Sharing Our Stories: The Image of God

Created In His Image
A guest post by Kai A. Pineda

On June 4 of last year, I began to pen a post on my personal Facebook page after being sent multiple inboxes and text messages about a few conversations amongst mainstream African American pastors and Caucasian pastors/leaders.

Many were discussing race and the brutal murder of George Floyd on Memorial Day. Days before, I had penned another piece asking where all white leaders of faith had been in response to what the world witnessed. The dialogue seemed to be a beginning many in the church had been longing to see.

As I hit play on a video of a conversation between two male pastors (one Black and one White), I listened with an open heart and an open mind, only to feel a deep sadness. While many of the things they said were true, there was the elephant in the room no one wanted to touch. As the pastors spoke, they used words like diversity, inclusion, and multicultural. What was missing was that this prominent White pastor had an all-White leadership team running the ministry many minorities loved. And even since the conversation taped at his ministry went viral, the leadership has not changed at all.

Let me be clear when I tell you I am equally saddened when ministries led by any person of color also lack a diverse leadership. Why? Because our churches being divided is not the vision of God. We do not serve a segregated God, so why are we still a segregated Bride? We cannot continue to look like a dying world that Jesus Christ came back to save, and believe we will be effective in partnering with God in the building of His Kingdom. Our divides are keeping us from being effective in partnering with God in the building of His Kingdom.

I have this question: If the same God created us in His image, then why does the color of your skin make you superior to me based on the color of my skin? Why are we moved by gifts and talents more than the mere value of one another moves us as brothers and sisters in Christ? 

Genesis 1:27 (NIV) says the following, “God created all humanity in His image. So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” If we were shaped and made into the likeness of God as a representation of God, shouldn’t we then welcome the complete expression of His Bride through our differences?

I am well aware that we have a long way to go before we can see lasting transformation in this world, and unfortunately, even in the church. We have said God’s Word is accurate, yet we don’t always live it as truth. God did not send His son to divide us, but to die for us that we may be one with Him and the Father. When will we push past the superficial that divides us and connect with the supernatural God who wants to unite us as the Body of Christ?

Let’s Pray: Father God, you created us in your image. You chose us to represent you and your likeness. Please help us see others as your children no matter what they look like or the color of their skin. Please help us lay down our biases and comforts, for you do not work in our comfort. Let your Word rule in our hearts and let it be demonstrated in our responses and actions. Let me lead my life as one who says no to division and yes to the reconciliation and unity of the Bride and Body of Christ. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

I am a fire-starter and a passionate student of the Bible who helps others discover their identity and the beauty within the Body of Christ by leading them into an encounter with the Word of God.

I am married to a man I am madly in like with and love more than I can explain. Together we plant home fellowships within the U.S. and abroad.

I am an author who released her first book, Dear Church: Vol 1: The Beauty of The Body, in 2019, with the second volume to be released in 2021. I have recorded two praise and worship albums and love to travel.

I am an introvert who loves her family, people, rainy days, a chai latte from Starbucks, and my Maltipoo McLovin.

I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, nor challenging people to live lives based on a biblical standard and not personal preferences.

~*~
Connect with Kai:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kai.a.pineda
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamkaiapineda/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kai_A_Pineda
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/92920689-kai-pineda

Sharing Our Stories: When we cannot breathe

I Can’t Breathe
A guest post by Dr. Angelle M. Jones

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?” 

–Micah 6:8a (NIV)

America has been on trial and the verdict is in.

The murder of George Floyd before the world one year ago, and the trial the next, revealed the uncomfortable narrative of the pain and injustice inflicted upon Black America since slavery.

After the largest civil rights protest in years, former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.

The victim, a Black man named George Floyd, became a household name while the world watched the White officer use his knee to render a neck compression restraint, with his hands in his pockets and a sneer on his face until Floyd took his final breath. Almost a year later, millions watched the broadcast of the trial, figuratively holding their breath until the verdict was reached. Although Floyd had heart disease and drugs were found in his body, the medical examiner ruled his death a homicide. Restrained, Floyd cried out for his mother twice while breathlessly moaning, “I can’t breathe” in his final moments that left an indelible mark on the world.

