Tearing down walls

I remember where I was on the night of November 9, 1989. I was in graduate school at Concordia Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. On that evening, I had gathered with other students to watch a historic event-the fall of the Berlin wall.

In the same year, communist governments in Europe fell. The ‘Iron Curtain’ was ripped apart when people rose as one. The people demanded an end to the oppression and injustices that they had long suffered. From the rubble of the walls built by communism would come nations reunited and new nations.

I rejoiced when the wall fell. In recent times, I’ve thought about the ‘walls’ that still exist. I use the word ‘walls’ to describe actions and attitudes that divide people because of race, religion, and orientation.

I am referring to bigotry, discrimination, and behaviors that belittle and isolate people. These are attitudes of intolerance and hatred which strip people of dignity and freedom.

Attitudes of bigotry and hatred still exist in society and have foundations built upon ignorance, fear, and mistrust. While some walls of hate and bigotry have fallen, other forms of hate remain and also must fall.
Walls of bigotry and hate are built by those who are fearful and despise others because of race, economic status, religion, and orientation. These are not physical walls, but walls which are built by beliefs, attitudes, and experiences. These walls are built and reinforced over many years. These walls block out other views and are hard to tear down.

I have only briefly touched on this topic, and there are many examples around us of existing walls.Rather than focus on the problem, I want people to focus on tearing down walls of hate and build bridges of unity.
How do we do this? Each person can be a part of the solution. I think that before passing judgment upon others, we should first look at ourselves and see our own strengthens and weaknesses. Then, we can be honest and meet people where they are.

The walls of racism and discrimination will not be torn down by acts of violence and bitterness. These actions serve to strengthen the walls of bigotry. When people change their attitudes, the walls come down, and reconciliation occurs

I believe the work of reconciliation involves both dialogue and action. People should honestly express their views and listen intently to other viewpoints. If we wish to build bridges of respect and equality, there needs to be cooperation among people of different races and backgrounds.

Recently during a visit to Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, I saw a sign in front of some homes. The sign read, “Hate has no place here.” I wonder if each of us could point to ourselves and declare the same thing.

Each one of us can help tear down the walls in society. Ask yourself, “What can I do?” Many vocations allow people to tear down walls of bigotry, and lift people. Some of these vocations are medicine, education, social service, religious service, and legal service. Find a place to be of service and help tear down the walls of division. Together, we can end the evils of bigotry and discrimination and build a beloved community.

Michael Carter 06/9/2020

Keep pressing on, even when God seems silent.

There might be times when God seems silent. When some people pray and nothing happens, they believe that God is not listening. They abandon their prayer and their faith because they believe that it useless to pray to a God who does not answer nor care about their struggles. It is easy to interpret God’s silence and a lack of interest in his creation. Some view prayer and faith as a ‘waste of time’ because God does not answer.

What might seem like God’s silence really isn’t. If you have felt this way, don’t give up on prayer nor on faith. God listens. God has something planned for you. Keep pressing on, even when God seems silent.

Have you prayed to God and nothing seems to happen? Be patient and hold on to faith. Some people might tell you that God does not exist or that praying is a waste of time. This is not true. God does exist. He does care about you, and he will never ignore you.

God answers prayer according to his will and in his own time. He will always do what is best for us. When he is ‘silent’ this a time to draw closer to him and to wait upon him. God will answer our requests and give you what you need at the right time.

Jesus is not silent concerning our needs and struggles. He hears our prayers and acts on our behalf. He speaks words of comfort and strengthens us through the Holy Spirit. You might wonder if God is silent, he is not. He speaks to us through the Son and the Holy Spirit.

May we always be reminded by the Holy Spirit that God isn’t silent. He still speaks to us. He’s telling us to hold on to faith and to press on in hope.

Don’t let doubt, the world, and the devil get you off track in the journey. God in his own way will let you know that he is present. He will not be silent. He’ll be there to guide and to bless you. Keep pressing on in faith. God is never silent.

The God who restores you

How many of you remember this old rhyme?

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horsemen, all the king’s men.
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

Many people remember this rhyme from their childhood. This rhyme has much to say about the human condition. It speaks of falling to pieces and not being able to be restored. There are many people who have experienced this in their own lives. These are people who have fallen, their lives are in pieces and they need restoration.

Humpty Dumpty had been sitting on a wall when he lost his balance. He fell and was broken beyond repair. There was little that the king’s men could do for him. Aren’t some people like Humpty? Haven’t they lost their balance and have fallen to pieces? Sometimes it’s difficult to know how help them pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and to be restored.

There are many ways in which people lose their balance. People go through job losses, broken relationships, illness or other setbacks. When the struggles become overwhelming, some people fall to depression or addictions. They loss their balance and they fall to pieces.

Out of the depths of brokenness, many cry out for help. They cry out to be lifted up and to be restored. It is a cry for someone to help them to stand on their feet and to make a fresh start.

If you have been in this situation, or you know of someone struggling, then you know how hard it is to put the pieces back and to be restored. Sometimes friends and family try to help, but they are like the king’s men. There’s little that they can do.

Jesus does something that the king’s men could not do. He is able to bring about restoration. Jesus is able to heal broken and shattered lives and makes all things new.

You can have a restored and renewed life. Jesus can give this to you. Once he has restored and renewed you can share with others the good news of restoration and new life in Jesus Christ.

