't know why this isn't quoted in church more often. Anger and violence are things we resort to when we are unwise and do not know the love and peace of God. This is something most people could guess, even if they don't think about it often.

What we don't really talk about is the entertainment of violence. I've mentioned this in previous posts, but I'm going to mention it every time it comes up in scripture because you may not have read my previous posts. Basically, Solomon warns us that the wicked not only commit violent acts but that they enjoy violence. This encompasses everything from egging on schoolyard fights, to reality TV, movies, and video games. I was never a fan of violent video games, but boy did I have an affinity for violent movies. I used to joke with my friends that every movie I owned that wasn't a Disney movie (and even some of those fall into this category), either someone dies or something gets blown up in the first 5 minutes. My favorite franchises were The Fast and the Furious, Transformers, and The Dark Knight. In my mind, it was harmless because I would never advocate for such violence. When I interned for the government, I had to drive through a check point and saw one of those massive guns for the first time in real life. I was not amused, entertained, or impressed. Ever since then, I've wondered, why am I ok with watching people use these things on TV? I would say it's because I know that the movies are fake, but does it matter? Do you think God is entertained by fake adultery or fake murder? I don't know about you, but I can't see God being amused by watching people pretend to commit acts He told us not to commit.

Proverbs 12:20 tells us that those who preach peace find joy. In grade school, people often crowd around fights, egging them on and talking smack. However, Proverbs tells us that it's an honor to end a fight. Naturally, the wise are able to think through their anger and approach confrontation with a level head. Of course there is a time for war (Ecclesiastes 3:8) and Proverbs confirms that sometimes we have good reason to war. However, the take away is that this isn't to be a first choice or a first instinct. We should be slow to anger.

Laziness

God promises us rest, He created a whole day for rest, but that doesn't mean we have a pass to be lazy! Proverbs condemns laziness in several verses. Solomon tells us not to sleep during the harvest, that the lazy don't prosper because it impedes our path.

Having grown up on the farm, I can tell you without a doubt, you have to be ready for the harvest if you intend to reap anything. My parents planted a blueberry bush for me since I love blueberries (and they're crazy expensive in the store!). I used to casually pick berries off when the urge hit me. Unlike a real blueberry farm, where the purpose of the bush is to produce enough crop to sell, I just ate as I pleased. It never failed that the squirrels and the bugs often beat me to the punch. By the end of the bearing season, it was pretty hard to find berries that hadn't been tainted. If I wanted to sell those berries for profit, I needed to be ready the moment the harvest began and I should have cleaned the berries from the bush.

I don't think Solomon's words in Proverbs are restricted to a physical harvest in a garden. The Bible often refers to us as branches or vines that bear fruit. There is definitely spiritual wisdom to be found in the advice of not being asleep during the harvest. Whether God is harvesting us or we are harvesting gifts of the Spirit, you don't want to miss that.

In the moment, being lazy is the easy, but when we're lazy, we waste something (time, money, etc.). It takes the least effort and causes the least stress. However, in the long run, we miss out on the blessings God has for us because we didn't sew the effort to reap the benefits. Not to mention, it would be silly to sew the effort only to miss reaping the benefits because you were too lazy to collect the reward.

Reproof

Reproof or reproach is the act of chastising someone when they have done wrong. Proverbs touches on this process quite a bit. The main take-away is that fools do not take criticism well, but wise men are quick to adjust their behavior. One verse goes so far as to so that a wise man will learn more from the reproof than a fool will from being disciplined! We must be able to accept the truth when presented to us. It easy to believe that those accusing us of wrong as the ones in the wrong (see below on pride), especially in a world where deception runs rampant. We must take criticism with grace and pray on each point. Often we dismiss issues based on our own conclusions or because of who it is that is criticizing you. However truth is truth, no matter who's mouth it comes from. God uses all manner of people to relay His messages. Before we get angry or wave away criticism, we should bring the issue to God. We should ask "Lord, is this true? Is this something I need to fix?" (I know it's easier said than done! I struggle with this myself. Let's make a deal to pray for each other. I'll pray for you to be able to accept criticism and you pray for me, ok?)

Pride

Pride and vanity are discussed a lot in Proverbs. Most of us know it's bad but we don't always know why or where to draw the line. I'm sure God wants us to have some pride in ourselves. I'm proud to call myself a follower of Christ. I'm proud to say I was fearfully and wonderfully made. However, there's a line we shouldn't cross. We don't want to take on a holier-than-thou attitude in which we consider ourselves "better Christians" or "more Christian" than others. We don't want to be full of ourselves, flaunting our beauty as though it's something we have power over. In the movie Sydney White, the "queen bee" at a university flips out because someone else is voted more beautiful than her; we don't want to be that person.

