Read 2 Corinthians 5:18-20
“All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between us and Himself. And God gave us the ministry of reconciliation [or bringing everyone into peace with Him]. I mean that God was in Christ, reconciling [or making peace between] the world and Himself. In Christ, God did not hold the world guilty of its sins. And He gave us this message of reconciliation [peace]. So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is as if God is calling to you through us. We speak for Christ when we beg you to be reconciled [at peace] with God.” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18-20
So I write…..
I had an audition, today (July 8th). A callback, actually, for a play being done out in Minnesota of all places. Given the tragic event that just took place on the 6th of July in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, the location alone definitely gave me cause to pause. I mean, really? But what was also a bit disconcerting to me was the subject matter of this particular piece I was being considered for: a civil rights drama set in the 1960’s and featuring portrayals of civil rights juggernauts like John Lewis, James Farmer and Stokely Carmichael. The play definitely hit home in light of all that’s been going on inside these United States within the last few days and certainly within recent years. Nevertheless, I went in for the callback which required me to act out the selected scenes from the play as well as sing a Negro Spiritual or gospel song prominent during the civil rights movement. So, I chose to sing, “His Eye Is on the Sparrow”. At the first initial audition, I sang the song “technically correct” meaning that I hit every note and stayed true to what was exactly on the sheet music. I didn’t personalize it or put any ‘stank’ on it, basically. I don’t really audition for many plays requiring me to sing so relatively speaking, I was pretty satisfied with it. So for the callback, I figured I’d perform the song in the same way that I had in my first audition. About halfway through the song, however, the director stops me and gives me some instruction and insight as to the stakes surrounding why the character would sing this particular song. She was telling me to put that stank on it and make it personal, basically. She tells me to begin the song, again. So, I do. And I go...
“Why should I feel discouraged? Why should the shadows come? And why should my heart feel lonely?....”
Not 10 seconds in and I just lose it, man. Like, all composure….gone. I sing maybe 3 lines and then I start to breakdown and cry; totally and completely outta nowhere. And it wasn’t, like, pretty tears, either. These were those ugly, toddler-crying tears! In the casting office, the producers, director, musical director, casting director, accompanist and reader were all sitting there agape and in stunned silence. I was shocked, too, to be honest with ya. I can usually track or clock when the tears are about to start. And when I do, I can either stifle them or just let’em go. This was different, though. I was left with no choice. The tears came too fast to censor...and even when I tried, the censoring would only last a moment. I’d close my eyes, putting my face in my hands hiding myself and then try to wipe the tears away aiming to compose myself. I’d take a deep breath and try to pick the song back up but then the tears would start….again. In front of the entire creative team I was a raw nerve, man. Unfiltered. Undone. It was like I’d been completely overwhelmed by some unrelenting, visceral emotion. It was a crazy mix of sadness and hurt and frustration; weariness and even, hopelessness. We are a country in crisis and in that moment, I felt fatigued and despairing.
