These are difficult days, friends. So much heartache and division.
May we find comfort in trusting that the Lord is indeed working His purposes through the pain, and that His perfect plan will prevail.
I hope that in the midst of the upheaval and uncertainty, the simple routine of writing will bring you a sense of stability and hope. Words matter. Keep writing.
If you’re new to the link-up, you can learn more here.
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This week’s FMF writing prompt is: STAY
GO.
One of my biggest concerns as I’ve watched the events of the past week, with the riots and protests and so many white people saying, “I’m listening,” and “I’m ready to learn,” and “Black Lives Matter,” and “#blackouttuesday” is that three weeks from now, or maybe even three months from now, everything will be back to “normal,” and nothing will have changed.
I shared on Facebook today that I recently read Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates, and the whole time I read, I just felt sad — sad because although the book has been wildly popular and widely acclaimed, it came out five years ago and it seems nothing has changed.
I happened to check my blog stats the other day and noticed that an old post I wrote in 2014 had gotten some renewed traction. It’s called A Screwtape Letter on Racial Diversity, and I honestly couldn’t even remember what I had written. I clicked on the post and felt so despondent over the fact that it came true.
People moved on after Ferguson, and we’re still here.
We cannot stay in this place. Real, lasting change must happen. And it must begin in our own hearts.
STOP.
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I compiled the following list of 50 Books by People of Color
in hopes that we will commit to reading, learning, growing, and changing together:
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Join this week’s blog link-up on the writing prompt, STAY, below:Â
“We have enough Chinese engineers. You guys are over-represented.”
“But I’m Mongolian!”
“Yeah, whatever.”
Sigh.
Keep to your own paradigm,
stay within your lane.
Do not try to co-opt mine,
and then hand me the blame.
It’s not my fault I am a gook,
not your fault you are white;
just give me a respectful look,
and we will be all right.
Your ‘privilege’ is really not
my concern at all.
There’s the basket, take your shot,
and then hand me the ball.
You only owe me recompense
of dignity in difference.
By the way, ‘gook’ is actually from the Korean ‘megook’, which means ‘foreigner’. With the massive influx of American troopis into South Korea in 1950, the word was heard quite often, and was misinterpreted as Koreans referring to themselves, “Me gook.”
That said, I can refer to myself as a gook (the word having been generalized to refer to any Asian, with the exception of Japanese). You might not want to take that familiarity.
I must admit its hard to process everything at the moment and to know how reply to so much hurt and high feelings without emotional overload. I have to trust however hard it is to see, that God will bring something amazing out of all this darkness
In all sincerity – I believe the only change we will see is when Jesus puts His foot on Mount Zion and says ENOUGH.
I’m saddened, too. Our involvement needs to go beyond the venue of the social media. It’s time to join peaceful protests and let our politicians know what we think. Have you seen Sweet Justice?
I’m saddened too!