Proverbs advises us to be humble. I know and you know that we should be humble because we really are lowly creatures compared to God, even compared to the angels. Nothing I've accomplished in life is of my own hand. For those who are struggling, however, Proverbs gives us a more practical reason for being humble: it comes before honor. Whether people are Christian or not, no one likes a braggart. You will not go far bragging on yourself, but when you allow your actions to speak for themselves, that is when honor is bestowed upon you.

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.Proverbs 16:18 KJV

One of the problems with becoming prideful is that we want to trust in ourself more than God (lean not on your own understanding, right?). From the very beginning all the way to today, people have relied on their own "wisdom" to make decisions, forsaking God's wisdom. Eve chose to believe the serpent and her own eyes rather than listen to what God said. Today we listen to the media and pop culture to define right and wrong rather than listen to God. This is all rooted in pride. Proverbs 21:2 tells us than in our own minds, we're always doing right, but only God's way is actually right. We vainly believe that we are good, even when we are wrong; people don't set out to be the villain of the story, usually they actually believe their own foolishness. This is what pride leads to.

An interesting note on pride is found in Proverbs 16:5. Solomon tells us that despite being joined hand in hand, with people, a proud heart will not go unpunished. We live in a society that prides itself on unity, which causes us to think anyone promoting unity is good. Unfortunately this is not the case. We can get along with our neighbors and talk about coming together in peace all while trying to magnify ourselves. Just because our end result may be desirable, doesn't mean God won't judge our heart.

Money Matters

Money is a big deal in our society. During Solomon's time they didn't have debit cards or paper money, but wealth and the concept of being rich still existed. Solomon leaves us a few tips about acquiring wealth in Proverbs.

One thing Solomon reminds us of, which is reiterated in the New Testament when Jesus tells the rich man to give away his riches to follow Him, is that it is better to be poor with great riches in Heaven, than to be rich on Earth with nothing in Heaven. Solomon tells us that is better to have a good name, than money. If you have a good reputation, people will try to help you, but if you have money with a bad reputation, nothing can fix that. People may put up with you, but they'll be happy to see you fall too.

Of course, wealthy in and of itself isn't bad. Many of God's chosen people were blessed and wealthy. Solomon was one of those people. If your wealth is earned from honest labor, you will be made prosperous and likely it will multiply. However, wealth obtained through vanity (i.e., ungodly activities), will be lost.

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Jay Castor

When you're on the right path, you know that Earthly wealth is of this world, that you can't take it with you when you die. Proverbs 13:22 tells us that a good man leaves his wealth to his descendants. A long time ago, I remember being pretty irate with Steve Harvey for promoting the idea of spending every dime he had and not leaving anything for his children. People flocked to his comment, praising it, and suggesting the children should have to work for their fortune just as he did. From a secular point of view, this is why the poor stay poor and the rich get richer. I know people who graduated from college with $0 student loan debt and a trust fund from mommy and daddy to buy a house or invest in a business. Meanwhile I know people who graduated with tons of debt and have little to no support from their parents. Obviously the people who inherit are in a better place to succeed in our world. Spiritually, you have to think what life would be like if God took that approach toward our salvation. Imagine if Jesus had said He refused to die on the cross for us because He already had His robe and His throne. Imagine if He said we needed deserve anything He created and we needed to work and create our own stuff.

Another warning Solomon gives us is that those who love pleasure end up poor. In the list of pleasure, Solomon includes wine and oil. These were and still are fairly expensive items. If you spend all your money on lavish items like Ferraris and marble tile, of course you won't have anything left over!

Solomon tells us not to put our faith in wealth. Money can't buy everything; for example, all the money in the world can't cure you of an incurable disease. Certainly it may provide you with more comfort or prolong your life, but it won't cure you nor will it stop you from dying. Only God can save you from death.

The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.Proverbs 11:25 KJV

Solomon also talks about our wealth as it relates to others. Cheating people out of money is forbidden by God, and according to Solomon, unwise. False weights were not to be used to receive more or pay less than the agreed upon amount during business transactions. Conversely, Solomon advises that we scatter our blessings, i.e., be generous. Generosity leads to more success, but stingy behavior leads to poverty. Note that in Proverbs 11:25, Solomon isn't referring to political liberals and conservatives; he's referencing generosity.

A Godly Woman

Proverbs 31 contains a detailed description of a virtuous woman, but there are other proverbs that speak on the matter as well. Since Solomon starts the book personifying wisdom as a woman, I like to ponder what these verse would mean in that context as well.

