It's Time To Wake Up.

I'm sure you have all heard or read parts of Martin Luther King Jr's famous "I Have A Dream" speech. But if you have never read the entire thing, I urge you to pause reading my blog...it will still be here...and go read it. It's powerful, and it's just as relevant now as it was on August 28,1963.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

Now is the time to realize that we have gone back in time. We are at war with ourselves again. We are fighting a fight that should have ended a long time ago. I look around and I see fear in the black community. I see the fear of getting shot during a routine traffic stop, or while their car is broken down. I have no tolerance for this. I'm done. I'm done hearing about innocent black lives being taken. I'm done hearing about police brutality. I'm done hearing the phrase "all lives matter" while white people brush over the fact that in this privileged society we live in, some lives sure seem to matter more than others.

I grew up thinking I had to be color blind. I was afraid to offend people by acknowledging that they were different than me. But there is a reality that I know and love:

I am White.

You are Black.

You are Korean.

You are Native American.

You are Arab.

You are Syrian.

I am a Christian.

You are Muslim.

You are Hindu.

You are Jewish.

You are Agnostic.

You are Atheist.

And I love you the same. But I can't say that all lives matter when I look on my news feed and see the hate, the discrimination, the injustice that is being done every single day. I can't say all lives matter when my friend is afraid to go out because another innocent black man just got shot. We want to be comfortable. All lives matter sounds comfortable. It sounds nice, fluffy and sweet. It sounds like we are embracing each other with open arms and uniting as one people. It's what we want. But "all lives matter" denies the fact that racism is still being fought every day. It fails to acknowledge the fact that we have been pretending for more than fifty years to be a nation united, regardless of race, when in reality, we have caused the same kind of division and separation the Civil Rights Movement fought so hard to get rid of. Now is the time to realize that Black lives matter too.

Now is the time to stand with the Black community in unity and in love. Now is the time to find peace. Now is not the time to engage in violent protests against police. Most police officers really are out there to do good for their community. Now is instead the time to stand together with our officers, and speak out against prejudice and injustice together. Now is not the time to take a knee during the National Anthem when you are mad at police officers. We sing the National Anthem to acknowledge the men and women who died for our country. Now is the time to stand together, arms linked in unity. Now is the time to build a bridge over the divide in our communities. Now is the time to stand as one nation, under God. "Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children." Now is the time to take off those colorblind glasses you've been wearing for years and acknowledge and embrace our differences in a way that glorifies God and brings people together with peace and unity.

More than ever, now is the time to pray.

We need to pray for eyes to see all people the way God sees us.

We need to pray for unity in our communities.

We need to pray that Black people wouldn't have to be afraid to walk out the door without getting shot.

We need to pray that God would bring peace to our communities.

We need to pray that we can stand together and fight for justice for all people, without using the ignorant and comfortable phrase "all lives matter".

We need to pray for opportunities to stand with our brothers and sisters in the Black community.

We need to pray for God's Word to spread, and for His message of hope to be our driving force.

We need to pray that ultimately, in all our actions, Christ's name is glorified above all.

Christians, it's time to wake up and pray for God to take the blinders off of your eyes so you can see what is happening all around you.

Grab my arm, say a prayer, and let's stand together for justice and unity. Please, no more violence. No more hatred. No more discrimination. Just love each other the way Jesus loves us. Sacrificially, wholeheartedly, without boundaries and unconditionally.