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"You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command."
(Genesis 41.40, ESV)
Today is a day here in the States to celebrate the life of a man who had a dream -- a dream that all people would be treated with dignity and respect and afforded equal opportunities for learning, life and liberty which had largely been restricted to those in the majority.
In 1963, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King told us that he had a dream. We all knew it had been burning in his heart for a long time. But he found the opportunity that particular day to make it vocal...and memorable... and catalyzing for the face of a nation made ugly by the pock marks of societal acne and by the underlying diseases of hatred, abuse and misunderstanding. It would be 13 more months before I entered the 1st grade and longer still before I knew his name or heard about his dream.
You see, to many on our side of the tracks we may have been the enemy. My grandmother who raised me was an LPN at Aiken County Hospital. Every day for years when she went to work, she first went across Hwy 1 to an area that was profanely in that time called "Boogger Boo". It was where they lived, the people who had inspired Mr. King's dream. She picked up three black ladies each day and gave them a ride to work and brought them back home at the end of her shift. I wish to this day I knew who those families were. I wish we had had a better name for that community she visited every day on the way to work.
The "Preacher" painted our house when it needed painting. He was black, too. Well, he wasn't black back then... he was colored. And William wrapped our pipes anew every few years to keep them from freezing, a combination of torn up newspapers held tight and insulated further by strippings of inner tubes from worn out automobile tires. I liked William. I liked the Preacher, too (and I wish I new their names and families). They laughed with me, treated me like a young man and kept me in line if I got out. At lunch time, Mama would always say to either of them, "Now, I've fixed you a plate. Come in and sit down and have some lunch."
You see, to many on our side of the tracks we may have been the enemy. My grandmother who raised me was an LPN at Aiken County Hospital. Every day for years when she went to work, she first went across Hwy 1 to an area that was profanely in that time called "Boogger Boo". It was where they lived, the people who had inspired Mr. King's dream. She picked up three black ladies each day and gave them a ride to work and brought them back home at the end of her shift. I wish to this day I knew who those families were. I wish we had had a better name for that community she visited every day on the way to work.
The "Preacher" painted our house when it needed painting. He was black, too. Well, he wasn't black back then... he was colored. And William wrapped our pipes anew every few years to keep them from freezing, a combination of torn up newspapers held tight and insulated further by strippings of inner tubes from worn out automobile tires. I liked William. I liked the Preacher, too (and I wish I new their names and families). They laughed with me, treated me like a young man and kept me in line if I got out. At lunch time, Mama would always say to either of them, "Now, I've fixed you a plate. Come in and sit down and have some lunch."
Their answer was always the same, "No ma'am. I'll just sit here on the steps and have mine. Thank you."
So I must admit it was odd to this white boy when all this hoopla was generated because they were going to come to Warrenville Elementary School. To the best of my recollection we got a black teacher, Mrs. Lewis, and I remember Amos Adams was one of those first students. Sadly, Amos left this world at an early age, about 26, I believe -- a tremendous athlete and likable guy whose heart exploded one night playing ball at the Civic Center. Mary Brown reminded me that Valerie Simkins was the girl who came also. And Connie Wise also chipped in Carl Adam's name. That was probably it. Carl, Amos and Valerie -- and Mrs. Lewis.
I wasn't the president of the 5th Grade, nor did folks generally come to me to tell me what they thought. All I know is that I didn't know anyone in my school who had a problem with it. Perhaps they did and didn't say so. Perhaps they had a problem with it at home to keep their parents happy. I'm glad I didn't have to keep mine happy.
My vote did not go for Barack Obama in 2008, not because of the color of his skin but because of the planks in his platform. I actually had a warm feeling in my heart that we had come so far as a nation toward realizing the dream Dr. King annunciated so clearly. If a black man could become President of the United States, then those three L's were well on their journey - learning, life and liberty.
By the inauguration, I wondered if the dream might turn into a nightmare. Today, I have no doubt.
A country which made it possible to undo so many wrongs and start over is being torn apart by our President. It is often said that he is the first black man to be at the head of the greatest super power of the world. What a thought! But, not true.
Pharoah, Ruler of Egypt, ruled over the greatest power in the world of his day. A black man. An african man. So Mr. Obama is at least number 2.
You see, before the inauguration, he had begun distancing himself from Christians and Christian values. He had recruited Muslims to the most influential group -- his cabinet and closest advisors. But if he only would have taken a few minute to open the Bible he took to church before the election and check out Genesis 41.40, he could have been guided to do differently.
So I must admit it was odd to this white boy when all this hoopla was generated because they were going to come to Warrenville Elementary School. To the best of my recollection we got a black teacher, Mrs. Lewis, and I remember Amos Adams was one of those first students. Sadly, Amos left this world at an early age, about 26, I believe -- a tremendous athlete and likable guy whose heart exploded one night playing ball at the Civic Center. Mary Brown reminded me that Valerie Simkins was the girl who came also. And Connie Wise also chipped in Carl Adam's name. That was probably it. Carl, Amos and Valerie -- and Mrs. Lewis.