Michael Carter

TEARING DOWN WALLS

The year 1989 brought changes in Europe that shook the world. This was a year when
communists’ governments in Europe fell and there was a rebirth of hope and freedom. This happened in a dramatic way in the Communist country of East Germany.

One night, millions of people from the countries of East and West Germany gathered together. They stood before the Berlin wall which had long separated the German nation. With hammers and picks, the world watched on television as people torn down the dividing wall. The separation was now over, and in a nation was once again unified. The wall had come down and bridges of unity had been restored.

It was wonderful to have watched this event on television. It is always good to see walls of separation crumble and fall. However, there are many “wall” that still exist today. These walls are different then the Berlin wall. They exist in the hearts and minds of people. They are built over time and can be difficult to remove. Some people find it hard to change their attitudes and to move past their prejudices and engage others. They just cannot get past their walls.

The acts of discrimination and hatred demonstrate that the work of tearing down these walls must continue. It is sad that some walls of hate and bigotry which have started to come down are now being rebuilt through actions and by the words of people who build upon the fears of others. People of good will should not stand for those who commit actions or use inflammatory rhetoric to prey on the fears of other people. Those who want peace and justice must take a stand and let their voices be heard.

Some people generalize and stereotype others by saying; “They’re all that way.” This attitude comes from ignorance and a failure to see that people are different, no matter their backgrounds.

One afternoon, a old Jewish man and a old Taiwanese man were eating lunch at a restaurant. Without warning the Jewish man left his table and walked toward the Taiwanese man. He hit the Taiwanese man, sending him down on the floor.

“What gives? Why’d you hit me?”

“That was for Pearl Harbor.”

“Huh? That was the Japanese, not the Taiwanese!”

The Jewish man just shrugged.

“Japanese, Taiwanese, they’re all the same to me.”

Two men returned to their tables. Later the Taiwanese man got and walked over to the Jewish man. . He hit the man in the face sending the Jewish man down on the floor.

“Why did you hit me?”

“That was for the Titanic.”

“What? It was an ice burg that took out the Titanic.”

“Goldberg, ice burg, they’re all the same to me.”

This a humorous story with a message worth thinking about. We should be careful about generalizing and putting people into one category. Would it be fair to say that all Hispanics are illegal and bring crime? Would it be fair to say that all police are corrupt or that all African American males are criminals? Would it be fair to say that all Muslims are terrorists? No, it would not be fair to say these things nor to judge many be the actions of a few. Those who say such things only show their ignorance and cause division.

There are too many issues which divide people and cause strife. Those who stir the fears of people with their words and actions will cause even more division and mistrust. Rather than building walls of bigotry and hatred, let us commit ourselves to dialogue and building bridges that educate, inform, and bring people together.

Bigotry and discrimination will always exist.This does not mean that we should accept it.
Each one of us can help to make a better world if we strive to treat each other with respect. We won’t always agree with each other concerning the issues of the day. Dialogue is important so that we will listen and learn from each other. This helps to build bridges and to tear down the walls of bigotry and hatred.

If you want to see a better world, if you want see a world where people are treated with dignity and respect, don’t sit on the sidelines. Don’t sit and grumble about how unfair things are. Get up and make a difference. Shake the foundations so that the walls of bigotry, injustice, and hate will come down.

There will be many lessons we will pass on to our children. Let these be the lessons of faith, respect, love, and unity. Together we can build a better world. Through works of faith and love we can tear down the walls of bigotry and hatred and build bridges that will lead to a beloved community.

GOD IS ABLE TO TURN SCARS INTO STARS

There will times in our lives when we will have “scars.” These are events which affect our lives in profound ways. Events will occur and challenge us in many ways. The results lingers for a long time, even a lifetime.The events which occur can be so over-whelming that they leave “scars” pain and disappointments that tear at the soul. If we allow them, the pain and disappointments can control us and cause feelings of bitterness and hopelessness.

The scars of life will come, but they need not remain. God’s power is greater than the pain that we suffer. God reminds us that He will bring us through the rough times. God is a God of healing and of restoration. He is able to work all things together for good.(Romans 8:28)What might be painful scars, God is able to turn into bright stars.

We are not promised that we will not to bear scars. The scars come in different forms. There are people who overcome the challenges and move on. Others never move forward and their struggles cause them torment. Those struggle with their scars want healing, restoration, and peace.

The pain of scars sometimes never seem to heal. Are there scars in your life that never seem to go away? Has there been a painful experience that is tormenting you now? Have you wondered if there’s going to be healing and peace? Maybe you’ve struggled with your faith and have wondered why God hasn’t given you peace.

If there is no healing for the hurt and pain, then feelings of hopelessness and defeat remain. We can either allow these feelings to remain or we can rise above these feelings. We cannot do this on our own. God is able to bring us through the dark days. With faith in Him, we find healing for the scars.

God gives healing for the scars that we bear. God first healed the scars that were left by sin. How was this done? He did this through the cross of His Son, Jesus. Through the blood of Jesus, there is healing. Through faith, we have the healing balm of forgiveness and the peace of Jesus.

God is able to heal the scars which come into our lives. God knows what to do with our scars. He won’t let them fester. He’ll bless, heal, and restore us. He’ll turn our scars into stars. He’ll make us shine through all the struggles. When we shine bright, we can give witness to others about the grace and restorative power of God. Let God take your scars and turn them into stars.