Naturally, the recent events in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Minnesota and Dallas as well as the culmination of tragic and polarizing events in this country within the last few years mixed with the parallels of the 1960’s civil rights movement, along with the words and solemnity in the tone of the slower pacing of the song ALL had a hand in stirring up those emotions in that casting studio. While it’s true that over the recent years, all of these things have increasingly affected me deeply and inspired conversations, intense debate, study and preaching/talk topics, I’ve admittedly never been quite overcome or felt in any way overwhelmed by it. That is, until that callback audition. In those few moments, my emotions were raw and unreasoning. As crazy as it sounds though, as I was up there sobbing in front of all those people, I honestly wasn’t thinking about all the violence and tragedy of more lives being needlessly lost….whether it be the gunned-down African-American men (and women) or slain Dallas police officers. It wasn’t just the fact that those men -- specifically, Philando Castile -- could have absolutely been me. It wasn’t the agonizing and heart-rending fact that a 4 year old child the same age as my nephew, witnessed her father being murdered right in front of her by a police officer. It wasn’t knowing that this little girl would never forget hearing the screams of her mother and profanities of the policeman; the very men who I’m sure she was taught would protect her from the bad guys. She won’t ever forget that. Ever. Yet even that...even while all of those thoughts rushed through my head and absolutely rocked me after my audition, that still did not instigate my breakdown, during. What absolutely crushed me in the moment was the notion that all of what will happen...what has happened as a result of these tragic events, ie the marches, the rallies, the speeches, social media posts, policies and protests will ultimately be fruitless in combating the problem unless the underlying root of the problem is addressed and offered solution to. I felt an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness in knowing that many of my friends -- my well-meaning and equally as heartbroken brothers, sisters, colleagues, etc will be misplacing much of their hopes in marches, rallies, protests, speeches, legislation, etc to foster lasting change. And without question, most, if not all of these endeavors are noble and even justified. Absolutely! They are actions for change that come from places of genuine hurt, pain, disgust and weariness of the current cultural, social and moral climate. However, the fact is that without the primary, necessary individual and collective heart change, all efforts will be of as much usefulness as the proverbial aspirin would be in treating this nation’s collective cancer. You don't treat a gunshot wound with a brown bottle of peroxide hoping that it will extract the bullet. It’d be akin to using a topical medication cream to cure AIDS from a diseased body. In those scenarios, similar to an aspirin, at very best, our temporal efforts may ease the symptoms but do nothing for the actual syndrome of racism, injustice and violence. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., poignantly said:
“It may be true that the law cannot change the heart, but it can restrain the heartless.”
Understanding and acknowledging that distinction is paramount. While many across our nation and across the world are rightfully hurt, angered and saddened -- and from that hurt, anger, and sadness moved to take political or social action -- the fact still remains that in order for true and lasting revolution to occur, the primary change needs to take place in our hearts….and the passing of laws or minds being challenged won't change them. [For clarity sake, by “heart” I'm referring to the Hebrew word 'lev' which means the core of our being; where the seat of our will, thoughts, emotions and desires are; our moral compass.]
Just hear me out on this. Consider religion. I thought about how similar religion is to that of passing laws. Both have their legitimacy. [Oh and check it, by “religion” I’m using it in the way that it was used in the Bible, ie doing good works (James 1:25-27; 1 Tim. 5:3-5)]. Religion alone offers the same effectiveness as legislation being passed: they BOTH give an appearance of things being cool. They BOTH offer a temporary feeling of accomplishment. At best, they BOTH even prohibit certain bad behaviors resulting in a kind of "morality". But just like religion, laws being passed alone do nothing for the root of the matter. They BOTH only conceal what's truly happening within the hearts of us....ALL of us. They check us…but they don’t correct us. Again, religion and laws, at best, "restrain the heartless" yet do nothing in ultimately fixing the problem or its root cause: the evil within our hearts. Please don’t misunderstand me, though: I am NOT saying that both laws AND religion don’t have their place. They do. They absolutely do….a valid place. Religion working in tandem with proper motives and a heart yielded to Christ is the ideal. Good laws and personal ethics are indeed absolutely imperative to achieving some sort of civility. However, you cannot legislate morality. You cannot legislate the human heart. While you can convince someone intellectually on what the “right thing” to do is - and in some cases, you could even forcibly compel them do it - you cannot supernaturally change the essence of who they are in their heart...which, again, is what ultimately needs to be changed. Laws can’t change human nature. It is God and God alone who can supernaturally change the human heart. Only He has that power. The world only truly changes when human hearts change...and only God through His Spirit and the redemptive sacrifice of Christ can accomplish that. Laws -- much like religion -- in and of themselves, are inefficient at remedying the problem of racism, injustice and inequality.
So, when looking for solutions -- real solutions -- the questions that we should honestly be asking ourselves is do we really want:
Revenge or results?
A moment or a movement?
Rhetoric or revolution?
