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{"id":5199,"date":"2016-08-30T13:26:24","date_gmt":"2016-08-30T18:26:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/rhetoricraceandreligion\/?p=5199"},"modified":"2016-08-30T13:26:24","modified_gmt":"2016-08-30T18:26:24","slug":"hear-no-evil-see-no-evil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/rhetoricraceandreligion\/2016\/08\/hear-no-evil-see-no-evil.html","title":{"rendered":"Hear No Evil – See No Evil"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

$\"man-person-school-head-medium\"$ <\/a>by Dameon Madison<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThe year was 2016, it was seemingly a rebirth of consciousness, the eyes of society were being forced to turn its attention to existing American atrocities, protests of oppression and injustice were flooding the streets, panelists were taking stage to articulate the need for change and reform, rallies were en masse, there was an energy an undercurrent for transformation \u2013 and there she stood, silent, apathetic, divorced from the very reality she was called to confront . . . she was the church.\u201d<\/p>\n

It has been some time since I have taken time to pen my thoughts.\u00a0 Admittedly, it has been quite difficult.\u00a0 There has been so much to happen, that is has been near debilitating.\u00a0 Literally, I have been in this constant cycle of thought \u2013 emotion \u2013 thought \u2013 emotion . . . There is so much I feel that needs to be said, so much that needs to be done.\u00a0 Watching and reading the news, my conscious is bombarded with tragedy after tragedy \u2013 glaringly obvious injustice, racism, oppression, and deflection.\u00a0\u00a0 Many days, it is here I sit, in this seat, wanting, needing to write something \u2013 and yet nothing is birthed.\u00a0 The passion in me sits, stirs, and just erupts in an enraged anger of \u201cdonothingness.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0 It is overwhelming.<\/p>\n

I am confident however, that I am not the only one overwhelmed by the need for change and transformation in our society.\u00a0 I am confident, that there are many of us who are willing to face the \u201cisms\u201d that ail our society.\u00a0 I am confident that there is a remnant of conscious thinkers who engage in the cognitive Call of Christ.\u00a0\u00a0 I am confident that we are here, we are present, and willing to stand on the message of justice embodied in the Jesus we preach.<\/p>\n

But, where are???<\/p>\n

My fear is that the organism I hold so dear, the collective community of love, the very people who should be a beacon of light and hope for change \u2013 the Church \u2013 will be recorded on the wrong side of change.\u00a0\u00a0 My fear is we have become conveniently \u201cdeaf and dumb.\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0We seem to opportunely forget that the same God who gives eschatological hope has existential HANDS.\u00a0\u00a0 God cares as much about our right now as He does our by-and-by.<\/p>\n

Yet, for some reason we tie God\u2019s hands, turning our ears and eyes off the to the pains of His people . . . yes, His people.\u00a0 There is more time spent trying to decry the reality of racism and oppression than listening to the pains and experiences of our neighbors.\u00a0 We preach a God of Love, but are afraid to love beyond ourselves.\u00a0\u00a0 Apathy is our residence of choice, parking our faith, praying for change we don\u2019t want to be.\u00a0\u00a0 Instead of emerging as a community of love and transformation we seemingly hide behind our created Christian context divorced from the world we were called to change.<\/p>\n

Maybe, its time to unplug the ears and unveil the eyes.\u00a0 Maybe we need to revisit the story of Moses and how he was called to confront oppression.\u00a0 Maybe we need to revisit Amos and be reminded that The Lord is disgusted by injustice.\u00a0 Maybe we need to revisit that Jesus called us to love the least of these \u2013 the down and out \u2013 not just the up and in. Maybe we need to revisit that we are to be minsters of reconciliation not avoidance.<\/p>\n

Maybe its time to not just quote \u201clove they neighbor as thyself\u201d but live it \u2013 through the ears and eyes of change.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re not deaf or dumb, maybe its time we start acting like it . . .<\/p>\n

Dameon is a R3 Contributor and blogs at\u00a0demadison.org<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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