During the trial, the defense attorney argued that Floyd’s crying, “I can’t breathe,” was a type of resisting arrest. The attorney went on to say that during the arrest, the officer acted with “objective reasonableness”. In other words, the defending argument concluded that because he fought against being handcuffed and shoved into the back of the squad car, the way the police officer restrained Floyd was warranted. Listening to the audio of the video, amidst the tussling you could hear Floyd crying out for help as he told the officer he was claustrophobic. With no evidence of a weapon causing the officer to feel endangered, he offered Floyd no help.

The idea that it was suggested that his death was because he resisted arrest or had drugs in his body revealed to the world the way policing in America works between officers and Black people. Based on history, there was still fear that the officer would be vindicated.

Floyd may have been accused of resisting arrest, but in fact, it is the resistance by White America to deal with the reality of racism, in policing as well as in every facet of society every day. The painful cry of Floyd for his mother while gasping for his breath could’ve been viewed as a depiction of the pain Black people have had to endure since slavery.

The nine minutes that he couldn’t breathe, while having his life slowly drained from him was a slow and painful enactment of the years of pain and suffering inflicted upon Black people as a result of systemic racism. The video clip shown over and over from May 2020 until May 2021, served as a bird’s-eye view of nearly 400 years of legalized punishment for being Black in America. The intersectionality between America’s painful past and the reality of the present, exposed the systemic racist police practices that have been used to dehumanize Black people since slavery. Until White America accepts African-Americans as human, the dehumanization of Black and Brown bodies will continue.

Since the murder of Floyd, the discussion of defunding or the intentional deconstruction and reconstruction of the police has taken a front seat. With some resistance especially since the trial, the world has shifted to the much bigger discussion of some type of police reform. The resistance ranging from those who think reform is not necessary, to those who believe it is imperative, reveals a panoramic view of a problem deeply embedded in American culture. While the breath continues to be literally and figuratively drained from the bodies of Black Americans, this country is faced with a decision. Watching the breath of Floyd stolen from him was a depiction of the countless Black bodies stolen as a result of police shootings today. The decision to not only be better as individuals, but collectively as a nation must be made.

In reflecting on policing and the loss of Black lives, I’m reminded of the scriptures surrounding Micah 6:8. The prophet Micah spoke to a culture very similar to that of America. A culture characterized by the sins of idolatry, immorality, injustice, and rebellion against worshipping God. Micah was emphasizing the importance of one not only knowing what to do, but actually doing it and living it according to God’s Word.

Micah proclaimed the coming of the Christ child, in the second chapter of his book (Micah). He told us about the One who could redeem humanity from the sin of racism. The One who could breathe life into this country with all its racist structures and systems. The One who could reform not only the system of policing but the police themselves. In Micah chapter 6, the prophet boldly proclaimed what was required of the people and nations identified as belonging to God. In Micah 6:8, he declared three practical requirements to exemplify God’s breath of life in a breathless society. The Scripture (Micah 6:8 NIV) reads:

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.”

The first requirement was to act justly, a divine justice that goes beyond a law, beyond thinking laws alone would bring lasting heart changes. This was a justice of ethics and morals implemented in one’s daily lives, a justice that called for societal reformation. Today, this type of justice calls for police to be servants by doing justly to those they serve.

The next requirement was God calling for His people to love mercy. Not to only show mercy but to love it to the degree that they extend to others what they don’t deserve. If mercy had been extended toward Floyd for trying to use a counterfeit $20 bill, he could’ve received a simple pardon instead of a death sentence.

The third requirement is to walk humbly with God. Walking humbly grounds our walk with the Lord. Humility is the grace needed to do justice and love mercy. Floyd needed mercy, not death.

