I love you.
I am for you.
And I hurt deeply with you this morning.
This is not the first time I have felt this way, but I realize I might not have been as clear and vocal with you about it before.
Honestly, it’s because I assumed you knew.
I assumed you saw my heart.
I assumed that most people aren’t really that hateful or racist.
And I assumed wrong.
For the first time in my life, I’m a little bit ashamed to be white.
In fact, I’m also horrified that we – as in those of us who call ourselves American – have misunderstood the meaning of freedom of speech and the extent that we are allowed to use it.
What happened in Charlottesville is evil. It is wrong. It is horrific.
And it shouldn’t have been allowed.
I know I must sound naive. And it’s partly why I am sometimes hesitant to say too much on a topic that I worry I don’t know enough about.
But I do know that what I saw reported in Charlottesville crosses so many lines of decency and what’s right.
I saw hatred so blatantly displayed in the name of freedom of speech and I was revolted.
I wasn’t born in this country, so excuse me if I don’t fully understand the concept of freedom, but it seems to me that there are some things that should never be allowed.
Like bullying.
And threatening.
And hatred.
And anger so deep it feels murderous.
Especially when it stems from a position of power.
Again, I may not be the smartest bulb in the package and to some of you, I might even sound a little bit on the late side expressing my disgust over what’s happening to you, my dear black brothers and sisters.
But this is how I feel and I wanted you to know that, to know that you are not alone. That you are not unseen or ignored, and that there are many of us who stand by you completely.
And by the way, yes, I do consider you my brothers and sisters.
See, I believe we are all made in the image of God.
We are all brothers and sisters.
We are alike.
So I repeat from the bottom of my heart:
I love you.
I am for you.
And I hurt deeply with you this morning.
Sincerely,
One who is silent no more.
Amen!
It is about time a white person with a voice speaks out and up for what we have felt for so long. There are still those who don’t get it and probably never will. Please LORD open our eyes. Give us ears to hear what you speak to us and forgive people who harbor such hatred and forgive a country and a nation who accepts and condones this type of behavior.
I have NEVER understood this. Disgusting!!! I am a white, 50+ woman. We are all just PEOPLE. On behalf of all the white people out there who are this ignorant and evil, I am SO VERY SORRY. There are good and bad people in every race and in every profession/career and in every religion. 😖 Thank GOD we have hope in a better world in Heaven!!
Janis, it has hit home and become more real than ever 😭. My kids were ostracized by other kids at when they revealed they were 1/2 Pakistani. I was shocked because I didn’t experience this growing up. The sentiment continues to show up in our lives. It’s a feeling that no person should ever feel. We’ve known each other for a decade now and I’ve so cherished our sisterhood. I love you and thank you Lina for sharing your heart. Dear Lord, protect us and change the hearts of hatred to hearts of love. Amen. ❤️🙏🏽
I stand with you and my friends . I know I don’t always get it… but I do not understand hatred based on another person’s features. God has created varieties of everything, including humans. It is beautiful and wonderful. Wish people would not fear and hate differences. Let everything that has breathe praise the Lord.
As a younger black woman, I cried several times on Saturday. To see images that should have been left in the 60s so vivid on my television screen was heartbreaking…but most of my heart came not from the Neo Nazis and the KKK…It came from the comments on 3 ministers FB posts. These ministers took a stance and refused to be silent. SOME white Christians responded with deflection, defense, and some with straight up defense for why the alt-right was there….I was heartbroken. Here we are again with the church’s silence. Here we are again with brothers and sisters refusing the see the pain of others because it makes them feel uncomfortable or defensive. Thank you for your thoughts and acknowledgement. Many of us are hurt by our brothers and sisters lack of acknowledgement of the ongoing issues. Many of us are hurt at the unwillingness to learn or have dialougue; instead we deal with constant assumptions/sterotypes that are made about us as a people. Until we ALL grieve as the body of Christ as to the sin of racism and our history in this country ..healing can not really happen. We are the only people who have been told repeatedly – get over it and it does not exist. I honor others pain and history.
I hear you Nicole. I’m so sorry for what you’re going through! We’re standing with you and are praying for our country.
As not only a black woman, mother and clergy, I say loudly and proudly “GLORY BE TO GOD FOR OUR WHITE BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO STAND WITH US IN THE STRUGGLE! THIS HORRIFIC DISPLAY OF HATRED DESIGNED BY OUR ENEMY TO DIVIDE OUR HEARTS AND SIFT OUR MINDS LIKE WHEAT, HAS ONLY SERVED TO TIGHTEN THE REIGNS OF LOVE BETWEEN US. FAMILY! WE ARE CALLED TO BE JESUS WITH SKIN ON. WE MUST BE NOW MORE THAN EVER BEFORE!
AGAIN, GLORY BE TO GOD ! WE STAND TOGETHER!
[…] admittedly I found out about Charlottesville through Lina Abujamra, a blogger I subscribe […]
Glad to be your sister in Jesus, Lina. I feel the same.