Hey everyone, welcome to today's podcast. I have a question for you, is racism a gospel issue or is it just a social issue? And I guess the main question would be, what responsibility if any does a believer have in addressing this issue of racism? I think believers, or believers, should preferably consider responding to racism using the influence that they have.
But above all, above the peaceful protest and social media posts, I think that a simple act of love goes a long way. And addressing the issue of racism. And one of the most important things I think we can do as believers to respond to this issue is to listen more and speak less. Yes, one of the greatest things that you can do is listen more and speak less.
James chapter 1 verse 19 and 20 says, my dear brothers and sisters, understand this. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. For human anger does not accomplish God's righteousness. Let me begin by saying this, that if you are not black, you don't understand what it means to be black.
And that's not anyone's fault. No one knows what it's like to be anyone else. So instead of quick assumptions, maybe we could stop and ask some questions. Maybe we could stop talking and giving our opinion about everything and just sit and listen.
Listen, loving our neighbors begins with listening to our neighbors. Real change in our society begins with an internal change. In other words, it begins in our hearts. But nothing will change in our hearts, in our hearts of people and society if we do not learn to listen.
There's a big difference between a shallow friendship and a deep authentic relationship between two people. A deep authentic relationship shares in each other's pain and learns to listen. When someone comes and expresses a negative emotion to us, say they're mad or sad or depressed or bitter about what's happening, listen to me, stop getting defensive. Stop trying to solve it.
Stop comparing the problem to something else that's happening in our society that we think is just as bad or around the world because all that does is invalidate the pain that people feel about this issue. When we try to change the subject because the subject is hard to hear, when we try to make the pain that our black communities have faced for years, when we try to make it not that big of a deal. We're saying that their pain isn't as important as someone else's. In essence, what we're doing is talking over them when we refuse to listen.
The scripture says in Proverbs 31, verse 8 and 9, speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed. Speak up, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy. Our greatest example in all of this, I think, continues to be Jesus. Jesus made disciples among all kinds of people.
He demonstrated unselfish love in all of society. He made no distinctions about who he invited to be part of his kingdom. He helped people, healed people, and he made it a point to routinely associate with the outcasts and the despised in society. The gospel continues to be good news today.
The gospel still reconciles all kinds of people to God, and as a result, removes that dividing wall between us. So I'm going to wrap up this episode with the authoritative word of God. Look what it says in Ephesians 2, verse 13 through 15. But now in Christ Jesus, you, who are far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
For He is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, He made of no effect, the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might create in Himself one new man from the two resulting in peace. And 2 Corinthians 5 verse 18 says, and all of this is a gift from God who brought us back to Himself through Christ, and God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. So brothers and sisters, if you're listening to me, I would encourage you to listen more and to speak less.
God bless you. You've been listening to the Daily Five, apply the word, and make today count.