I wasn't the president of the 5th Grade, nor did folks generally come to me to tell me what they thought. All I know is that I didn't know anyone in my school who had a problem with it. Perhaps they did and didn't say so. Perhaps they had a problem with it at home to keep their parents happy. I'm glad I didn't have to keep mine happy.
My vote did not go for Barack Obama in 2008, not because of the color of his skin but because of the planks in his platform. I actually had a warm feeling in my heart that we had come so far as a nation toward realizing the dream Dr. King annunciated so clearly. If a black man could become President of the United States, then those three L's were well on their journey - learning, life and liberty.
By the inauguration, I wondered if the dream might turn into a nightmare. Today, I have no doubt.
A country which made it possible to undo so many wrongs and start over is being torn apart by our President. It is often said that he is the first black man to be at the head of the greatest super power of the world. What a thought! But, not true.
Pharoah, Ruler of Egypt, ruled over the greatest power in the world of his day. A black man. An african man. So Mr. Obama is at least number 2.
You see, before the inauguration, he had begun distancing himself from Christians and Christian values. He had recruited Muslims to the most influential group -- his cabinet and closest advisors. But if he only would have taken a few minute to open the Bible he took to church before the election and check out Genesis 41.40, he could have been guided to do differently.
God was about to send a famine, the likes of which Egypt had never seen. The country would be obliterated by blight, drought and starvation. If it, the greatest country in the world would be destroyed, what about the weaker nations around who looked to it for guidance and help. But Genesis 41.40-41 says that after Joseph had interpreted God's dream for Pharaoh, Pharaoh understood that the God of Israel had a supreme place in the government of society, in the hope of a nation. Then Pharaoh said to Joseph,
"You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.' And Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'See,I have set you over all the land of Egypt.'" (ESV)
God used Joseph, his wisdom and influence over Egypt and Pharaoh to save that nation and ultimately to save his people who resided in that nation.
Mr. President, do you not see that there is a famine in our land. Oh, yes, it is a famine of bread and water for far too many. But more than that, it is a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.
Mr. King, would you approve of homosexual marriage? Would you approve of killing unborn babies, the great disproportionate number of which are black Americans? Would you approve of people being favored because of the color of their skin? Who you approve of kicking God out of our military to the point that Christian chaplains must carry about their duties like undercover missionaries in an Islamist state? Mr. King, what do you think about your dream today in America -- January 20th, 2014?
Mr. President, where is Joseph? Do you even know that there are many Joseph's out there of whom you could say the same things as Pharaoh did about Joseph (Gen 41.38):
God used Joseph, his wisdom and influence over Egypt and Pharaoh to save that nation and ultimately to save his people who resided in that nation.
Mr. President, do you not see that there is a famine in our land. Oh, yes, it is a famine of bread and water for far too many. But more than that, it is a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.
Mr. King, would you approve of homosexual marriage? Would you approve of killing unborn babies, the great disproportionate number of which are black Americans? Would you approve of people being favored because of the color of their skin? Who you approve of kicking God out of our military to the point that Christian chaplains must carry about their duties like undercover missionaries in an Islamist state? Mr. King, what do you think about your dream today in America -- January 20th, 2014?
Mr. President, where is Joseph? Do you even know that there are many Joseph's out there of whom you could say the same things as Pharaoh did about Joseph (Gen 41.38):
"Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?"
By and large, the boys and girls who attended Warrenville Elementary and Graniteville High (Leavelle McCampbell) didn't have any axe to grind with their darker skinned fellow students. There are always trouble-makers. Trouble-makers with white skin. Trouble-makers with black skin. Trouble-makers with brown skin.
Three black men and Warrenville Elementary School tell me a few things:
- Black and white people don't have to strive against one another; they can work, live and learn together.
- Even if our parents had hang-ups or hatred, we don't have to have them.
- Two out of three ain't bad. Pharaoh had the good sense to listen to God and his people. Dr. King had the boldness and vision to call us back to "neither Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, male nor female".
- Unfortunately, by process of elimination I must say that 1 out of 3 is bad. Really bad for our country. Really bad for our world. Really bad for the continued progress of what Dr. King set out to do. Really bad for God's people who are looking to experience the fullness of His blessing and promise.
It's sadly true, I'm afraid, that there is still some hatred out there for the black man. Many of the haters will blame Mr. Obama when in fact the hatred is growing like mushrooms in a cave of their hearts, fertilized by the dung of ignorance and resentment. But while that is true, that is not the general demeanor of the good people of our country. Mr. Obama, you're not helping.
Mr. Obama, where is Joseph?
Did you not notice there is a famine in our land?
Happy Anniversary, Dr. King. I wish we'd had a better year to celebrate.
Oh, I forgot the fourth black man. It was Willie, the janitor at Warrenville Elementary. I wish he was still around. He believed in God. He loved black children and white children. He knew what it meant to work hard. Somebody like that would make a good Joseph, Mr. Obama.
Mr. Obama, where is Joseph?
Did you not notice there is a famine in our land?
Happy Anniversary, Dr. King. I wish we'd had a better year to celebrate.
Oh, I forgot the fourth black man. It was Willie, the janitor at Warrenville Elementary. I wish he was still around. He believed in God. He loved black children and white children. He knew what it meant to work hard. Somebody like that would make a good Joseph, Mr. Obama.
