A good father
takes time to play.
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He has strong integrity.
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He is someone that
is truly dedicated.
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He is not afraid
to show his love.
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He is a caring provider.
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And he is a kind
spiritual leader.
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These are just a few ways
to describe a father's heart.
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Hi and welcome
to A Father's Heart.
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I'm your host Xavier.
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And today, we're
going to be discussing
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a very sensitive
topic about racism,
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how do you teach your kids,
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how do they deal with it,
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when you yourself are
in a state of cynicism
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and wanting to
know what to do next.
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And with me to discuss that
are my friends Denry and Paul,
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how are you guys doing today?
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Good day, man,
doing well, doing well.
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Blessed to be here.
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You know, we like to acknowledge
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the elephant in the room.
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Let's talk about racism, how...
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I know we've experienced
that at different levels,
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that's a given,
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we've experienced
it outside of church,
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in church, in the
world, outside the world.
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However you look at
it, we've experienced it,
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but how do we teach our kids
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to deal with it
without becoming cynical?
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I think one of the major dangers
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is that when we look at racism,
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we always look outside,
there are people races outside,
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the world is racist,
the church is racist,
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schools are racists.
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But we never really take
in consideration ourselves,
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could we be racist,
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could we cause
cultural separation,
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could we call sexism.
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You know, when
we look at Genesis,
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you know, chapter 3,
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the first thing that was
introduced was insecurity.
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You have to be better
than what God made you,
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and I think that's
what bruised racism,
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the other person is not
better or I'm not good enough,
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so because I'm not good enough,
I need to bring you down.
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And so with my children, I
try my best to lift them up.
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But I don't lift them up
to a point where I tell them,
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"Hey, you are better than
other people," never, never.
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I say, "You are
equal to other people,
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God has created us equal,
He's given us different gifts,
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He's given us
different abilities,
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so use that to help
to beautify the world
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and to lift His kingdom up."
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Oh, I concur definitely,
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especially on the
matter of being realistic,
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having a realistic definition
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of what racism or
what prejudice is.
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I reflect on my own rearing,
I grew up in East Flatbush,
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Brooklyn, and a very diverse,
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a very ethnically
diverse community,
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very integrated
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as far as the multiplicity
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of cultures and ethnic groups,
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yet very segregated as far
as our neighborhood divides
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and so on and so forth.
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I had to learn a
realistic understanding
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of racism or prejudice,
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and I try my best to
instill that to my child,
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wherein I'm saying, most often,
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whoever is the
minority group will fall victim
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to that type of behavior.
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We as a minority
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may be more sensitive
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to those actions, or
sufferings, or whatever,
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but whenever you are a majority,
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you are at risk of demonstrating
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those type of
traits and behavior.
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So I start with letting her know
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that racism is a human problem,
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it's not just a black
problem, a white problem,
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Spanish problem, Asian problem,
racism is a human problem,
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and the only way
we can overcome it
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is in and through
the life of Christ.
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Yeah, and I like that.
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It's true, you know, but
at the same time, you know.
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How do I teach my girls?
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You know, I've been told
to go mow somebody's grass,
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I've been told...
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I've been called
every name in the book,
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you know, and different...
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I have a different complexion,
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as I say I joke about I
change colors in the sun
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'cause my dad's black
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and my mom's very
light, very light skin
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'cause of Italian background,
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you know, and I've been told
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and called many
different things,
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and I never
experienced racism before,
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growing up in Puerto
Rico, I didn't experience it.
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When we moved out of
there, my parents had told me,
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"Hey, where we're going,
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you might encounter people
that look at you differently
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or talk to you differently."
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You know, for me, I
didn't know what that meant.
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And then when I experienced
it for the first time,
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I didn't know
whether to be angry...
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Yeah.
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Or as my Christian...
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as a Christian home,
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how do I turn the other cheek
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'cause you're
slapping both my cheeks,
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like how do I
turn the other cheek.
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And looking at my kids now,
my girls, what do I tell them?
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You know, not only are
they female but they're also...
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One is darker than the other,
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what do I tell these girls?
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How do I bring them
up to understand that
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it is a sin problem,
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a human problem
to be Christ-like
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and see beyond abomination
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that racism is
love their fellowman
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and not knock
out their fellow man?
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Yeah.
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You know, how do you
teach your kids to not be jaded
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like we are at times as adults,
how do you keep them innocent?
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You know, the
beauty of what you said,
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turn the other
cheek is that we are...
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I think most
people miss Matthew 5,
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but the whole
entirety of the Bible,
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the entirety of the
Bible is not to them.
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When you're reading the Bible,
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God is not speaking
to them or to others,
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God is speaking to you
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and you turn the other cheek,
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you forgive, you
respond this way.
