I have “soaked” on this since before the election. I have been writing it in my head since weeks before but I chose to hold off, to wait until my head was “cool” and my heart was right. As I write this, the election has happened but the results are still up in the air.  I seldom, if ever, write about politics. In many ways, I despise the topic. I believe they do not in any way, shape or form belong in the pulpit. I struggle with any so-called pastor who gets involved in politics on a national level and spews vitriol at his/her opponent.  I somehow cannot see Jesus approving of that approach, nor can I see Him approving abortion and hate.

But I feel I must speak up. We are living in a post-Christian culture. No question. We have seen “evangelical” preachers take a stand as being pro-life but aligning with a party that has as its basic platform to tear down that stronghold of life, all because they cannot stand a man.  We have seen the rise of a socialist agenda. We have seen the rise of people who mock God and mock our democracy. We have seen the rise of big tech and the media controlling the information disseminated to the people. (And people wonder why I am not on Twitter and FB and Instagram? Need I say more?)

Back when this whole mess started with BLM I made a public statement and published it on this blog here. If you missed it please check it out.  I stand by that. But I’ve also done some more thinking on it. (Now that is scary!).  I have heard a statement and have seen it loud and proud: “All lives don’t matter until black lives matter.”  Would you please take a look at that statement one more time and see one thing? Do you see how racist that statement is?

Racist you say? Yes I said that.  Here’s why.  That statement says Chinese-American lives don’t matter. That statement says Italian-American (of which I am one) lives don’t matter. And you can keep going with that.  I grew up in West Mifflin, PA, a suburb of Pittsburgh.  For my first 12 1/2 years I lived and grew up in the projects until my folks were finally able to afford a home of our own. My brother still lives in that house. I grew up around black people-some of them were my friends.  I played sports with them. I got along with them. I didn’t have a clue about the different section of housing in the projects. We played together. My mom taught me to never use the “n” word.  A very vivid memory of mine is in 1969.  The racial riots were breaking out and my high school was no different (I’m guessing it was 1/3-1/2 black. My graduating class was between 300-400 students). I stood in the foyer of our school with 3, sometimes 4 other students commenting how stupid the fighting was. John was Catholic and came from a successful family. Bruce was black and had designs on being a concert violinist. Jeff was Jewish (Jeff Goldblum, the actor, a rich doctor’s kid who probably doesn’t remember me from Adam). And I was a Christian and came from a family that struggled to make ends meet. Did you notice the diversity? No one ever told us the other’s life didn’t matter. That would have been one of the stupidest ideas I/we would have ever heard.

In God’s economy, NO ONE is more important than any other.  Has injustice been done? Sure. To all when you check it out. How about the ugly Holocaust? How about the Japanese-Americans during WWII? I see a greater injustice done to the thousands of unborn babies whose lives are snuffed out before they can even take a breath…white, black, Hispanic, or otherwise. As people of God, as followers of Christ, we MUST begin to see that all lives matter.  Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Then verse 13 says, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  Notice the gospel is for everyone. No color mentioned. Because we all need Jesus.

I realize what I have said may not sit well with some. I’m a big boy. Feel free to respond if you like, but please be courteous. To me. Or to anyone else.  Also keep this in mind: this is my blog.  The views expressed are mine and in no way reflect on the individual beliefs of others or the leadership of OVCF.  We truly do welcome all people-age, color, social status, or lifestyle. And just so you know: we do have a Hispanic who attends and an interracial teenage couple. And I guarantee you that he (I will withhold his name) would never tell you I judged him/them with prejudice.  We even had a Filipino attending for several years until she found a Filipino congregation in her town. We do believe the Bible is God’s Word and is true and won’t compromise its message to make ourselves palatable to the masses.

Oh yeah, one more thing. When some of the stuff comes true-jobs leaving the US; the socialist agenda (BLM and others) makes inroads; we become reliant on foreign oil; we become “beholding” to foreign powers because of compromised leadership; when organizations come calling for favors; when abortion and other ungodly things hit their stride; when you can’t afford gas (car or home) and your taxes are raised; when healthcare is truly unaffordable- I’ll make sure I don’t say “I told you so.” (Sadly, as I finally publish this, some of the above “prophecies” are coming true).