If nothing is learnt from Covid 19 pandemic, who knows what comes next!
2020 has given us lots for the history books. The first half of 2020 has come and gone. Thank God for journey mercies. The God of our salvation who is always faithful will make you see the end of this year and beyond, amen. Fasten your seatbelt, there might be more turbulence to come. Your anchor is not in the arms of flesh but in the arms of Almighty God who will never fail you.
The way things have been unfolding in the US and around the world has been unprecedented.
2020 Australia thus far: The drought, the bush fires, the smog that blanketed the eastern states, the flood, Covid 19 and now demonstrations against injustice, racism and cries for equality. Who knows what will be next and how 2020 will end up? Let’s continue to trust God for He will deliver us. 2 Cor 1:10 “He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us”.
It is understandable to be upset about the events unfolding around the world especially in the US. For the past few weeks, it has been upsetting for many. I have been asked “how can a human being do such a thing to another human that was immobilised with handcuffed”.
That image has been messing up my mind, hearing a grown up man crying out “I can’t breathe and calling out for his mum” and yet no mercy was shown. That was demonic. Many said it was driven by racism. I don’t know, it is not up to me to judge because I don’t know what was going through the perpetrator’s mind.
If it was driven by racism, it shows how racism can seared the human conscience with hot iron (1 Tim 4:2). I have tried to make sense of what happened and it truly does not make sense at all except that it reminds us again and again that man’s heart is wicked, period and in need of Christ. Jer. 17:9 ““The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; who can know it?”
Whether it is done by a black man against a black man, it is wicked or a white man against another white man, it is wicked or a black man to a white man, it is wicked. It is only Christ that can heal the condition of the heart.
Who knows the heart of man? Man’s heart is dangerously sick and incurable even its owner does not know it until his wickedness boils over and it is too late.
Only God can fathom the heart of man therefore, man needs Christ to cure the wickedness in his heart, thus the need to be born again.
This is when God’s Spirit gives birth to your spirit and your mind is transformed and renewed (2 Corin 5:17; Rom 12:2). Your role is to confess your sins thus starts the transforming power of Christ in your life.
The wickedness that we saw on the 25th May 2020 has truly pulled the hearts strings of humanity. Though opinions are still divided whether it was the right time to go out into the streets in protest.
I don’t know if there is ever a right time to call out racism or wickedness or injustice. The same people ducking for cover due to COVID 19 (for fear of infection), were the same people who were driven by anger against injustice.
Racism is the worst pandemic that has long been plaguing mankind to date. The world is plagued with racism. Racism is evil. There is racism in every country of the world. No human being has any right to look down or treat another differently because of the colour of his or her skin.
The vaccine against racism is to call it out for what it is and deal with it. Not speaking out is to accept racism. Silence is tolerance and tolerance is acceptance.
Edmund Burke “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Jesus Christ hate all forms of racism. Whether it is white against Asians and Indians or racism within the Indian community with all its caste systems or Asians against Africans or racism within the African community with all its tribalism and tribal warfare, or Africans against whites, etc, they are all evil and must be called out.
If you are hurting due to the way George Floyd was murdered, you are not alone. It has nothing to do with the race of the police officer involved. It was wickedness perpetrated against another human being. Please pray for this police officer and his colleagues, they need Christ.
We must be willing to forgive and leave judgement to God. He is the only One who knows the intentions of our hearts. Also pray for George Floyd’s family, for those who have suffered and are still suffering because of racism, racial profiling and injustice.
Pray for those who are still being ruffled by the sight of that image. Pray that God will heal the US and Australia.
Pray for those in authority: the US president and our Prime Minister. Pray for peace and reconciliation for humanity to do unto others as we want others to do unto us - Luke 6:31.
Stay blessed and let’s prayerfully look forward to the best of 2020. Continue to believe that whatever the outcome, 2020 will work out together for your good—Rom 8:28.
Your friend Tony Ojamiren.