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So yes, there's
going to be racism,
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there's going to be sexism,
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all of the isms
until Jesus come.
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Let's just put...
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Let's just be
honest with ourselves,
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you know, it's important
to speak out against it,
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let people know,
you know, this is wrong.
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But we need to
have a similar attitude
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like Martin Luther King,
Gandhi, and most of them...
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And they sampled
themselves in Jesus Christ,
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the attitude of Christ.
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He spoke out against
sin but how did He respond,
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when He was treated bad,
He turned the other cheek,
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when He was attacked...
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For example, I never forget,
you said they make fun of you,
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tell you to go mow the
lawn or go plant a fountain
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or something like
that, a couple of guys,
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we were walking into a building,
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and we came
through the side door,
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and the guy jokingly said,
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"Are you guys coming
to rob the building?"
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And I could have
responded and said,
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"Is this a black issue?"
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Because it was three of
bullied were black guys,
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but I was like, you know what,
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Jesus is teaching us
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to these things are
going to be in the world,
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whether He meant it by humor
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because I've done some of that,
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you know, make
those racial humor jokes
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and not trying to insult anybody
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but just out of humor.
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So I didn't want to
mess up his day that day.
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So I forgave them, let
it go, moved on, and just,
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you know, made of it.
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So the Bible always
speaks to you respond,
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the world is
going to be messed up,
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but you as a Christian
need to respond this way.
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Yeah, very important
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that we're also
nurturing our children
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the appropriateness of balance.
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I struggled in
life not to acquiesce
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to one extreme or the other
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because I
experienced a lot of racism
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through law enforcement,
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through civil
authorities, through neighbors,
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through teachers,
medical practitioners,
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on and on and on and on.
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I experienced a lot of that.
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But I think the greater tragedy
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is when we get to the point
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that we acquiesce to
one extreme or the other,
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where we're being, if I can say,
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preoccupied with
justice to an extent
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that we are
constantly, constantly engaged
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in some form of
antagonistic reaction
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or we are completely passive
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where we're not
doing anything about it.
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We started by
talking about the...
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Did you say pink elephant?
What color was it, bro?
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He didn't mention the
color, he just said elephant.
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Yeah, the elephant,
all right, the elephant.
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We started talking
about the elephant in the room
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and I think the bigger elephant
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in the room today is the fact
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that the church remains
a microcosm of its society.
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And if you find
racism in society,
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for sure you're going
to find it in the church.
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Nobody likes to talk
about racism in the church,
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but it is present.
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Yeah.
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It is in some sense,
we may excuse, it's okay,
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it's just a mass is
just to let you know,
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no, it's also within even
our legislated infrastructure,
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and there are things we need
to do proactively about that.
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So it's important for
me to let my daughter know,
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"Hey, look,
there once was a time
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when I was waiting for
God to cure others of racism."
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You see, I assume within
this it being a predicament
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or a result of sin as
part of sanctification.
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It's something that
we all must overcome
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before we are
saved, so to speak.
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Yeah.
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Well, I don't think I
feel that way as much anymore.
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I have a different
perspective of humanity,
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and what sin is,
and how sin impacts us,
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and how the grace of God
works within all of that,
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and it may be
within our best interest
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to stop waiting for people
to be cured and start acting.
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So what is it that we
can do on our part to ensure
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we are being intentional
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about not demonstrating
that behavior or practice?
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Yeah.
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Book of Isaiah chapter
1, God says to His people,
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"Look, you know, your
Sabbaths and all your offerings
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and everything that
you're bringing to Me,
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you know,
they're making Me sick.
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I'm not even able
to receive them because
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you are not demonstrating
in your life true benevolence."
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In another part
of Isaiah, He says,
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"You are neglecting
to demonstrate justice,
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you're not being engaged
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and involved in speaking
up against social injustice."
00:10:03.13\00:10:08.17
And I think that's one area
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that we as a
church as well as fathers,
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we have got to take
prime initiative in doing so.
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We've got to speak
up against injustice,
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but we've also got to give
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our children a nurturing balance
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not to overreact or
acquiesce to the extreme
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where we ourselves
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or they end up
acting prejudicially
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or demonstrating
some racist behavior
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because of how
frustrated they are
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over the predicament of racism.
00:10:36.53\00:10:38.20
One of the beautiful things
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that I've been
doing with my daughter,
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I do my similar...
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My three children are
different shades, okay?
00:10:42.94\00:10:46.41
And I have a daughter,
two boys and a daughter,
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and I know how the world
is, I know how the world is.
00:10:49.51\00:10:53.15
And so my wife and I,
we've been telling our kids
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that their skin is beautiful,
their mind is beautiful,
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their heart is beautiful,
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you know, their
personality is beautiful,
00:11:02.12\00:11:04.19
and I said because
God made you beautiful,
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and I also let them know,
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no, you are not more
beautiful than the other person,
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you're not better
than the other person,
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you're just as
beautiful, you're just as equal,
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and I told them,
"Could you do me a favor?
