Daily Devotional: 6/17/2018 - EQUALITY

"Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt." Exodus 22:21

Sorry, not sorry if I offend anyone with this devotional. I am tired of people destroying families, destroying lives, and hating other people just because they are different. Fun fact of the day, we are all different. That was God's plan, he created us all differently equal. We are all created in his beautiful perfect image. What is even more disgusting and disturbing is that people are using the Bible as the "okay" to justify all of this. They have no idea what they are talking about and I will explain as we go on (sneak peak: Acts 10:28, 34-35). It is said several times in the Old Testament how to treat a foreigner. God constantly reminded and told the Israelites that they should not oppress the foreigners because they were once foreigners in Egypt and they have witness first handed how it feels to be a foreigner, and they know how the Egyptians treated them. The same is true for us, at one point or another we were all foreigners to this beautiful country. The only people that have the "right" to kick anyone out is probably now the lowest population, the Native Americans. The Whites came from Europe, Blacks from the Islands and Africa, Spanish from the Islands and Europe, Asians from Asia; no one of this country is not "foreign born". We are throwing God fearing men and women out of this country that we have no right to be running. The people kicking them out are men and women that are so-called God fearing themselves. It is sad to say, but this has not always been my opinion. Just like any man, I am not perfect, but Jesus showed me my main purpose on this earth and that is to love everyone. Growing up I would not say I was racist, I had several friends of different colors and culture. But I was super ignorant, really ignorant. I would have been a huge advocate to the Wall, shipping Muslims; but that is not what Jesus would do. Jesus loved everyone equally, no matter what they looked like, what they believed or where they were from. Acts 10:15 says, "The voice spoke to him a second time, 'Do no call anything impure that God has made clean.'" Jesus rebuked Peter for not eating because what Jesus said to eat was "impure" to the Jewish Old Testament culture. Peter was willing to starve himself because what he thought he was doing right in the eyes of God, but Jesus showed and told him that nothing that God makes is impure. We are all pure. Acts 10:28 says, "He said to them: 'You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.'" Acts 10:34-35 says, "Then Peter began to speak: 'I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.'" The culture back then the Jewish people saw themselves as the superior. They could not associate themselves (it was frowned upon, sometimes put to death) with others. These others were mainly Gentiles and Samaritans. This is why Jesus used the Samaritan as the example for the "Good Samaritan" parable (Luke 10:25-37). The Jewish people considered them to be the low of all lows, but he was the one that helped while the people (the priest and the Levite) that should have done something turned a blind eye. Mark 12:31 says, "The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." We have to love our neighbor, and everyone is our neighbor. Growing up in Newburgh, being white is the minority. It has helped cultured me, helped me grow to the man I am today. I wish I was more open-minded I am now. Nothing makes me happier and prouder sometimes than walking into work with my "Equality" shirt. I will stand behind that message until the day I die. The original plan behind the infinity sign on the logo for this blog was it was suppose to be interlocking multi-racial hands forming an infinity sign (but I am not that artistically talented…yet). The people behind this blog are both male and female, from several different backgrounds including white, Haitian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, and African American. Some of my best friends at work come from literally every culture, African American, Haitian, white, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Cuban, Mexican, Asian, Gay, Straight, Muslim, Christian, some form of Christianity, and nonbelievers. I am trying to reflect the image and love of Jesus the best way I can. I try to accept everyone and be the light in the world. We are slowing going back to the old ways of thinking. We have to stop it, we have to come together as one. We have to reflect Light and Love to fight back the dark and hate. Lecrae said in his song, Dirty Water, "Most segregated time of day is Sunday service." All this starts with us, the people. We have to reflect him image everyday. We have to accept everyone in no matter what they look like and what they believe in and what they do. We are all handcrafted in his beautiful image. Joyner Lucas said in his critically acclaimed and controversial song, I'm Not Racist, "Can’t erase the scars with a bandage, I'm hopin' maybe we can come to an understandin', Agree to disagree, we could have an understandin', I'm not racist." There are scars and wounds that will never heal. We just have to talk it out. I cannot wait for the day where my brothers and sisters do not fear their lives everyday they wake up. To end this devotional I am going to end it with one of the greats, Martin Luther King Jr. said, "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed - we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

Lord, thank you for all you do. It is truly amazing to see what you can do. Thank you for life. Thank you for being beautifully handcrafted in your image. I pray you put a guiding loving hand over this country. Help all of us reflect your image. Help us mend this country and all the problems, one step at a time. I pray all this in your son's glorious awesome name, Amen.

#LetsBeAMovement