Let’s Pray: Lord, I humble myself in prayer asking you to breathe on America and heal our land. Help us to see you in our brothers and sisters and to love one another like you love each of us. Help us to acknowledge racism in our country and to do our part to eradicate it from our hearts, our country, and our world. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

“Inspiring and Motivating With the Power of Words” 

Dr. Angelle M. Jones believes that the power of words inspires, and motivate to bring about transformative change individually and collectively.

Angelle originally hails from Cleveland, Ohio. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in African-American studies from the University of Cincinnati. Angelle has a master’s degree in Theological Studies from Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia and an earned Doctorate in Ministry on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, and his philosophy of The Beloved Community from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.

Her ministry career began as a staff member of the Northeastern Ohio Billy Graham Crusade in 1994. For twenty years, as founder and director of In The Spirit Ministries, Inc., she led teams on mission outreaches throughout the world. From 2007-2012, Angelle served as Missions Director of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio where she currently resides. Angelle is founder and director of GlobaLife Coaching and Consulting serving as a Life and Transformation Coach and Church Consultant.

In 2016, Angelle authored and self-published her first book, Happily Never After. Along with sharing words of hope by sharing her writings on her social media platforms, she has been published in Vantage Magazine which is a literary source for faculty, students and alumni of Columbia Theological Seminary, and Ready, which is a cutting-edge online magazine addressing current events and trending socially relevant topics for women.

Angelle is the mother of an adult daughter. She is a grandmother and great-grandmother.

~*~
Connect with Dr. Angelle:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angelle.m.jones.5
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abundantgrace1/
Website: www.globalifetransforms.com
Email: globalifeconsultants@gmail.com

Sharing Our Stories: Racism, prayer, and hope

Racism Comes in All Colors
A guest post by Dr. Angelle M. Jones

“He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength, and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 

– Luke 10:27 (NIV)

I am a Christian, one who is no longer convinced that America is, or ever was a truly Christian nation. You can accept the lie that the continuous mass killings taking place in this country are random lone acts done by individuals with mental health problems, but as much as I love my country, I choose to no longer align with this false narrative.

The sad truth is often the foundation of these acts are based upon and perpetuated by the systemic racism this nation is built on. We are a country built on racial and ethnic hatred, bigotry, misogyny, and classism. The blood on the hands of its founders is that of the thousands who have been murdered throughout history, for nothing less than the color of their skin. Evil shown toward any group that is not of (WASP) White Anglo Saxon Protestant origin is the true story of America’s foundation since its very inception.

The unhappy truth about American history reveals this country has been a breeder of hate culture from its very beginning. I keep saying it, and will continue to repeat it: This nation that has convinced itself that it is a “nation under God” is anything but. Instead of boasting of our glory, we should be glad that God continues to extend mercy upon us as the original sin of racism continues to fester from within. We should turn to God in repentance while that grace is still being offered before we implode.

An example of this hatred reared its ugly head a few weeks ago when in metropolitan Atlanta, a 21-year-old White man murdered six women of Asian descent and two others. A few hours after the shooting, the parents of Robert Aaron Long identified him after seeing images of their son flashing across the TV as the main suspect in the killings. Atlanta authorities have yet to label this heinous act as a hate crime. Whether George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor or the four Asian women, hate kills real people. Too often I think we allow the media to remove the blood from the veins of the humanity of those who are senselessly murdered.

Although he has admitted to the crimes, the young man claims that race did not play a role in his decision to target the Asian spas where the shootings occurred. He instead blamed his sex addiction. While his interest on his Instagram page were listed as “Pizza, guns, drums, music, family, and God. This pretty much sums up my life. It's a pretty good life.” Long and his family identify as Southern Baptist Christians. In the press conference after the shooting, Capt. Jay Baker of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia, described the young man as “pretty much fed up and kind of at the end of his rope. Yesterday was a really bad day for him and this is what he did.”

A bad day? In response to having a bad day, you murder people? What’s worse is the way the media and authorities often perpetuate narratives like these which continue the cycle of racial division in America.