00:11:15.74\00:11:17.74
When you play with your friends,
00:11:17.77\00:11:19.11
could you tell them
that their skin is beautiful,
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that their hair is beautiful?
00:11:21.91\00:11:23.51
Let them know."
00:11:23.55\00:11:24.88
You know, the beautiful
thing about discipline,
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it's one-on-one.
00:11:26.98\00:11:28.95
When we read the
Bible, God is not saying,
00:11:28.98\00:11:31.39
"Oh, let's go out and
change the world one time
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with a big sermon."
00:11:34.36\00:11:35.69
No, it's one-on-one.
00:11:35.72\00:11:37.43
So how do I respond to you?
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I demonstrate the
love of Christ to you
00:11:40.70\00:11:43.26
no matter what you bring to me,
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I'm going to demonstrate
love of Christ to you
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and hopefully, it's contagious.
00:11:46.77\00:11:48.57
Now you go now
and bring it to him.
00:11:48.60\00:11:52.04
And so that's the beauty.
00:11:52.07\00:11:53.41
If we start the one-on-one...
00:11:53.44\00:11:56.24
I pray that that
that become contagious.
00:11:56.28\00:11:58.95
Amen.
00:11:58.98\00:12:00.32
And I think that's critical
00:12:00.35\00:12:01.88
because this was
going to keep us sane,
00:12:01.92\00:12:04.79
Yes. you know?
00:12:04.82\00:12:06.15
And I'm reminded of...
00:12:06.19\00:12:08.69
When I speak to
my girls about this,
00:12:08.72\00:12:11.89
I try not to speak to
them in a biased tongue
00:12:11.93\00:12:14.30
which is very, very difficult.
00:12:14.33\00:12:16.80
You know, being a
police chaplain for five years,
00:12:16.83\00:12:19.67
I worked with a lot
of great police officers
00:12:19.70\00:12:22.17
that don't care
what skin tone you are,
00:12:22.20\00:12:24.94
they just care about what you do
00:12:24.97\00:12:26.31
and what you do wrong.
00:12:26.34\00:12:27.68
But that's not the
reality that we live in.
00:12:27.71\00:12:30.35
Yeah.
00:12:30.38\00:12:31.71
You know, a lot of
them hide behind a badge.
00:12:31.75\00:12:33.52
The department that I
worked in was a big county
00:12:33.55\00:12:36.99
and not every single one of them
00:12:37.02\00:12:39.42
subscribed to
treating everybody equally,
00:12:39.45\00:12:42.36
the power trip,
00:12:42.39\00:12:44.16
you know, and
when I got arrested
00:12:44.19\00:12:46.90
by my own department
00:12:46.93\00:12:48.66
due to a bar brawl
back before I knew Christ,
00:12:48.70\00:12:54.64
one of my best
friends is still there,
00:12:54.67\00:12:56.74
he said he would have
handled it differently,
00:12:56.77\00:12:58.64
simply because the one
person that did apprehend me
00:12:58.67\00:13:02.21
and chose to treat
me like I was nothing,
00:13:02.24\00:13:05.91
slammed me everywhere, I mean,
00:13:05.95\00:13:07.65
I have bruise, cuts, tasered,
00:13:07.68\00:13:10.12
everything, the
works, so to speak.
00:13:10.15\00:13:12.62
You know, and now
working as a chaplain for them,
00:13:12.65\00:13:16.16
my girls don't
know the difference
00:13:16.19\00:13:17.93
between the
chaplain and officer,
00:13:17.96\00:13:19.69
they see the uniform.
00:13:19.73\00:13:21.10
And I'm trying to teach them,
00:13:21.13\00:13:22.46
you know, that
it's not a badge issue,
00:13:22.50\00:13:26.03
it's a heart issue, you know?
00:13:26.07\00:13:28.57
But then again,
when I see things,
00:13:28.60\00:13:32.27
you know, posted online,
00:13:32.31\00:13:33.88
when I see
videos, when I see this,
00:13:33.91\00:13:36.04
you have the one
handful of people
00:13:36.08\00:13:39.38
that, you know, jump
the gun automatically
00:13:39.41\00:13:42.25
to say the officer is guilty.
00:13:42.28\00:13:44.29
But then you got the other ones,
00:13:44.32\00:13:46.19
you know, that
are correct as well
00:13:46.22\00:13:48.06
saying that they
were treated unjustly.
00:13:48.09\00:13:50.19
For me, I stand in the middle
00:13:50.23\00:13:52.09
because I bleed
blue as they say,
00:13:52.13\00:13:55.36
and I'm also a civilian.
