“The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.”
There are many voices vying to be heard right now, and some are “yelling.” It’s worth thinking about which voices we are listening to and why. Are you taking in any from those outside your tribe? More importantly, are you making time to listen to God’s still small voice?
Happy Friday? There are times when wishing you a “happy” Friday seems trite. This is one of them. I considered wishing you a “joyful Friday,” but that sounds hopelessly religious and piously weird. Even though some dismiss happy as joy’s lesser cousin, there are good things to be said about it. So… “Happy Friday.”
The Next Two Weeks: The global span, rapid spread, and universal impact of COVID is unprecedented, which leaves us without solid historical guidance. Some are telling us the virus is yesterday’s news. Others are warning us that we haven’t seen anything yet. I am praying for the first. The next two weeks should be telling.
Race and Unrest: Last month, I was surprised by the pushback I fielded after noting that 99.98% of people living in Illinois had not died from the coronavirus. It was a simple statement of fact, but some reading it questioned my… well, they didn’t like it. Since then, I have watched others get savaged—e.g., J. K. Rowling—for making statements that were liberal, but not liberal enough. Of course there is bullying (and misinformation) from the right. And some of the problem is that we are trying to have complicated, nuanced conversations online via 140 characters. But it is the illiberalism of liberalism that is on my radar at the moment. And my point is, it works. This week I collected a number of statistics about this moment, and even though I collected them from a variety of sources and political persuasions, I am scared to share them.
OK, I’ll Share a Few: Because: 1) I think we all lose if we grow fearful of open conversations; 2) part of my point is to note the disparity of “facts” people receive; and 3) I do not have anything to be scared about except some unkind emails. Here are a few of the stats I have noted this week from different sources:
- As of last month, fewer than half of African-American adults now have a job; at $171,000, the net worth of a typical white family is nearly ten times greater than that of a black family; in 2000, median black wages were 79.2 percent of white wages; by 2018 they were only 73.3 percent of white wages
- The police fatally shot 9 unarmed black males and 19 unarmed white males in 2019.
- A black newborn in the United States is twice as likely to die in infancy as a white newborn, and a black woman is two and a half times as likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth as a white woman.
- A police officer is 18½ times more likely to be killed by a black male than an unarmed black male is to be killed by a police officer.
- Senator Tim Scott—who is black—has been pulled over seven times while driving in Washington DC. It seems unlikely that Senator McConnel has had a similar experience.
- Sixty-two percent of black children born between 1955 and 1970 were raised in poor neighborhoods, compared to 4 percent of white children. Results for the generation born between 1985 and 2000 were even worse, with 66 percent of black children raised in poor neighborhoods compared to 6 percent of white children.
I could go on, but hopefully you get the point. Left and right have very different news feeds.
Other Stats without Comment:
- Before COVID-19, 77 percent of Americans were feeling physical symptoms of stress, 46 percent had high feelings of loneliness, and 22 percent didn’t believe they had a real friend.
- A lower percentage of women today are receiving abortions than were in pre-Roe v. Wade days when abortions were illegal in some states.
Michael Jr.: I have read, listened, and watched many things on race this week. Much of it is worth passing along, but you have your own lists, so I will only send one thing: this video of Michael Jr., a black Christian comedian, telling a story of a painful experience from his past. Because my life has unfolded very differently, it is important for me to hear stories like this. BTW if you want to hear one of his comedy sets, you can click here.
Speaking of Humor: By the way, this past week a fictitious email account with my name was set up and lots of emails were sent out to staff and others in the Christ Church orbit all asking them to reach out to me because I had something I needed them to do. This is Phishing 101. I am pleased to say that no one fell for it. I am forced to say that they didn’t fall for it because it didn’t sound like me. “The tone was too nice and too spiritual.
From the Mental Health Forum: I have continued to ponder two comments made during last week’s discussion: 1) the fact that our habits literally reshape our brain; and 2) the observation that the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic was followed by the Roaring Twenties.
Impressed: I’m too old to work on sermons at the last minute, but recent events have led to several “Saturday night specials.” When I start to complain, I am reminded that others—Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. come to mind—were providing critical leadership to massive undertakings and speaking and writing clearly at the same time.
Closing Prayer: “Lord, I trust You completely; I am altogether Yours; I exalt You above all. I desire that I may feel no sense of possessing anything outside of You. I want constantly to be aware of Your overshadowing presence and to hear Your speaking voice. I long to live in restful sincerity of heart. I want to live so fully in the Spirit that all my thoughts may be like sweet incense ascending to You and every act of my life may be an act of worship. Therefore, I pray in the words of Your great servant of old, “I beseech Thee so for to cleanse the intent of mine heart with the unspeakable gift of Thy grace, that I may perfectly love Thee and worthily praise Thee.” And all this I confidently believe You will grant me through the merits of Jesus Christ Your Son. Amen.” A. W. Tozer