Solomon says that a virtuous woman is good for her husband but a wicked woman will harm him. The Israelites struggled with this. They often married women from pagan nations—Solomon was guilty of this himself—and then fell into idolatry. Critics of the church often complain about the expectations placed on women, but I find Solomon's advice to be interesting, and empowering. Solomon never says a virtuous man is good for his wife. In the New Testament, Paul says a woman may convert her husband or a husband may convert his wife, but Solomon, the wisest fully human man to live, only specifies a virtuous woman to be a great treasure.

Feel however you may about the standards women are held to, but it is true that men will often go through extreme lengths to please women. From the beginning, man desired a partner. Women were created to fulfill this desire. Adam was so fixated on Eve that he left her talk him into eating the forbidden fruit. The truth is, a good woman does have the power to affect positive change in a man. Solomon says that men who find a wife find a good thing and obtain favor from God (Proverbs 18:22). Isn't it odd, then, that it is women who are looked at funny if they are unmarried?

The Rewards of the Righteous

Solomon lays out the basis of salvation when he talks about the rewards of being righteous. Despite the fact that most afterlife is a hotly debated topic in modern Judaism, Solomon clearly understood that God had a plan to deliver us from death. Solomon says the righteous are delivered from death and inherit the Tree of Life. We see in Revelation 22:2 and 14 that after all is said and done, those who remained loyal to God (the righteous) will come before the Tree of Life and enjoy eternal life.

Sacrifice, Punishment, and Justice

Justice is important; we know that. Solomon tells us that justice and righteousness is better than sacrifices. When the Israelites presented sacrifices to God, it was part of the forgiveness process. Therefore, this is actually the opposite of the adage "better to ask forgiveness than permission." God despises the sacrifices given by the wicked! This relates to Jesus saying there will be many claiming to know Him that He will not recognize. It's not about the action, it's about the heart.

Speaking of the heart. Many times people sacrifice goals, dreams, values, etc. for those around them, only to be angry and resentful in the end. Other times Solomon tells us it is better to let well enough alone and be without if the sacrifice will cause us to be angry and resentful in the end. We're being told that sometimes we can't afford to pay the price of the sacrifice. Aren't you glad Jesus could afford to pay for everything?

Forgiveness

We all mess up; no one is perfect. Thankfully, God is a forgiving God. We can rest easy knowing that when we repent, God will hear us and forgive our imperfections. That is, if we're truly repentant. Solomon reminds us that if we continue to repeat transgressions, we cause a problem. This advice isn't just for our relationship with God, but our relationship with family and friends. If you do wrong by me once, of course I'll forgive you. However, if I notice it to be a pattern, I'm probably going to be less likely to forgive you.

Solomon tells us not to reward evil with good. Forgiveness could be considered one of the good things people are rewarded with. From this perspective, we have to remember that evil would be the intentional and repeated actions of a person. Clearly, Jesus tells us to forgive 70 times 7. Even though we may forgive people, I think Solomon's point is that we do not want to confuse evil doers by blessing them for bad behavior.

Treatment of the Poor

One of the things that really grinds my gears is the way so called Christians treat the poor. Jesus was a champion for the poor and the both the Old and New Testament testify to this fact. Proverbs is no exception, there are several proverbs detailing our treatment of the poor. We are told that if we oppress the poor to increase our own wealth, we will suffer—specifically, we will "come to want."

"20 The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends. 21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he." Proverbs 14:20-21 KJV

Many people assume this means that the rich will lose their money, their companies, their fancy cars, etc. Life proves that this isn't really the case. Instead, we see them fall apart emotionally, which is far worse. We see them battling depression and drug addictions. The Clintons stand accused of spearheading the mass incarceration of Black men, specifically poor Black men,^[1] as well as misappropriating funds donated to a relief fund meant for the poor in Haiti.^[2] They're still rich, but I wouldn't want to be them for even a second. Nothing about their demeanor suggests a happy life. Can you imagine how it must feel to know you lost the presidency to Donald Trump? The man won by promoting hatred toward Hispanics and Muslims, was supported by White supremacists, and yet Hilary Clinton also lost Barack Obama, a former Muslim who is also Black...

God is the Creator of both the rich and the poor (and everyone on the spectrum in between). He wants us to have a heart for those who have less than us. You don't have to be millionaire rich for these words to affect you. As a graduate student making less than $30k a year, I still had more than many people. While God may not expect me to build a homeless shelter, considering I can barely pay my own rent, He does expect me to be mindful and considerate of these people. If there is something I can do to aid my fellow man, I should be doing it!

Lies and Deceit

The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.Proverbs 12:19 KJV

I mentioned "little white lies" earlier, and Solomon uses proverbs to give us a host of wisdom on the error of lying and deceit. All forms of deceit, from lying to cheating to slander are condemned in Proverbs. Solomon tells us not be fake and not to allow negative influences in our lives.