00:13:55.40\00:13:58.23
You know, how do
we teach our kids?
00:13:58.27\00:14:01.84
How do you teach
them that the very people
00:14:01.87\00:14:03.64
that are supposed to serve
and protect you might kill you?
00:14:03.67\00:14:07.78
Mercy.
00:14:07.81\00:14:09.14
But you will not
know what they're...
00:14:09.18\00:14:11.48
You know, and it goes beyond
00:14:11.51\00:14:13.98
saying yes, sir, no,
sir, yes, ma'am, no, ma'am,
00:14:14.02\00:14:16.18
it goes beyond that,
00:14:16.22\00:14:18.22
how do you teach
them and train them
00:14:18.25\00:14:20.66
that to walk with
Christ in such a way
00:14:20.69\00:14:23.36
that if their life
is unjustly taken...
00:14:23.39\00:14:26.63
Mercy. Mercy.
00:14:26.66\00:14:29.40
That it's okay
because there's a kingdom
00:14:29.43\00:14:31.43
and a crown waiting for them,
00:14:31.47\00:14:33.20
how do you teach your kids that?
00:14:33.23\00:14:35.07
I'm going to let you...
00:14:35.10\00:14:36.44
Senior.
00:14:36.47\00:14:37.81
Yeah, that's hard teaching
as they would say in scripture.
00:14:37.84\00:14:42.34
I have more
testimonies and more stories
00:14:45.88\00:14:48.58
than time would allow to share.
00:14:48.62\00:14:51.52
I try to direct my own daughter
00:14:51.55\00:14:53.32
and other youth
that I have mentored.
00:14:53.36\00:14:55.22
I've been very
involved in mentorship,
00:14:55.26\00:14:57.06
we keep
mentioning this referencing,
00:14:57.09\00:14:59.33
which is also very
important, mentor our young men.
00:14:59.36\00:15:04.30
You will see things in life
00:15:04.33\00:15:05.77
that will give you a
balance to understand.
00:15:05.80\00:15:07.64
We all have
negative experiences,
00:15:07.67\00:15:09.67
but you have to
look at both sides.
00:15:09.70\00:15:12.44
And God has allowed me
some experiences in life
00:15:12.47\00:15:16.75
where I have learned in
a very transparent manner
00:15:16.78\00:15:20.55
what human nature is like.
00:15:20.58\00:15:22.28
It's important that we instill
00:15:26.05\00:15:30.23
that sense of you are not alone,
00:15:30.26\00:15:32.53
you're walking with
God, you're always with God.
00:15:32.56\00:15:36.36
We have to teach our children
00:15:36.40\00:15:39.07
the necessary
traits of survival.
00:15:39.10\00:15:41.97
I'll be it whether you're living
00:15:42.00\00:15:43.34
in whatever urban
community you're living in,
00:15:43.37\00:15:45.97
and there's an equal threat
once you step out your door,
00:15:46.01\00:15:49.21
at least that's how
it was when I grew up.
00:15:49.24\00:15:51.61
It's real bizarre
00:15:51.65\00:15:55.55
that you can hear
people say in some sense today,
00:15:55.58\00:15:59.45
"I'm worried about my
child going outside today
00:15:59.49\00:16:01.79
because I don't know
00:16:01.82\00:16:03.16
if a police officer
is going to kill him."
00:16:03.19\00:16:04.53
Mercy. You know.
00:16:04.56\00:16:05.96
But there are
people saying that.
00:16:05.99\00:16:08.36
In my teen years, it was more,
00:16:08.40\00:16:11.70
"I'm nervous about
going outside today
00:16:11.73\00:16:13.17
'cause I don't know
if somebody, period,
00:16:13.20\00:16:15.77
who it's another gang member,
00:16:15.80\00:16:17.91
or somebody from
another neighborhood,
00:16:17.94\00:16:19.77
or that don't like me,
00:16:19.81\00:16:21.14
or another race
that don't like me
00:16:21.18\00:16:22.51
or whatever and yes,
00:16:22.54\00:16:23.88
inclusive of that
were civil authorities.
00:16:23.91\00:16:26.65
But now today,
it's been amplified,
00:16:26.68\00:16:28.35
in the sense, we're people...
00:16:28.38\00:16:29.72
The greatest concern especially
for a young black men,
00:16:29.75\00:16:33.09
or Latino men, or any
minority group seems to be
00:16:33.12\00:16:37.26
"I'm afraid of law enforcement,
00:16:37.29\00:16:39.59
I'm afraid of
what can happen to me."
00:16:39.63\00:16:41.46
So yes, I tell my daughter
once again to be realistic,
00:16:41.50\00:16:45.23
once again to be
careful of her surroundings
00:16:45.27\00:16:48.54
or whereabouts, her behavior.