To immediately dismiss the obvious, and quickly deflect from the fact that the majority of the victims were of Asian descent, and to turn away from calling it a hate crime is yet another slap in the face to people of color. This image of the White person gone mental is one that is being used way too often after the committal of hate crimes. I’m sure any person of color in America can relate to the feeling of sadness when situations like these are often covered over as anything but what they are, especially when committed by a White person. I propose that mental health and evil are two different things. As intertwined as they may be at times, mental health can’t be continually used as a scapegoat for evil. This portrayal of it, to cover the evil acts of Whites toward people of color is blatantly racist and exhibits explicit bias at its absolute best.

While in seminary in Atlanta I had the pleasure of taking classes with several Korean students, and getting to know a little about Korean Christian culture. This experience allowed me to humanize the Asian victims killed in the shooting. One of the most fascinating memories was studying the way this generation of Koreans express “the collective trauma” and the memories of sufferings imposed upon their people in the name of oppression over the course of Korea’s years of oppressive history. Although it has been admitted to be difficult to find the proper English words to describe, the use of the expression of Han is a way that theologians described the mourning and grieving response to the traumatic loss of collective identity. They defined Han as the complex emotions that result from the traumatic loss of divided families: families who were separated during the Korean War. As a Black historian, this concept of racial trauma sounded way too familiar.

Han can be described as a generational feeling of being wronged by someone in authority such as the government. Theory has it that the accumulated narrative of Han in Korea is because of a long history of suffering from invasion, poverty, and international indifference by the global world. I realized as I intently listened and learned, that the two minorities could empathize with one another’s suffering. During racial incidents on campus (yes Christian seminaries have racial problems), Black and Korean students often supported each other in prayer. We collectively prayed and worshipped together during these difficult times, and came along side one another in solidarity.

I later learned from a Korean friend, that the other side of Han is Jung. He eloquently defined Jung as the irrevocable relationship and bond formed through experiencing life together. As Black and Korean-American Christians suffer together, may we express a restorative lament of Han to a God who hears our collective prayers. A Han that allows us both to experience the collective healing power of Jung for our marginalized communities.

Let’s Pray: Dear God, we come to you in prayer for the African-American and Asian-American communities. As we collectively cry out to you, we ask you Lord to turn the pain and resentment of our Han into prayers of praise and thanksgiving. We call on you to extend mercy on those who come against us and others because of the color of our skin. We call on you, Lord, to heal racial division in America. We call on you Lord to receive our Han, and heal our brokenness so that we might experience the unselfish and covenantal Jung with those who are different. Bind our hearts together. Make us one, dear Lord, we pray in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

“Inspiring and Motivating With the Power of Words” 

Angelle M. Jones believes that the power of words inspires, and motivate to bring about transformative change individually and collectively.

Angelle originally hails from Cleveland, Ohio. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in African-American studies from the University of Cincinnati. Angelle has a master’s degree in Theological Studies from Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia and an earned Doctorate in Ministry on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, and his philosophy of The Beloved Community from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.

Her ministry career began as a staff member of the Northeastern Ohio Billy Graham Crusade in 1994. For twenty years, as founder and director of In The Spirit Ministries, Inc., she led teams on mission outreaches throughout the world. From 2007-2012, Angelle served as Missions Director of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio where she currently resides. Angelle is founder and director of GlobaLife Coaching and Consulting serving as a Life and Transformation Coach and Church Consultant.

In 2016, Angelle authored and self-published her first book, Happily Never After. Along with sharing words of hope by sharing her writings on her social media platforms, she has been published in Vantage Magazine which is a literary source for faculty, students and alumni of Columbia Theological Seminary, and Ready, which is a cutting-edge online magazine addressing current events and trending socially relevant topics for women.

Angelle is the mother of an adult daughter. She is a grandmother and great-grandmother.

~*~
Connect with Dr. Angelle:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angelle.m.jones.5
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abundantgrace1/
Website: www.globalifetransforms.com
Email: globalifeconsultants@gmail.com