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.Proverbs 20:1 KJV

The problem with deceit is that it is exactly what it is: deceiving. The grass looks greener on the other side and even the righteous are easily seduced to follow in a deceptive path. It takes discernment from the Holy Spirit to see through deceit.

Who's in Your Circle?

I'm probably dating myself with this reference, but there used to be a cell-phone commercial focused on the question "who's in your circle?" The idea was that those in the circle were the ones closest to you and whom you talked to the most often. These were the people you wanted to be able to talk to for free. Google+ still imploys a similar method for profiles, and we often use the phrase "circle" to describe cliques in society.

Words like "circle" and "clique" tend to have a negative connotation because they refer to exclusivity. Not everyone can be in the "premier" circles of society and so often they seem snobbish and elitist. God wants us all in the circle that goes to Heaven, but we have to choose to be there, and most people haven't made that decision. As such, sometimes we have to excuse people from our circle because we just aren't going the same way.

Solomon reminds us that we pick up the habits of those we are around, so he advises that we surround ourselves with wise people and avoid people who are foolish or prone to anger. If we have wise friends, we receive wise advice; if we have foolish friends, we receive foolish advice.

Solomon also reminds us that while blood may be thicker than water, friendship is often more nurturing than familial ties. I often joke with my parents when one talks about something crazy the other one did. They'll say "that's your mother/father" and I'll respond, "yes, but you chose to marry them." It's all in fun, but the truth is, we can't help who our family is. Some of us have wonderful families, and some of us have horrible families. On the other hand, we are fully in control of who our friends are. Our siblings (think Joseph and his brothers) or parents may wrestle with us, but we should choose friends that have our best interest at heart!

Misc.

He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.Proverbs 10:10 KJV

Proverbs 10:10 says winking can cause sorrow. If you're like me, you read that passage, scratched your head, and said "come again?" After reading this proverb, I was totally confused. It's paired with a "prating fool" falling, and the use of "but" to combine the phrases implies this is an opposite action. However, falling isn't the opposite of sorrow, in fact I would think they were in the same realm. So let's take a look at this verse.

He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.Proverbs 17:15 KJV

To prate is to talk for a long time, usually about something unimportant,^[6] so a prating fool would be someone who is prone to idle chatter. Apparently all this talking will cause them to fall. How does this compare to the winking eye? Today we think of winking as a flirtatious gesture in which we quickly blink only one eye. That's not what is meant in this passage. Here, Solomon is referencing those who turn a blind eye to what is happening around them. Your lack of intervention causes pain and sorrow in those victimized by the situation you are ignoring.^[7]

This passage is meant to show us that running our mouths about things we know nothing about can cause trouble, but not intervening is also a troublesome action.

Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.Proverbs 22:28 KJV

Apparently there is one landmark that was not supposed to be removed. It wasn't the Temple, because Solomon built the Temple and it was God who set the location. Also, the Temple wasn't a landmark, so much as a holy place. Landmarks are there to give direction or information, so whatever Solomon was telling them not to remove in Proverbs 22:28, was meant to provide direction to the Israelites. Scholars believe he was talking about tribal lines or inheritance boundaries. There are also some who think this could refer to theological disputes that have been settled by our forefather.^[8]

References

1. Aviva Shen. "Hillary Clinton Says She Agrees Her Role In Mass Incarceration Was A Mistake". Think Progress. March 6, 2016
2. Michelle Ye Hee Lee. "Did the Clinton Foundation raise ‘hundreds of millions of dollars’ for a hospital in Haiti that was never built?". Washington Post. June 13, 2016
3. Proverbs 13:24
4. Proverbs 22:6
5. Proverbs 22:15
6. "Prate". Merriam Webster; visited July 2017
7. "Word of Wisdom - He That Winks With the Eyes Causes Sorrow". The Salt of the Earth. May 17, 2016
8. John Gills. "Proverbs 22:28 Commentary". Bible Study Tools; visited July 2017

Why it Matters: A Discourse on Why We Won't "Shut Up" About Being Black in America

I was having a normal conversation about how working for pennies inspired me to do better in school, and in this I was offering the proof of the pudding in the story of how I tried to flunk myself out of honors my freshman year of high school, but was often the highest scorer on assignments all the years after my job experience. That's how it started. In explaining why I wanted out of honors, I said I hated my high school. So, the person asked for clarification, and I gave it. Some of why I hated my high school was resentment—I wanted to go to the high school everyone else in my family went to—but alot of it was the racial tension and the feeling of being isolated. Which brought about the question "why do you feel isolated from white people?"