00:16:48.57\00:16:50.71
But within that,
yes, like yourself,
00:16:50.74\00:16:53.24
I think there's a degree of
00:16:53.27\00:16:56.58
me accepting the worst scenario
00:16:56.61\00:17:01.28
and the only thing I
can do about that is pray,
00:17:01.32\00:17:04.75
you know, that my child
not be a casualty to racism
00:17:04.79\00:17:08.92
in any form from
any particular group,
00:17:08.96\00:17:12.66
civil, or social.
00:17:12.69\00:17:15.96
Yeah, you know,
00:17:16.00\00:17:17.33
we as Christians
subscribe to grace.
00:17:17.37\00:17:21.64
And when I look back
over my life, I see grace.
00:17:21.67\00:17:24.74
Yes.
00:17:24.77\00:17:26.11
And when I was a
young teenager, early 20s,
00:17:26.14\00:17:29.78
and I was very core into,
you know, black revolutionists,
00:17:29.81\00:17:34.22
living in Harlem,
00:17:34.25\00:17:35.72
you know, just
getting tired of the racism,
00:17:35.75\00:17:38.35
the anger was brewing up,
00:17:38.39\00:17:40.16
you know, just felt helpless.
00:17:40.19\00:17:43.32
Coming from
Jamaica at a young age
00:17:43.36\00:17:44.96
but raised in Harlem, New York,
00:17:44.99\00:17:46.73
you know, just get,
00:17:46.76\00:17:48.10
you know, when people talk
about police brutality now,
00:17:48.13\00:17:51.17
it's only because
of social media we see,
00:17:51.20\00:17:53.64
but this thing been
going on for decades.
00:17:53.67\00:17:55.60
I agree. I agree.
00:17:55.64\00:17:56.97
Decades, maybe almost
over a century based on...
00:17:57.01\00:18:00.28
Depending on time,
00:18:00.31\00:18:01.64
but so I remember one time
I was thrown against a wall,
00:18:01.68\00:18:06.31
you know, I was
frisked, I was searched
00:18:06.35\00:18:08.62
just because
literally 'cause I'm black.
00:18:08.65\00:18:12.25
And so our
children hear these things
00:18:12.29\00:18:14.59
and our children
see these things,
00:18:14.62\00:18:16.62
and so instead of
going down into the core
00:18:16.66\00:18:19.19
and bill out
that anger like I had
00:18:19.23\00:18:22.43
'cause there's many times
00:18:22.46\00:18:23.80
I could have
been killed by police,
00:18:23.83\00:18:26.00
there's been times I
could've been killed by my own
00:18:26.03\00:18:27.90
by others.
00:18:27.94\00:18:29.27
But when I...
00:18:29.30\00:18:30.64
So instead of
brewing up that part,
00:18:30.67\00:18:33.78
I really try to
demonstrate to them
00:18:33.81\00:18:37.18
how Jesus would respond to this.
00:18:37.21\00:18:38.95
Yes.
00:18:38.98\00:18:40.32
I mean, let's just be honest,
00:18:40.35\00:18:41.68
this is why I began
saying at the beginning
00:18:41.72\00:18:43.08
that we need to
search in ourselves,
00:18:43.12\00:18:45.35
even the purest heart,
00:18:45.39\00:18:46.86
human being is full
of some kind of racism,
00:18:46.89\00:18:50.39
some kind of division.
00:18:50.43\00:18:51.89
When sin entered this
world, look at the response.
00:18:51.93\00:18:54.96
We supposed to be great, right?
00:18:55.00\00:18:56.67
The first thing
Adam does is does what?
00:18:56.70\00:18:58.43
He blames his wife.
00:18:58.47\00:19:00.17
The next chapter, we
go into Cain and Abel.
00:19:00.20\00:19:03.14
And then it just gets worst
after that, and it just builds.
00:19:03.17\00:19:06.98
Division started in the kingdom
when Satan override, you know?
00:19:07.01\00:19:10.78
So this division
thing is to our DNA.
00:19:10.81\00:19:15.28
So the only solution
00:19:15.32\00:19:17.25
is a heart
transplant from Jesus Christ.
00:19:17.29\00:19:21.96
Only solution.
00:19:21.99\00:19:23.32
It's true, it's
just so difficult.
00:19:23.36\00:19:25.13
I mean, it's hard
like one of the things
00:19:25.16\00:19:27.16
that I try to
instill in my girls
00:19:27.20\00:19:28.53
is know your roots.
00:19:28.56\00:19:29.96
Yes.
00:19:30.00\00:19:31.33
You know, for me,
I struggled so long
00:19:31.37\00:19:33.17
knowing who I was,
00:19:33.20\00:19:34.90
I knew I wasn't in Christ and...
