Thanks, Ryan...

I met with my friend Ryan earlier today... he's white and I'm black, so the conversation naturally gravitated very quickly to the issue of our newly-elected President. We haven't known each other for very long, so we shared about some of our upbringing, and what role race/prejudice played in our lives as we grew up.

Then, he shared something that I thought was very enlightening...

He said (not in these exact words), "Many of us (whites) are scared, because we're so used to seeing a white guy in a suit running our nation. Having a black President is something that's SO new, it's just thrown us off-balance, and we don't know what to do with that."

Thanks, Ryan... I appreciate your honesty. It's very refreshing.

Of course, I (and others) had a hunch that that was an issue... but it was good to hear it voiced. We often don't realize how much quicker we'll move down the road to healing when we simply are honest with each other. "Hey, man... this is new territory for me! We've always run this country... and, in the back of our minds, that's the way it's supposed to be! It just is!"

See, I can work with that (and, no, Ryan didn't say that last part). And I was able to speak to Ryan's concerns thoughtfully and in love, because I knew he was being honest and transparent. That's why we're friends... that's why our relationship will get stronger. If only we could do this as a nation...

The apostle Paul said, "But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another" (Gal. 5:15). Sooner or later, this whole thing is gonna get out-of-hand if we're not careful... and I'm speaking to myself on this one, too. I've never been as cynical and sensitive in my whole life as I have been over the last few weeks. Truthfully, some people have deserved D-Plum's criticisms (you know who you are); their comments have been both unguarded and untimely. But others have received responses from me, and were left shaking their heads... "What did I say??" Hindsight allows me to see why... unless one can walk a few miles in your shoes, they just don't understand; they must be shown and not just corrected. So, if I flair up on someone, but don't really help them to see what it was that angered me, neither of us is helped in the situation.

Dialogue precedes dismantling.

I really believe good things are in our country's future... whenever change is on the horizon, the opportunity is there to move forward as a people. As Christ-followers... black, white, yellow, brown, red, whatever... let's use this opportunity to show a world without Christ that He is preeminent and supercedes all our petty differences.

C'mon... let's stop biting and devouring one another.

Please Hear My Heart...

The way it looks now, at 10:15pm EST, is that in just a few hours we will be celebrating the first African-American President of the United States (he needs only 70 electoral votes to win at this point). And, because of that, I really want to share my heart. Whether or not you agree with me, I hope you hear the sincerity.

First, as an African-American man, I never thought I'd see this day. Sure, I'd always hoped it would come... but I never really thought it would happen. It was just 40 or so years ago, that blacks were trying to gain legitimacy as human beings. Dogs were let loose on us, we were lynched, beaten, unlawfully arrested, and so much more. It's hard to even watch footage from those days without feeling the rage well up inside of me.

I never thought I'd see this day.

Second, to all my white brothers and sisters, I love you. Although there are times when it's very hard to forget the past, I do forgive you (as a race). The past has made many of us stronger... wiser... and more determined to rise above the hardships enforced upon us. The past has made me, in particular, more passionate to see both sides - black and white - unified. That's one of the main reasons I started Mosaic Church DC. We're seeing it happen in our church... and not just black & white, but also Latino and Asian... it's a very beautiful thing. And I'm thankful.

Third, although there are many who think the country will "go to pot" with Sen. Obama being elected as President of this great country, I'd like to submit this to you for your consideration: if God is still on the throne, what is there to fear? We often preach "the sovereignty of God", but many times we don't live it. Let's keep our eyes on Jesus, for He alone is King... and we bow to Him, not Obama nor McCain.

Fourth, we have to acknowledge the fact that our country is changing. No longer do many Americans of any race want a "majority-rule" country. The election is an awesome mirror of the fact that, as far as the racial divide, things are changing. DON'T GET IT TWISTED: IT'S NOT FIXED YET. Maybe it never will be. But it is changing.

I never thought I'd see this day. I'm thankful to God that He's allowed it to happen. And for what it's worth, I'm proud of this country. Whether or not you agree with the outcome, you have to be proud. This election won't be easy for some to accept... but it shows we're really a nation of many different peoples. I know some might try to "blast" me for focusing on the "race" issue... go ahead, you're free to do that. I'm just sharing my heart.

I never thought I'd see this day... but it's here.:-)