Down the Rabbit Hole

As I pointed out to the speaker, that's a broad generalization. I can name several instances where I felt more comfortable and more "at home" with a white person than a black person. The conversation about my high school was talking about a specific group of white people. Further, it wasn't just a racial divide, but an economic divide, as well. So, the person—let's call him John Doe—corrects himself to say that I seem "normal" and he can't see why I would have a problem fitting in with the people in my class. Mind you, he started to use the word assimilate and caught himself, but that didn't stop that ideology from trickling into his philosophy. John might not have said assimilate, but it was obvious he meant assimilate...

Regardless, having a surface conversation with people is not the same as being friends with people or making a connection. Yes, I can have polite conversation with people all day (and I mean that literally, I'm a talker!), but that doesn't mean I feel connected to the people I'm talking to. The conversation John and I had is a prime example of it. While my classmates were hooked on Friends and Seinfeld, I was watching Living Single and Girlfriends. What makes these seemingly minuscule differences isolating is that the mentality of many people is their ideas are what's normal and everyone else is abnormal. The fact that I enjoyed different things was "odd" simply because I didn't like what they liked. Because they had never heard of the shows I watched or the music I listened to, and I didn't like the shows they watched or the music they listened to, there had to be something wrong with me. Which brings us back to the "white is normal" mentality.

"Black People Basically Didn't Exist Before the 1960's"

As I continued to explain the bombardment of white-only history, John repeatedly stated that before the 60's black people were oppressed, so there wasn't anything to teach. Little did he know that he proved my point exactly; we've been brainwashed to think the all black people did before the civil rights movement is be slaves. Yet, Blacks in the North were free; they might not have been treated well but they were free. Compound that with the fact that they don't teach any history about after the 60's, and you have a whole nation of people who think blacks have never done anything. We even think we never did anything! I'll save the ramifications of this kind of teaching for my book...

Instead, I offered the example of Jan Matzeliger, who created a machine to speed up the making of shoes.[1] Of course as a lover of shoes, this would be the first person who came to mind. John responded that this wasn't remarkable, that people like Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. Well, you walk around in shoes everyday, don't you? I assure you I spend more time using my shoes than light bulbs (especially if its sunny out!). Further more, you're comparing a man who was denied nothing, inventing something versus a man who lived in a era when it was illegal for blacks to learn how to read! Even under oppression black people were succeeding in the occupations typically ascribed to whites of that era (inventors, writers, senators, etc.). Not the first black man to be a U.S. senator (Hiram Revels), but the second black man to become a U.S. senator, Blanche K. Bruce, was born a slave. What's more, they both became senators in Mississippi, i.e. the deep South.[2][3][4] You have Garrett Morgan, who invented the gas mask and the traffic light—with only a 6th grade education; Benjamin Banneker, a self-taught mathematician and astronomer; Thomas Jennings, who holds a patent for a dry cleaning process; Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, who received an M.D. in 1883 (only 20 years after the abolishment of slavery), founded a hospital, and performed the first open heart surgery in 1893.[5][6][7][8] Black people have always contributed to a society that sees them as worthless. By suggesting that these inventions are somehow not worthy of mentioning in a classroom and continually arguing that we didn't do anything "remarkable" before the 60's only follows that same trend.

Black Literature

As we continued the discussion, the talk shifted to written work. During this part of the conversation, John admitted he didn't know who James Baldwin was. I knew he didn't know who Baldwin was, because "before the 60's blacks were oppressed and didn't do anything," despite the fact that Baldwin's Go Tell It On the Mountain was published to critical acclaim in 1953.[9] While we read Poe, Hawthorne, Thoreau, Whitman, Fitzgerald, and Hemingway, black classics were completely ignored. What about Baldwin, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Du Bois, Ralph Ellison, Frances Harper?[10][11][12][13] Phillis Wheatley was the first published black female poet, and her works were published in 1773.[14] 1773, folks! That's almost 100 years before the Emancipation Proclamation. Jupiter Hammon, a slave born in 1711 is known to have published something in Connecticut in 1760![15] To let John and my English teachers tell it, we weren't doing anything before 1960, though.

John countered my dismay at the lack of black literature in school with shock, because he spent a whole semester doing a play about one book by a black person. Wow, one whole book. From elementary to middle to high through college, you can only mention one book you've read by a black person and you can't even tell me the name of the book or who wrote it? #AllLivesMatter, though, right? I can't even count the number of books I was required to read that were written by and about whites, but I can name at least 10 without straining myself. As if boasting that one book did black literature justice wasn't evident of the disconnect John had, he confirmed it by proudly remembering that the main character's catchphrase was "yes'em." *side-eye* As in, the black way of saying yes ma'am or yes sir? As in, what black people had to say to whites in the south to avoid being lynched... I don't know what he read, but I'm convinced he didn't read legitimate black literature, which is probably why he thinks black people were sitting idly, wallowing in their oppression all that time before the civil rights movement. I need him to at least get on the level of The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (or anything by Morrison, really) or Invisible Man by Ellison. I mean, really, there are countless influential black authors...