00:19:34.94\00:19:36.57
But what I wanted
to, you know, where do...
00:19:36.60\00:19:37.94
'cause I look at my mom,
00:19:37.97\00:19:39.44
she's, you know,
Italian, so she's very light,
00:19:39.47\00:19:41.84
my dad is dark, he's black,
00:19:41.88\00:19:44.48
and I kept asking
my dad, "You're black,
00:19:44.51\00:19:47.02
where do you come...?"
00:19:47.05\00:19:48.38
"I don't know, son,
I'm just Puerto Rican."
00:19:48.42\00:19:49.95
I'm like, "Dad, you're black,
00:19:49.98\00:19:51.32
what do you mean you
don't know where you come from?"
00:19:51.35\00:19:53.12
I remember, a couple years ago,
00:19:53.15\00:19:54.96
I went to visit
my family, sat down,
00:19:54.99\00:19:57.36
they brought out
a whole photo album
00:19:57.39\00:20:00.36
of my great grandfather
and my great grandmother.
00:20:00.40\00:20:03.97
My great
grandfather was super dark,
00:20:04.00\00:20:07.04
you know, and my
aunt shared with me,
00:20:07.07\00:20:11.17
"Well, you're here
00:20:11.21\00:20:13.01
because of your
great great-grandmother
00:20:13.04\00:20:17.65
being raped."
00:20:17.68\00:20:19.01
Mercy.
00:20:19.05\00:20:20.38
Mercy. "She was a slave.
00:20:20.42\00:20:22.85
So you're here because..."
00:20:22.88\00:20:25.19
I didn't know how to take that.
00:20:25.22\00:20:27.26
Is it a blessing
that I'm here, yes,
00:20:27.29\00:20:29.36
but is it a
blessing that I'm here
00:20:29.39\00:20:30.73
because a
relative of mine got raped,
00:20:30.76\00:20:34.46
you know, and I started to cry
00:20:34.50\00:20:36.40
because it's like
something clicked.
00:20:36.43\00:20:39.13
You know, fast forward to that,
00:20:39.17\00:20:41.14
you know, experiencing
racism in the church
00:20:41.17\00:20:45.27
where I'm told by my brethren,
00:20:45.31\00:20:49.54
"You're not dark enough,"
00:20:49.58\00:20:50.91
or "You're not
light enough," you know.
00:20:50.95\00:20:54.15
It's all this skin issue,
even though it's a sin issue,
00:20:54.18\00:20:59.59
we looked at...
Look at the skin issue
00:20:59.62\00:21:02.39
and I'm like make up your mind,
00:21:02.42\00:21:04.76
you know, and I
did, I told my girls,
00:21:04.79\00:21:06.59
"Know your roots and
make it up in your heads
00:21:06.63\00:21:10.10
that even though
they see your skin
00:21:10.13\00:21:12.80
and they may see who you are,
00:21:12.83\00:21:15.44
it doesn't matter
00:21:15.47\00:21:17.01
because Christ is
the one that you need."
00:21:17.04\00:21:19.41
Yeah.
00:21:19.44\00:21:20.78
And yeah, that
sounds pretty and fluffy
00:21:20.81\00:21:22.14
but realistically that's
where it's coming down to where
00:21:22.18\00:21:26.61
it's either you're going
to let everything affect you,
00:21:26.65\00:21:30.05
or you're going to be
of no use to your family,
00:21:30.09\00:21:33.36
or you find some way
to muster up the strength
00:21:33.39\00:21:37.09
to hang on even just
to the garment of Christ
00:21:37.13\00:21:41.30
and just "Help me, Lord,
00:21:41.33\00:21:44.17
'cause I'm ready to fight."
00:21:44.20\00:21:45.53
Mercy. Yeah.
00:21:45.57\00:21:46.90
I'm ready to go out
there and decimate this
00:21:46.94\00:21:49.37
but we battle not
against flesh and blood.
00:21:49.40\00:21:52.11
Amen. Amen.
00:21:52.14\00:21:53.48
What can I do to control,
00:21:53.51\00:21:54.84
you know, how do you
teach your kids to rise above?
00:21:54.88\00:21:58.11
Yeah, I think as
pastors talked about this before
00:21:58.15\00:22:02.22
and that is understanding
00:22:02.25\00:22:03.59
that if you're the
pastor of a church,
00:22:03.62\00:22:05.39
you're also the
leader of a community.
00:22:05.42\00:22:07.99
You should be the leader
00:22:08.02\00:22:09.36
within that surrounding
community of the church.
