I’m not sure whether the notion of fact checking was a
reality when I was in college or grad school. We live in a world where being
honest and transparent is no longer the expected norm but one’s ability to
skirt the truth or avoid being exposed for some foolish choices twenty years
ago is applauded. So the great opportunity today as we face ongoing racial
clashes, police misusing their authority, ongoing sexism, classism and
discrimination is to intentionally do something instead of watching the world
go by.
Clearly Mr. Trump’s unwillingness to reveal his tax records
for the last 20 plus years might have something to do with fact checking how
charitable he truly happens to be and the implications that has for someone to
be president. It’s so easy for everyone to jump on various bandwagons to judge
and point the finger. Yet, the truth happens to be that I’m not that generous
or caring when it comes to how far I choose to go in seeking real solutions to
the injustices that happen around me all of the time.
One of my heroes when it comes to facing injustice and
tyranny is Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Here was
a young pastor that was living in the midst of the 3rd Reich seeking
to rule the world and eradicate a race of people. The fact that most Christians
and Pastors in the United States didn’t have the means we have today via the
Internet or real fact checking so sadly too many stood by and pretended that
waiting to see what was happening was all right. The reality is that the
silence of millions in the face of this type of injustice saw tragically
millions of Jews slaughtered by a leader that believed he was totally
invincible.
Pastor Bonhoeffer was a gifted and prolific author that had
a passion for ethics and living in such a way that God was truly honored by our
life choices. As he faced the downfall of the church in Germany he came to a
stark conclusion that he had to do something to stop the atrocities from
continuing. He understood that to not
speak out or take action was equal with being part of the war and eradication
of the Jewish Race. So Pastor Bonhoeffer
chose to be part of a group that planned the assignation of Adolf Hitler. Dietrich was willing to risk his own life for
the sake of his Church and his country.
I know that many today would say that our country has lost
the ability to see clearly when it comes to racial discrimination or racial
profiling both in the African American or Hispanic Communities. We have become
a country where too often fear and hatred drive us to either ignore the
pandemic issues or seek unlawful means to express our views that sees more
violence and hatred instead of pursuing a path that can see understanding and
reconciliation as the goal.
Just like high blood pressure can be the silent killer
amongst many the assumption that your choice not to enter the dialogue about
race, classism, and immigration is acceptable also becomes the threat to seeing
injustice continue in our communities and country. There has to be a path to
open dialogue and positive actions that can bring justice where there has been
real discrimination, hatred and misunderstanding for too long. Sadly we have become the silent majority that
have watched the loud voices of the minority act out on the key issues that
face our communities today.
Don’t misunderstand me because all voices need to be heard,
appreciated and considered! We live in a pluralistic society where we have the
freedom to pursue our various faiths or non-faith based life views. The difficulty
is that too often we have become totally isolated in our settings where we don’t
see the real world around us. We can live in a vacuum or bubble that is unable
to see the injustices around us.
The real choice is to stand up, speak out and do something!
Clearly there may not be unanimity amongst everyone but I truly believe that we
can discover a path where all lives do have value and can be given
opportunities to make their lives special regardless of who is president!
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