And the discussion on black literature didn't stop there... When discussing instances where students deliberately read the n-word from a book when then teacher had gone through lengths to blot out the word, John said blotting out the n-word in a book "ruined" it. Did he stop to wonder how many books he read that demeaned white people? Without even thinking I can name at least 4 books we had to read in school that referred to blacks as n*****s (and not just on one page), but even as I think, I can't recall a single book that uses pejorative language to describe whites (and we'll leave the fact that everyone else is just absent all together for another conversation). It's easy to be ok with something when it's not you that's being shamed. It's even easier to be ok with it, when you've never had the whole class turn to stare and view your shame because you were the only person in the room that this shame applied to.

The Concept of Being Black

As the conversation continued down this horrible and deep rabbit hole, so many random topics of discussion came up, among them was the concept of being black. To someone who has no idea what it's like to be a minority, maybe it does seem like we wake up thinking about our "blackness," but that's simply not the case. I didn't define myself as a black person, the white people around me did.

I didn't know I was black until a white person told me. Why do you think a four year old white person child came up to me on the playground and said "you're black and I'm white," as opposed to me walking up to her saying "you're white and I'm black?" You can argue that it's natural for children to be curious about differences, but the fact is no one in my family thought "white" skin vs. "black" skin was something worth noting. None of us ever came home and asked our parents why the white kids at school were white. If this child was simply curious about differences, it was because in her world, "white" was normal and my blackness was abnormal—again with the idea that white is the norm. What's left to wonder, however, is what her parents taught her that she felt it necessary to point it out to me as though it meant something... If this were the only experience I'd ever had related to my "blackness," I would gladly sweep it under the rug as an anomaly, but this experience is what every day life has been as black person. After all, it was only shortly after that that I learned the n-word at a traffic light when the old man in the car next to ours pointed at us and told his grad-daughter (also about 4 or 5 years old), "those are n*****s." It is in rare spaces that I am able to forget that I am what society calls "black."

Loss of Individuality

I shared the follow story with John. With a group of "friends," I played a spinoff game of charades where the object was to guess famous people (real or fictional). Each person put in maybe 6 people, and we took turns drawing a name from a hat (or a bowl, whatever). I put in superheroes like batman, spiderman, and magneto. Someone else decided to put in every rapper they could think of. After the third or fourth rapper came out of the hat, someone said to me "C'mon, you know we don't know these people why'd you put all of these rappers in?" Now you can argue that the inclusion of rappers was new to the game and since it was the first time I played with them, the logical conclusion was that I placed the names in. What you can't excuse is that someone took that opportunity to place those names in the hat. Why didn't the person put those names in before? Furthermore, when I said I didn't put them in, that person never said "hey, I put them in there." Years later, the people in the group remember it as the time I bombarded them with rap artists despite the fact that I told them I didn't do it.

Out of this experience, all John wanted to know was what's so bad about people thinking I listen to rap. It's not about rap. Truthfully, I don't really listen to, but there's nothing inherently wrong with rap. It's about not being allowed to have an identity outside of my blackness. It's about the fact that even when you interact with people frequently, even after two years of hanging out with these people, they still associate "black" stereotypes to me. None of these people bothered to crack their image of what a black person is supposed to be like to realize that I don't know the lyrics to most of the rap songs by the rappers they named, because my iTunes is mostly 90's R&B, Gospel, Jazz, and Classical. The issue isn't what type of music I do or don't listen to, it's about the fact that people don't bother to get to know you for you. This is a primary factor in feeling alienated as a black person in a room full of white people. Yes, I can talk to people and have conversations, but many times those people aren't actually listening to my side of the conversation. They aren't friends, they're acquaintances who pretend to be friends.