00:22:09.39\00:22:11.59
We ought to be involved
00:22:11.63\00:22:14.13
and we ought to
have direct access
00:22:14.16\00:22:16.36
to all people groups
within that community
00:22:16.40\00:22:19.23
and be engaged in ensuring
that we're doing what we can do
00:22:19.27\00:22:23.20
to break down those walls,
00:22:23.24\00:22:25.07
to build new relationships
within varied ethnic groups,
00:22:25.11\00:22:29.08
take time to find
out in your community
00:22:29.11\00:22:32.08
if there is a
specific minority group
00:22:32.11\00:22:36.35
that is being marginalized,
00:22:36.38\00:22:38.62
this group in a
trailer park, a group of...
00:22:38.65\00:22:43.36
farmers or farmhands
00:22:43.39\00:22:46.70
or a migrant population,
a refugee population,
00:22:46.73\00:22:51.17
you know, we should
do our best to be engaged
00:22:51.20\00:22:54.24
in building bridges
and taking down walls
00:22:54.27\00:22:57.64
that keep those divides,
00:22:57.67\00:22:59.04
and we should be
a voice of advocacy.
00:22:59.07\00:23:01.74
Yeah.
00:23:01.78\00:23:03.11
Intentionally, not by accident,
00:23:03.14\00:23:05.48
which is what I see often
happen even within our church,
00:23:05.51\00:23:08.32
usually when we are
involved in something
00:23:08.35\00:23:11.52
that relates to some civil issue
00:23:11.55\00:23:13.89
that needs attention,
we're kind of there by default.
00:23:13.92\00:23:17.03
We're not there intentionally,
and that that has to change.
00:23:17.06\00:23:20.50
We have to be intentional
00:23:20.53\00:23:22.46
about how we go about
addressing those issues
00:23:22.50\00:23:24.90
and I pass the same
degree of responsibility
00:23:24.93\00:23:27.87
and accountability to my child.
00:23:27.90\00:23:29.44
Yeah.
00:23:29.47\00:23:30.81
And I'm so grateful how we
were talking yesterday about,
00:23:30.84\00:23:32.54
you know, this
whole, the one day
00:23:32.57\00:23:35.24
where your son or your daughter
was a little toddler crawling
00:23:35.28\00:23:38.68
and you were
perplexed about the ambiguity
00:23:38.71\00:23:42.18
of what's going to happen
over the next 20 or 30 years
00:23:42.22\00:23:44.82
and now here you are today,
00:23:44.85\00:23:46.55
daughter is 21 years old,
00:23:46.59\00:23:48.19
his kids are
approaching teen years,
00:23:48.22\00:23:50.56
yours are toddler still yet.
00:23:50.59\00:23:52.33
But it's good to step back
00:23:52.36\00:23:53.70
and look and see the
fruit of the product,
00:23:53.73\00:23:56.90
of how God has helped you
within that nurture process,
00:23:56.93\00:24:00.54
within His pouring out of
grace and His sharing of wisdom
00:24:00.57\00:24:04.04
and the biblical principles
that we hold fast to us
00:24:04.07\00:24:06.84
as we train and
nurture our children.
00:24:06.88\00:24:08.71
Hopefully, one
day, yes, they will walk
00:24:08.74\00:24:11.35
and demonstrate the
integrity that pleases God.
00:24:11.38\00:24:15.02
All of us or especially
those of us who are pastors,
00:24:15.05\00:24:18.92
if you're a pastor of a church,
00:24:18.95\00:24:20.86
you are the
leader of a community
00:24:20.89\00:24:22.32
or you are a community leader,
00:24:22.36\00:24:24.29
you should be involved
00:24:24.33\00:24:26.36
in the social
climate of that community,
00:24:26.39\00:24:29.46
you should be
observant or even searching
00:24:29.50\00:24:33.17
to see if there are groups
that are being marginalized,
00:24:33.20\00:24:36.24
that group in the trailer park,
00:24:36.27\00:24:38.17
or that group of
migrant farm workers,
00:24:38.21\00:24:41.11
or maybe a refugee group that
has settled in the community.
00:24:41.14\00:24:46.75
We need to be
involved in intentional
00:24:46.78\00:24:49.25
about breaking down
walls that cause divide,
00:24:49.28\00:24:52.99
and we need to
be building bridges,
00:24:53.02\00:24:55.49
and we need to be
intentional about it.
00:24:55.52\00:24:57.86
I think it's a tragedy
that often in the church
00:24:57.89\00:25:00.36
when we are involved in
some area of civil need,
00:25:00.40\00:25:05.10
we're there accidentally,
we're kind of there by default.
00:25:05.13\00:25:08.20
We're not there by some
intentional proactive plan
00:25:08.24\00:25:12.41
that whereby we really cared,
00:25:12.44\00:25:15.21
we need to get beyond also
within our church structure
00:25:15.24\00:25:18.95
to be sure that we
not foster environments
00:25:18.98\00:25:22.08
that are
integrated based on tolerance.
