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“Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God” Mark 15:37-39 NLT
Has the veil of racism been lifted? Has its real identity been exposed? When President Obama was elected the expression that we were now in a “Post racial world” began to go around. I thought no one man can carry the weight of racism but Jesus. That was too hard a charge to place that burden on President Obama. It truly was too big of a task because it takes all of us or at least the majority to change something so deeply embedded in our society. It will take faith to move this mountain.
Here we are looking straight into the eyes of racism. It knocked us down to the ground. Our noses pressed against tar drenched streets instantly smell the stench of brutality. Our fragile hearts and minds begin to race as we seek a place of consciousness. We feel the cold of death. Our strength begins to fail as we cry out “mama” “mama I can’t breathe.” We are failing. Can somebody get this fool’s knee off of my neck! We die! Over and over again!
So now we march! we cry! we lash out! against the familiar-aching-soaring-pain of racism. We shout “No Justice No Peace,” “No Justice No Peace.” Once again, we walk the streets to break the chains that weighed down our parents, grandparents and ancestors before us. Once again, we hear their cries from beneath their graves as we sing this song in a heavenly praise, “We shall overcome, we shall overcome, we shall overcome some day, deep in my heart, I do believe that we shall overcome some day.” It may sound a bit poetic but there has never been a day when those words were sang that I could not hear a chorus even when standing by myself.
Has the veil of racism been lifted? I believe the scent of change is in the air. Deep thoughtful questions are being asked about racism that I dared even to imagine a few months ago. There is an urgency not felt since the civil rights days of our beloved Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The little child that grew up in the projects of NJ has awakened and decided that she will not go back to those fearful days of untrust. We must win this changed battle against racism.
When Jesus died on the cross the veil in the Temple was torn from top to bottom and we never looked back. Christianity is strong and continues to grow. I believe that the cries of the unjust have moved heaven and that the Holy Spirit is moving on our behalf. The veil has been lifted and people who have avoided racism are now staring straight into its eyes and asking “How can I change?” With the Grace of God, we can make this change together. We can restore justice and bring about a Godly Peace.
Join us in prayer for the world as the Holy Spirit opens our eyes and we make the transition to justice together.
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We Love You
Pastors Willie and Rochelle McIntosh
