"11 o'clock on Sunday morning is one of the most segregated hours, if not the thee most segregated hour, in Christian America” - MLK
In 2020, Sunday service remains one of the most segregated hours of the week in the United States. In 2020. Sundays. As a believer, I ask myself if this is God’s will for us. If God sent Christ to die for the world, did he do it so we could all worship him separately? I doubt it. Within and beyond “church” (because the church is not a building), coalitions are the only way movements have ever gained real traction (in my humble opinion). Let’s consider the United States, where the abolishment of slavery came through coalitions, where young black and white Americans sat alongside one another on white-only counters and marched collectively. We need each other now more than ever. This week, I was thrilled to see some of my favorite pastors highlight the importance of multiethnic, diverse movements with a unified cause.
In the United States, our primary battleground is race. However, being born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and having loved ones across the world has taught me that racism, sexism, classism, and most other isms, are all rooted in a deeper issue, the LOVE issue. This season of the podcast, I decided to take a break from hosting outside speakers and focus my intention on doing some “heart work.” From the three-part “Miss Me” series and now “Love is,” It was my goal to not only amplify what God was NOT about, according to scripture but to make it clear what he is about, according to my Bible.
Thus far, I have learned that God is pretty straightforward. The message of the Bible is none other than, “Love God. Love people.” There is a misconception that we must agree to love, get along to love, or feel validated to love — but these conditions couldn’t be further from the truth. The New Testament of the Bible chronicles the journey of Apostle Paul in trying to unify the body not based on birthright, but a single vision of Christ (Malachi 2:10, Romans 12:16-18, Galatians 3:26-28). He also told slaves to obey their masters, but that's another post.👀
I look at our world today and see us fighting over everything, fighting over resources, fighting over attention, fighting over money, fighting over our “right" to be right. Meanwhile, I am struggling to learn how to love. Love is not to be confused with cowardice, as I would not hesitate to pull out my “sword of the spirit” if need be, but trying to understand the higher calling of love.
"Love is...not self-seeking, not easily angered, keeps no record of wrong..."
...all things that become increasingly difficult amid a pandemic turned economic crisis, and in the face of injustice. I think God knew we would need the “Love is” series during this time. I encourage you to give the episodes a listen as I walk you through my daily struggles to love.
The good news?? Our community now spans across thirty countries!!! Welcome, Barbados! Every week, you tune in from across the world to hear about one woman's struggle to love and live like Jesus. You support our events, and you pour out from your cup into this community. I couldn’t feel more blessed to know you while feeling the great sense of responsibility to not lead you astray.
United States | United Kingdom| Ireland | Canada | Switzerland | Australia | Mexico | Cyprus | Italy | Singapore | France | Guinea-Bissau | Indonesia | Nigeria | China | Vietnam | Dominican Republic | Sweden | Russia | Brazil | India | Spain | South Africa | Republic of Korea | Norway | Belgium | Barbados | Jamaica | Ghana | Philippines
If you are in the United States and protesting this week, do it out of love. If you are seeking to empower your community, I challenge you to rethink who is part of your community and align based on a shared vision rather than physical characteristics. My favorite quote on Instagram stated, “It’s not black vs. white; it’s everybody vs. racism.”
This quote resonated with me because it forced me to separate people from their ideology and actions. It helped me remember that I can be anti-ism and still love people. Loving was particularly hard to do this week, but I am glad I did it.
Onward. Upward. Forward.
- Satta Star
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