00:25:22.12\00:25:25.55
Now what I mean by
that is we have to do more
00:25:25.59\00:25:28.42
than tolerating the
presence of other people.
00:25:28.46\00:25:32.26
This is another
unfortunate fact.
00:25:32.29\00:25:35.03
Even in many of our
integrated congregations,
00:25:35.06\00:25:38.60
people are mixed
and integrated in there,
00:25:38.63\00:25:40.57
but they're kind of
tolerating each other,
00:25:40.60\00:25:42.37
they have not truly welcomed
the presence of each other,
00:25:42.40\00:25:46.01
whether black, or white,
00:25:46.04\00:25:47.38
or Asian, or
Latino, or whatever it is.
00:25:47.41\00:25:49.11
We're kind of just
there tolerating each other.
00:25:49.14\00:25:51.75
That has to stop. Yeah.
00:25:51.78\00:25:53.11
So I try my best
within being responsible
00:25:53.15\00:25:57.62
and accountable to
nurture those values
00:25:57.65\00:26:00.32
to my daughter also
00:26:00.36\00:26:01.99
that she needs to
be both responsible
00:26:02.02\00:26:04.79
and accountable for how
she responds to her society.
00:26:04.83\00:26:09.00
I think it's very important.
00:26:09.03\00:26:10.97
And if we demonstrate
that within our congregations
00:26:11.00\00:26:13.47
and within our communities,
00:26:13.50\00:26:15.10
then we are helping to
be part of the solution
00:26:15.14\00:26:18.77
and not just
part of the problem.
00:26:18.81\00:26:20.24
Yes.
00:26:20.28\00:26:21.61
And a lot of efforts towards,
00:26:21.64\00:26:22.98
as I spoke
earlier and mentioned,
00:26:23.01\00:26:24.41
this natural inclination,
00:26:24.45\00:26:26.95
this human
inclination to swing towards
00:26:26.98\00:26:30.69
one extreme of the
pendulum or the other,
00:26:30.72\00:26:33.56
not to acquiesce
to the group that's,
00:26:33.59\00:26:35.82
you know, like you were
saying, you get that sense of,
00:26:35.86\00:26:37.93
"You know, man, I'm
so fed up with this,
00:26:37.96\00:26:39.63
I want to fight,"
00:26:39.66\00:26:41.26
you know, and we
got to be careful.
00:26:41.30\00:26:43.13
We got to fight constructively,
not the fighting that's,
00:26:43.16\00:26:46.40
you know, matching violence
for violence, an eye for an eye.
00:26:46.43\00:26:49.27
That goes nowhere.
00:26:49.30\00:26:50.84
You know, we lift up this book,
00:26:50.87\00:26:52.37
we open it, and we can see
00:26:52.41\00:26:54.08
from Moses and
Zipporah all the way
00:26:54.11\00:26:57.88
through to Peter's wrestling
00:26:57.91\00:27:01.42
with this problem
in the New Testament.
00:27:01.45\00:27:03.72
So even in
Scripture, it's evident.
00:27:03.75\00:27:06.65
And what we have to
do is just be committed
00:27:06.69\00:27:10.23
and dependent
to the grace of God
00:27:10.26\00:27:13.23
and to ensure that
we're allowing Christ
00:27:13.26\00:27:15.60
to live in and through
us, demonstrating His love.
00:27:15.63\00:27:20.34
The point that you
brought out in Isaiah,
00:27:20.37\00:27:24.37
and Isaiah keeps
talking about it,
00:27:24.41\00:27:26.47
there is another
part that we swing to,
00:27:26.51\00:27:29.18
and this is the part I
believe that God hates the most,
00:27:29.21\00:27:31.75
indifference.
00:27:31.78\00:27:34.58
Indifference.
00:27:34.62\00:27:35.95
I teach my children, I
demonstrate to my children,
00:27:35.98\00:27:38.39
I want beautiful things
I want one of my churches,
00:27:38.42\00:27:40.99
we have a variety
of different races,
00:27:41.02\00:27:44.73
different
culture, and I express them
00:27:44.76\00:27:47.63
the importance of
bringing that to the table.
00:27:47.66\00:27:50.93
Bring it to the
table in worship,
00:27:50.97\00:27:52.97
bring it to the table
00:27:53.00\00:27:54.34
in how you
deliver the Word of God,
00:27:54.37\00:27:55.70
you share the Word of God.
00:27:55.74\00:27:57.07
Let's talk about the
beauty of each other.
00:27:57.11\00:27:59.74
Man, and we can
keep going on and on
00:27:59.77\00:28:02.08
'cause we're going to
have to pick this up again.
00:28:02.11\00:28:05.18
Stay prayerful, and
show the love of Christ.
00:28:05.21\00:28:08.62
Thank you for watching.
00:28:08.65\00:28:09.98