“Respect
everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect
the king.” 1 Peter 2:17
NLT
In 1985 while in
college, I came home one evening after working at the university bookstore.
After making a trek across an empty campus in knee deep snow, I eventually made
it home to my off campus apartment; exhausted and wet. As I climbed the stairs
and neared the front door to the apartment I shared with three other roommates,
I stood frozen in my tracks. The scene that greeted me was something that
almost sent my faith into a tailspin. Written across our front door in blood
were the words N-----s go home! As I looked down, I saw one of the piglets from
the Biology lab tied to our doorknob. He was hung with his head facing downward
and his once frozen body now dripped of blood which had also been sprinkled from our
front door to the door directly across the hall from us. This apartment housed
three of my African American friends, who had also been included in this hate
crime.
My first reaction was to go
banging on doors to see who did this despicable thing, but godly wisdom and common sense kicked
in. Instead, I ran downstairs to the only other apartment in the whole building
which housed African Americans and told them what had happened. After calling
the police and filing a statement, the officers gave me the same swan song about
how they would investigate the incident. Once again, they asked me if we (the
nine African American’s who lived in the whole building) would follow their
advice about moving back on campus. This time I thanked them halfheartedly and
then went into my apartment and bolted the door shut. I called my mother to
tell her what had happened and then wondered silently when my roommates were returning from
break. A few hours later I was totally relieved when two of my friends from across
the hall returned from the Christmas break.
So, how you may ask does this
experience tie in with the scripture and theme of this particular message?
A few weeks ago as I reflected on some wisdom that Father released to me about
how some have mishandled and treated with disdain some of His precious vessels,
my thoughts were carried back to the incident in college. After hearing this word, several days later when
I kept seeing words of confirmation concerning this mishandling from several connected apostolic-prophetic people, it made me realize even the more that there is
coming forth for those who have been operating in this particular error a time
for correction and realignment with their love walk.
The incident I shared above happened
at a predominately white university many years ago. I, along with the 200
African Americans students (out of over 10,000 students) were seen as not only a
minority, but unworthy of consideration or respect from some of the students
who attended the university. In the eyes
of the Father we were precious because He created us in His very own image. And
just because we looked different due to the color of our pigmentation, did
not mean that we did not matter. And just because we did wear our hair differently and even dressed differently did not serve as an open license for us to be treated any
differently from anyone else on campus. We, just like all of the other students who were
enrolled, were in pursuit of a secondary degree to help better our lives.
As we come back to the scripture 1 Peter 2:17,
it tells us to “respect everyone.” In other words it means that even if someone
is different or does things just a bit differently from you or I does not mean
that person should be
mishandled and treated with disdain. All people every shape, size and color are human and each person matters.
And why is this? Because our creator the Sovereign Father says that all people matter to
Him. (1 John
4:11)
As we walk through this life, we
are going to encounter people who may not look or even act like us. This is
where our real love walk will be tested. What would our honest response be?
Will we still be able to treat people kind and show them the true love of the
Father? Or will we just brush them off and mishandle the Father’s goods? Remember, God is not watching to catch us
slipping up, but to see if we will humbly stop and repent when we
are walking in error. Just like I was
able to with the help of the Holy Spirit recognize my error before going down
the hall, you, too are able to stop, think and press the pause button when things happen in your life that
are contrary to the Father’s truth.
May your heart be pricked today
to allow the Holy Spirit to search and check the areas where you may have
knowingly or unknowingly mishandled the Father’s goods. Even if you have fallen in this area, know
that the hand of the Father is extended to you in love. For as He has loved
you with His perfect love, He also desires for you to love your neighbors no matter whom they are. (Matthew 22:39)
Blessings and love,
A Scribe of the Lord, a Scribe
for the Lord
If you are in need
of the Savior, Jesus Christ
Prayer of Salvation
I repent of all of my sins and right now I do
confess that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for the remission of my
sins. I believe that Jesus died and was buried and rose again, and is now
seated at the right hand of God in Heaven. I receive Him now as Lord of my life
and I now commit to serve him for the rest of my days.
It is in Jesus’ name I do pray, Amen.