Black Hair

As I tried to explain this point further, I mentioned the time someone told me I looked better with straight hair. I didn't bother to mention the time I was walking in the mall and someone told me I was "too pretty to be black" or the infamous line dark skinned girls get: "you're pretty for a dark skinned girl." He wanted to turn it into everything other than what it was. He asked if I would get mad if someone told me I looked nice today, suggesting that implies I didn't look nice the day before. When I pointed out that saying you look nice today is not the same as you look better today, he claimed I was playing with words. Imagine you meet someone for the first time. Perhaps you think they're attractive. Depending on the situation and your personality, you're not necessarily going to walk up and say "hey, you're gorgeous." If you become friends with the person, you're going to see them all the time, their attractiveness will become normal to you, and by the time you're comfortable around them you'll probably forget to mention it or you've subtly hinted at it to the point you don't need to mention it. If something changes, say their hair, their clothes, etc., it's a sudden difference that you are complimenting. It doesn't mean that you prefer that difference to what you previously saw. I have plenty of shirts in my closet that are the same except for the color; I couldn't figure out which one I liked better so I bought both. It's the same concept; I like both, I don't have a preference. When you explicitly say "better" you are stating a preference. He kept trying to come up with other examples, but I shared this example for a reason.

What your preference is about makeup or how I dress is irrelevant; what you tell me about your preference in black hair is historical. The reason black people started to straighten their hair is not because we just thought it looked nice. Our natural hair was seen as unkempt, unprofessional, and later a sign of a revolutionary or black panther (power to Angel Davis #blackfistsalute). There are still occupations that require you to straighten your hair.[23] On top of bowing to conformity (assimilating as he slipped and said early in the conversation), when the Africans were brought from Africa to the U.S., they were stripped of their cultural heritage. They weren't allowed to speak their native tongues, they weren't allowed to practice their cultural habits/customs/etc. One of the things lost was how to care for our hair. Many of us straighten our hair because we don't know how to deal with curly hair. Even for whites with curly hair, this is not something taught in cosmetology classes.[24][25] For some blacks this maybe as simple as passing a flat iron over their hair, but for most of us this means chemically altering our hair. It has been suggested that Black women have a higher instances of fibroids due to the chemical relaxers we put in our hair.[26] At 27, I was told I have 2 fibroids. I haven't relaxed my hair since I was 22, just 5 years prior to this diagnosis. When I did get relaxers, I got the "Just for Me" kiddie version only 3 times a year. Most people relax their hair every 6-8 weeks; that's about twice as often as I did. Relaxers are known, without a doubt, to cause chemical burns and damage the hair.[27]

Jennifer Freeman as Claire Kyle on "My Wife and Kids

The indoctrination that we should alter our natural hair is such that I didn't know I had curly hair until I was in my senior year of high school. I had never seen my hair in its natural state before, and even then it really wasn't my natural state because it was relaxed. I went to several different stylists trying to copy the curly look sported by Jennifer Freeman. Not one of them ever thought to tell me to go natural; every single one of them relaxed my hair then tried to curl it with a curling iron.

I was in graduate school before I realized that I was burning the curls out of my hair. When I stopped, I didn't know if I was going to have the curls I was aiming for (I don't) or if I was going to have a "nappy" fro, but I was resolved to love either. I ended up somewhere in between. My black sisters who've undergone this process (and it's not an easy process, but that's a whole 'nother post) and come out with type 4 hair have often been met with the rudest comments about having "slave" hair or that "natural isn't for everyone," when their hair is just as beautiful as anyone else's. Black hair has never been appreciated or welcome, because black people have never been appreciated or welcome; we've always been considered inferior, this is just a manifestation of that sentiment. On the spectrum of curly hair, the closer you are to a "typical" afro texture, the less acceptance you will find.

When I debuted my unrelaxed hair at home, people thought I'd lost my mind. It's not just white people who've been brainwashed to think we're inferior, we've been brainwashed to believe it! My little cousins wanted to know when I would revert back to my "real" hair, because like me at 7 years old, they had never seen their natural hair. They thought straight hair was normal; again, white equals normal, black equals abnormal. Little black girls (and boys) around the Americas are raised to think their hair isn't good enough because society promotes European standards of beauty. That's not ok, and when you say to me "you look better with straight hair", all you're doing is promoting and reinforcing white supremacy.

The History of Being Black

The root of almost every issue lies in history; it lies in the subconscious programming we receive daily and then exude as though it's "normal" and "ok." John's first reaction was not to acknowledge that at this point in time we should not be experiencing racial discrimination and injustice, but to compare racial discrimination to discrimination of men with long hair. In his attempt to belittle the experience of racial injustice, he didn't even think through the issue enough to realize that people are in complete control of the length of their hair. I'm not saying that it's right to assume a man with long hair is this way or that way, but he knows the stereotypes associated with whatever hairstyle he chooses and he is free to choose to present himself to the world with or without long hair. If at any point he decides that is not the image he wants people to have of him, he can change. I cannot change the color of my skin, nor should I have to. That would be the very definition of white supremacy.

