The Gravity of the
Moment
As I sat in church this morning I began to contemplate the
responsibility of the task that I have undertaken. Making a decision to become
involved in a movement to create racial equality in the justice system comes
with many powerful implications and consequences. I will lose friends on both
sides of the spectrum, but it was more than that.
A young man lost his life and ignited a fire. Many are still
grappling with the question: What is so different about this death and so many
others? The truth is, I don’t have all of the answers. Sometimes God allows
certain things to happen in the right environment at the right time to create
the perfect storm. I don’t have an explanation for the mothers of the thousands
of black youth that have been murdered in this country since the death of
Trayvon Martin. I know you wonder why so many people have become engrossed in
the fallout of his death while the death of your child seems to have gone
unnoticed. As a black man and a leader in the community, I apologize, because every
life should matter.
The more I contemplated what was transpiring; I realized
that the moment was far larger than me. The weight of what I have undertaken
rested on my chest like a ton of bricks. I realized that there was no popular
ground on which to rest my feet. The blacks won’t be happy because I will call
them to own their own mess and acknowledge the erroneous thought processes and
paradigms that keep them entrenched in the desolate valley of poverty and
misfortune. The whites will take issue because they are being called out to
deal with an issue they just keep hoping will go away.
The truth is that there is enough responsibility and blame
to go around; starting with me.
Wise Advice
As I sat there this morning, I was reminded of something my
great-grandfather once told me. He said, “Son, there is only one thing that
will rid the world of darkness, and that is light. The truth is that light son.
Remember you can’t please everyone and there is no one you will be able to
please 100 percent of the time. It is not your responsibility to seek the
approbation of man, but to stand in truth. Speak the truth and let the chips
fall where they may.”
So, the way that I engage this monumental moment is by
simply seeking the truth and speaking it, regardless to what others may think
or say.
The Truth
The truth is that many blacks will become disenfranchised
when I refuse to spew hatred towards whites. As a believer, I hate no one and
hating adds nothing to the character of the one doing the hating. I will not
label every white person a bigot and a racist, for there are those who I would
gladly stand in the trenches with; because they have stood in the trenches with
me. Does this mean that I am giving white America a pass? Not in the slightest.
White America, as a whole, has some culpability in the plight of the black
race; owning and engaging this is the only way that it can be effectively
rectified.
White America wants me to stick to quoting scriptures,
writing inspirational treatises, and participating in other community events
that don’t cast light on the darkness of racism. Not all whites are racists,
but most wish that everyone would stop talking about it. The problem is, we did
that, and it’s only gotten worse.
Here is some real truth: Since Trayvon Martin was killed by
George Zimmerman, at least 4 other black male youth have died at the hands of
white men, and in all four cases the possibility that the killings were
racially motivated, to some extent, is extremely high. Before the black
community starts singing my praise for pointing that out, you should know that
in that same time frame another 3,000 plus black kids have been murdered, but
these kids died at the hands of other blacks.
To the white community, based on our collective history, it
will never be acceptable for even one of our kids to die because of the color
of their skin (not one). To my fellow blacks, we should be as sick of the fact
that our kids are committing fratricide at an alarming rate, as we are
disgusted with the murder of our youth by whites. I am not saying dismiss the
awful things that have happened to our race at the hands of the white man. I am
saying that we will never get anyone to respect and care about our plight until
we began to care ourselves. We are literally imploding as a race.
An Analogy
When the Israelites were suffering under the oppression of the
Egyptians, God sent Moses. Moses lobbied for the release of his people,
assisted by the mighty hand of God. Eventually, the Israelites were released.
However, there was a problem. These slaves had never known freedom. They were
the fruit of 400 years of oppression. They soon found that freedom came at a
steep price. Room and board was no longer provided. Food was no longer a
guarantee. Most of all, they found out that their oppressor would not easily
relinquish its power over them.
The Israelites initial response was to go back to Egypt and
surrender and move back into slavery. At least they would have shelter and
food. They had cried to be delivered for their entire lives, but freedom was
overwhelming. Although they did not go back to Egypt, they did something just as
bad; they attempted to live the life of freedom with the mindset of a slave.
They complained about everything. They complained about
water and God told Moses to strike the rock and water came forth. They
complained about food and God gave them manna. They complained that there was
no meat to eat with the manna, so God gave them quail to eat.
Then God tells them that he is giving them a land that is
full of abundance; a land flowing with milk and honey. He told them that it was
already theirs; they only had to go in and possess it. The problem was there
were giants in that land that had no intention on just handing it over, but God
had said it was theirs. Caleb and Joshua declared that because God said they
could, they could, but the other spies reported that it was all God said it
was. They just did not believe that they could take it.
Why did I share this story? I share this with you because far
too long blacks have been attempting to live in a free world with a slave
mentality (I won’t get into the specifics today.). For far too long blacks have
been complaining to God about provision, and when he provided it, we simply
became comfortable with it. God has told us of our promised position in this
nation and in this world, but he says we must go in and possess it. It will not
fall into our hands; we must go in and possess it. It will not be voluntarily relinquished;
we must go in and possess it. The problem is that we have seen giants. We can
see that there is a better world but we fear the giants. We fear failure. We
fear racism. We fear the lack of popularity. We fear the possibility of
actually having to invest some blood, sweat and tears.
Not only that, we fear the fact that we may have to perform
three times as better than the white person to get the same results (while
failing to realize that we are capable).
Yes, I am very much aware of racism in this country, I
witness it more than I would like to admit, but I can honestly say that racism
has not stifled my conquest of the promised purpose and destiny God has
promised me. You know the unique and powerful thing about destiny? The more you
try to stop it; you only insure that it happens. Your giants were not meant to
stop you; they were meat to catapult you into your promised land.
Conclusion
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| Dr. Rick Wallace |
I will lose friends and I will make enemies, but at the end
of the day, I will be able to sit down and tell my great-grandkids how I stood
on the truth and cast light into a dark world. I have no desire to ponder at
the pool of popularity. I have no yearning to meander through the maze of
mediocrity. I do not seek the approbation of man nor do I acquiesce to the
pressure of the moment.
As a Christian believer, I have a responsibility to speak
the truth in love. I can’t just talk pretty and smile, while my people are
living in fear, poverty, neglect, as well as fighting against a system that is
designed to keep them down. I will stand on the truth. I will push for blacks
to possess the land and I will call on whites to honor what God is calling them
to do. There is one other thing my great-grandfather told me: If you are not a
part of the solution you are, by default, contributing to the problem. ~ Dr.
Rick Wallace
I have made my share of mistakes. I have done things that I
am not proud of, but by the awesome and unyielding grace of God, I can say like
Paul, I am what I am. I have seen my share of storms, but I am still standing;
adversity can't change who I am, it only validates it. I have had some
naysayers that declared me unworthy of my calling, but they couldn't change who
I am. I have had those people that spend their time with me reminding me of my
past, but it doesn't dismantle or destroy my future. They can’t change who I
am. 
