The Map To Hope
I’ve had to wrestle lately with the emotional trauma of being a young Black man in America. I don’t say that in anger, and I assure you that this isn’t going to be some vitriolic rant.
Wayne is a husband, father, avid reader and writer, and youth minister who happens to believe that Jesus is the focal point of every aspect of life…the individual, family, society, government, philosophy, the arts…and everything in between. He’s committed to challenging preconceived notions about what it means to follow Jesus, and seeks to engage the culture instead of running from it.
I’ve had to wrestle lately with the emotional trauma of being a young Black man in America. I don’t say that in anger, and I assure you that this isn’t going to be some vitriolic rant.
I had the opportunity to travel with a beautifully diverse group of fellow young believers to Brunswick, GA last Saturday.
Am I denying that certain relationships are bad for you? Nope. But everyone has toxins…including us.
It’s okay to be honest about how you feel during the holidays. Just ask Mr. Rogers…and Jesus.
As with any seed that is planted, there is a growth process that goes on without the gardener’s hands being involved. And that process ultimately brings about a crop.
This same Jesus, who they had pretty much left everyone and everything to follow, was being dissed by family, friends, neighbors, classmates…basically everyone
Aside from the seemingly harsh nature of this statement, doesn’t it strike you as odd that Jesus will actually tell some people on judgment day that He never knew them?
Jesus is so much more than a lovey-dovey, people-pleasing pacifist whose goal is to get people to like Him and to make us happy.
Is the God we serve incapable of saving a man like Kanye? Is God unwilling to sully His holy hands with the muck of Kanye’s past sins?
I don’t believe that God sits in heaven frowning at us when we use our imaginations as a part of how we frame our theology. He gave us imagination for a reason.