As I explained this, the point still didn't click for John; instead he changed his example to being a short man. Short men are not being seen as threatening and thugs causing people to overreact and shoot them. Just this week an autistic black teenager who was participating in a cross country meet—I repeat he was running in a cross country race, therefore, he had on a cross country uniform—was attacked by a random man who "thought he was going to mug him." This man got out of his car—I don't know about you, but if I think I'm about to be mugged and I'm in my car, my reaction is to lock the door and/or drive off—and pushed the teen to the ground. On top of that, no charges are being brought against the man who admits he pushed the teen to the ground.[16] Just today, a black church in Greenville, Mississippi was not only vandalized with the words "Vote Trump," it was set on fire.[17] Are people out burning down the homes and worship places of short men? White supremacists have been burning black churches, cities, and businesses since the end of slavery; and if you didn't have a building for them to burn, they were satisfied to simply burn you. Two of the most prominent black owned and operated cities of the United States—Rosewood, FL and Greenwood, OK (otherwise known as Black Wallstreet)—were ransacked and destroyed while the inhabitants were massacred by white supremacists.[18][19][20] Do people follow short men around shopping malls assuming they're going to steal? As a short man, when you are out searching for an apartment or in a store do people remark that the area or object you're seeking to purchase is out of your price range without knowing anything about you? The only complaint John cited about the plight of short men was that they are less likely to get matched on online dating websites; guess what, so are black women and men.[21][22] He asserted that he gets talked down to because he's short; guess what, so do I (for being black, female, and looking 17). But, on top of being undesirable and spoken down to, I am subjected to countless consequences that affect my day to day life, simply because I'm Black. I get a whole new, made up identity that casts me as a single mother on welfare listening to rap not knowing who my baby's father is and eating fried chicken, meanwhile there's a group of people, some of whom actually hold positions of power (re: Donald Trump might actually become president), that hates me and/or thinks I'm from an inferior species...

Bucking the Status Quo

John was so content with the status quo, he couldn't grasp the fact that it's not about being PC, it's not about being offended, it's not about changing someone's preference about what type of hair they like. It's about educating people that white does not equal normal. It's about educating people about the history of why we have these preferences. He admitted himself that he had no idea about the history of black hair (yeah, because the education system only teaches you the white side of history). I bet he doesn't know who Madame CJ Walker is either; she was the first black woman in the U.S. to become a millionaire—self-made and before the 1920's.

Instead of understanding the why's of the issue, he conflated fact and opinion. He tried to suggest, going back to his short man issue, that "facts" were that being tall is more attractive. No, popular opinion holds that being tall is more attractive. That doesn't make it true, and that doesn't make it right. He was all about "just dealing with it" but that's exactly how things stay stagnant. White people have been telling blacks to "just deal with it" since they drug us over here. Blacks are slaves that's just how it is, deal with it. Blacks get lynched, just stay in your place and deal with it. Blacks get a subpar education, just deal with it. Blacks are lazy, just deal with it (Donald Trump is reported to have said this dozy).[28] Blacks are criminals, that's why police shoot you, just deal with it.

The ultimate definition of oppression and white supremacy is you telling me to bury my feelings because it makes you uncomfortable. You don't want me to talk about the issues that affect blacks because you don't want to trade in a normalcy that promotes white supremacy. You want me to be quiet, because you don't like hearing that you've lived your whole life unaware. You want me to "just deal with it," because you don't want to admit that America is over it's head in racial problems, that the America you've been taught is so great and so awesome has only taken a tiny step from where it was in the 60's. You don't want to hear that simply refraining from calling me a n***** is not enough. Well, you picked the wrong one.

Photocredit: Bettmann/CORBIS

I will speak out, I will shout, I will argue, I will protest, and I will fight. I'm not going to simply disappear. I am not the slave that simply got up and did her chores hoping not to get whipped; I am the slave that had an "R" seared into my flesh because I wouldn't stop running.[29] I am not the black woman who sucked it up after a long day of work and stood up so that whites could have a seat on the bus; I am Rosa Parks getting arrested because I refused to stand. I am not bowing to conformity to be acceptable for a television audience; I am Angela Davis wearing my not-quite-afro wild and free, I am Viola Davis taking my wig off on prime time TV. I am not the person who gives a talk and glosses over the most influential moments of my life to appease the white audience, I am Nicki Giovanni getting on stage expressing the truth of the experience, I am Michelle Obama telling you I live in a house slaves built. I am Beyoncé singing about afros and negro noses at the Super Bowl. I am Katherine Johnson, a human computer capable of sending people to the moon. I am Ruby Bridges, by myself in a sea of white faces. You can love it or hate it, listen or ignore, but the time has come for you to just deal with it.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.MLK Jr.

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