Look…I'm not especially wise and am not at all proficient in all the ins and outs of politics. But what I do know is the hearts of men. I know them because I know my own. I know them because Scripture makes it clear what’s inside of us all, absent of the Holy Spirit. (Jer. 17:9) I know the shit that’s in my own heart absent of the presence of Christ….even on my very “best” day. And forgive the strong language but that truly is a great descriptor of what’s inside of me - what’s inside of us all - apart from Jesus. I know the vile, despicable things that I’m capable of. And while it’s true that most of us aren’t as bad as we could be (although, there certainly are folks -- current events included - that come pretty close.) it is also true that none of us -- despite the good we may think of ourselves -- are as good as we like to pretend we are or misrepresent ourselves to be. We’re better at lying to ourselves about ourselves than anyone else. It’s real easy to point out the evil in the world around us...but have YOU recognized the evil in your own heart? At the core of the problem of evil in the world is the problem of evil within each of us....ALL of us. So, because I understand that about myself – and about everyone else – I know that the only hope for me – for us and for this nation – is something outside of myself...outside of my intelligence, morality or law keeping.
Please understand that I know what this kind of talk sounds like. I’ve heard the “let’s-just-pray” or “let’s-just-fold-our-hands-and-wait-for-Jesus-to-return” talk. That -- particularly the latter -- ain’t biblical. We’re called to “do justice” (Micah 6:8) and to “seek justice, help the oppressed, bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause” (Isaiah 1:17) And while the good news, the Gospel, Jesus influencing and transforming the hearts of men is a first, major and imperative step….it is by NO MEANS the only step. Institutions and individuals must be held accountable for their ignorance, injustice and racism. Whether systematic, collective or individual all oppressive ideologies and practices should be brought to light and exposed for what they are by the brilliant radiance that is Truth. So to be absolutely clear, what I’m saying is not to be confused with “just praying”. This is not some abstract, esoteric solution. Look…I know and have experienced the real, life-changing love of God through Jesus Christ. And that ain't some hippie "love-is-all-we-need" type jive. I’m talking active, revolutionary, game-changing grace; love in action via the Person and spirit of Jesus Christ. Dr. Cornel West put it well: “justice is what love looks like in public”. Justice. Mercy. Humility. It’s engaging in protests and marches while still yet trusting in God's justice even when our own branches of justice fail…and fail miserably. It’s a trust that resists the urge for revenge -- because at its core, revenge is simply a distrust of God's justice along with the desire to want to play God and take justice into our own hands. It’s a trust that is inspired by moving speeches but holds them in perspective as having no power to make stony hearts, hearts of flesh. Only God can change a heart. I know I’ve said that ad nauseam at this point but it bears repeating. Laws can't change hearts. Religion, ie being systematically moral can't change them, either. And it’s the heart, fam…the hearts of men that need to change. Our biggest problem is internal, not external. Heart stuff. Jesus affirmed that. (Mark 7:21-23)
You see, the uniqueness of Jesus is that He gives us the most accurate description of the condition of our hearts. He doesn't tell us that we are simply immoral, although we are. He doesn't tell us that we need more education, although education is great. He doesn't tell us that if we just do our best to live by the “4 Noble Truths” or the “8 Fold Path” or by certain hours of inner reflection and meditative disciplines that we will eventually get "there" and be better. Jesus tells us that our core problem is by no means ethical or moral and therefore isn’t something that will ever be able to be solved through human effort. The REAL issue is within our hearts...within the very core of us. Humanity is marred, dude….morally corrupted, infected and affected by sin and nothing in ourselves can ever attain the solution to that. THAT is the human condition. And the purpose of the coming of the Son of Man/Jesus into the world is to rescue sinners - you and I and ‘they’ - from this condition with its inevitable result. And that's what makes the "Good News" not only really good news…...but also REVOLUTIONARY GOOD NEWS!
PS - still haven’t heard back about that audition, tho……….;-)
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"For if we are beside ourselves [mad, as some say], it is for God and concerns Him; if we are in our right mind, it is for your benefit." ~ 2 Corinthians 5:13 (Amplified Bible)
