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4BODYOFCHRISTNEWSAUGUST2013Forthelastfewweekswehavebeentalkingaboutthefunctionoffaith.HowdoesyourfaithfunctioninyourlifeMostofustalkaboutfaith.Wesaywehaveit.WecanscripturallydefineitbuthowdoesfaithfunctioninyourlifeWhenyoureallyneedtoexerciseyourfaithwhatdoesyourfaithdoOurwholelivesmustbelivedwithfaith.Weneedfaithallthetimebuttherearecertaintimesinlifewhereyourfaithreallyhastobefunctional.LastnightIneededafunctionalfaith.WhenthenotguiltyverdictwasreadlastnightfromthatcourtroominSanfordFloridaacquittingGeorgeZimmermanofthemurderofTrayvonMartinIneededafaiththatwasfunc-tionalMakenomistakeaboutityourfaithandmyfaithhastomakesense.Itwashardlastnighttomakesenseoutofthatverdict.Howdoyoufindapersonnotguiltywhokilleda17year-oldkidwhoseonlycrimewashewasblackwearingahoodieandhelookedsus-picioustoGeorgeZimmerman.HowdoyoushootachildintheUnitedStatesofAmericawhoisjustwalk-inghomeeatingabagofskittlesanddrinkinganiceteaHowdoyoufindapersonnotguiltywhenthatpersoninitiatedinstigatedandperpetratedthekillingofanunarmedblackchildAsmuchasweweretoldbythelaw-yersofMr.ZimmermanandpersonsinthemediathatthecasewasnotaboutracethemoreweknewitwasaboutraceWearenotstupidpeople.Someofusknowtheracialhistoryofourcountry.Wearenotdeafdumborblindtothefactsandtheevidenceofourhistoryinthiscountry.WeheardtheracisminGeorgeZimmermansvoicewhenhesaidtothe911opera-toruponfirstseeingTrayvonandidentifyinghimasayoungblackteen-agerTheseassholestheyalwaysgetaway.Weknowwhothethesewerethathewastalkingabout.WearenotblindandAmericanjusticeisntblindeither.Theyclaimsheis.TheydepictLadyJusticeholdingascaleandwearingablindfoldbutjusticeisntblindwhenitcomestoblackfolk.Whenweshowupshealwaysseemstopulltheblindfoldfromoveroneeye.Wegetnojustice.HowisajuryoffivewhitewomenandoneHispanicwomanMr.ZimmermanisHispanicajustjuryforTrayvonMartinorhisfamilyWearetoldthatthesystemworks.ButforwhomTheysaythesystemisntalwaysaboutgettingjusticebutitsaboutgettingdueprocess.Forusitsdoubledueprocessitsmorelikedue-dueprocessanditstinksIneededafaiththatwasfunc-tionallastnight.MysonJustinhassaidtomethatheremembersthefirsttimeheeverheardmecurse.HesaiditwaswhentheyfirstshowedthevideooftheLApolicemenbru-tallybeatingRodneyKing.ImgladhewasntaroundlastnightRodneyKinglivedmiraculously.ButTrayvonwaskilledsenselessly.LastnightIneededafaiththatwasfunctionalWhydotheseactsofracialviolencecontinuetohappentoourpeopleandtheperpetratorsalwaysseemtogetoffIlltellyouwhy.Weliveinacoun-trythatdoesnotvalueblacklife.Weliveinacountryinwhichyoungblackkidsarecontinuingtobeprofiledascriminalsfornootherreasonexcepttheyareblack.Whydothesethingskeephappen-ingTheyhappenbecausethiscoun-tryhasfailedtotakeresponsibilityforitsdehumanizingtreatmentofthesecaptiveblackfolkthatwereforciblybroughttothiscountryover400yearsago.Andalthoughnoneofushaveexperiencedslaveryweallarefeelingtheresidualeffectsofitandtherefus-alofthisnationtochangeitsattitudetowardapeoplewhowereoriginallydeemedbyitsownconstitutiontobe35thsofahumanbeingIfyouneverdealwithrightingthewrongthenthehatredthestereo-typestheprejudicesandtheinjus-ticesareacceptedandpasseddownfromgenerationtogeneration.ThehistoricalrelationshipthatAmericahashadfromthebeginningwithblackfolkisamasterservantrelationship.Andinsomanywaysthatattitudestillexistsinthemindsofsomepeoplebothblackandwhite.ItswhatsomerefertoasWhiteprivi-lege.Itshouldnotbethatwayinacoun-trythatclaimsitstrustandfaithinGod.Alotofusdontwanttobelieveitbutinthiscountrythehistoricalmindsetandthepresentprevailingattitudeofmanyinthemajoritycul-tureisthatwhitefolkarethemasterandblackfolkaretheservant.AfterallthefoundationofAmericawasbuiltontheMasterSlaverelation-ship.Sinceithasbeenlessthan50yearssincewehavebeenlegallyfreeTheCivilRightsActof1964fromthechainsofslaveryandthesegrega-tionofJimCrowwhywouldntthisbethemindsetofmanybothblackandwhiteThereisnoargumenttobemadeagainstthetruthespeciallywhenyoulookatthedisparitiesineducationeconomicsandthejudicialsystem.Manyinthemajoritycul-turearestillupholdingtheMasterServantrelationshipbetweenwhitesandblacks.Wearestillbeingviewedasser-vantsorsecondclasscitizensinthiscountryacountrywhoclaimsitstrustandfaithisinGod.AndifthisisthecaseandIbelieveitisthatsomewhitesholdtothemindsetofthemasterservantrelationshipthenIwantyoutolookwithmeatthestoryoftheCenturionsoldierandhissickservant.Letsseeifwecanunderstandwhatthiscountrysfaith-fulresponseandattitudetowarditsservantsshouldbe.WearetoldthattheCenturionsol-dierhadasickservant.ACenturionwasaRomansoldieracommanderofahundredmen.TheRomansoccu-piedIsraelatthetime.TheywerethepowersthatbethepoliceandtheauthorityinIsrael.IsraelandmuchoftheworldwasunderRomanrule.Andletsjustsayforthepurpos-esofunderstandingandclaritytheCenturionrepresentsAmericaoratleastwhatAmericasresponsetoitsservantoughttobe.WearetoldthattheCenturionhadaservantwhowassickandabouttodieandhesentsomeJewishleaderstogotellJesusthathewantedhimtocomeandhealhisservant.ButnowdontmisswhatLuketellsusinverse2aboutthefeelingtheCenturionhadtowardhisservant.Lukesayshehighlyvaluedhisservant.TheproblemwithAmericaisitdoesntvalueblackfolkandtheircon-tributions.Thefunctionoffaithisitmakesyouvalueotherpeople.Thatsoneoftherealfunctionsofyourfaith.Blackfolkhavecontributedover300yearsoffreefoundationallabortothiscountryandnoonehasevervaluedthatIfyoutalkaboutittheytellyoutoquitlivinginthepast.HowcanwequitlivinginthepastwhenthepastkeepsshowingupLikesomedirtyresidueourpastjustkeepsshowingup.WhatdoyoumeanPastorThereisnolackofunderstandingonourpartastowhyourkidsdontfunctioneducationallyatthelevelwhitekidsdo.Wearenotconfusedastowhywearebehindthemajoritycultureacademically.Aneducationforushasneverbeensomethingthemajorityculturehasvalued.Duringslaveryitwasprohibiteda300yearprohibitionforanyblacktolearnhowtoreadandwritewithoutthemasterspermission.Itwasconsid-eredapunishablecrime.TobecomeeducatedwastobecomeanequalTobecomeeducatedwastobecomeacompetitorAndthelastthingthatthemasterwantedwasforthesonsanddaughtersofhisslavestobeedu-cationallyequaltoandcompetitorswithhisownsonsanddaughtersAndwehavewhatwehavetodayaroundeducationaldisparitiesbecausethepastjustkeepshow-ingupWhatmuchofAmericadoesnotwanttoacknowledgeisithasnevervaluededucatingitsservant.Educationallytheservantissickandabouttodie.TheCenturionunderstoodthathislifewastiedtohisservant.Theservantaddedvaluetohislife.Sometimesitseemsasifthisnationistoodumbortooignoranttounderstandthatitwillneverbewhatitneedstobeuntilitsservantgetshealed.Blackfolkweneedahealing.NotjustusbutthenationalsoAmericanoritsservantwillevergetthehealingtheybothneeduntilthenationvaluesandrespectsthecontributionBlackfolkhavemadetothiscountryYoucanttreatmeasifIdontmatter.Americaswell-beingandAmericasfuturewillalwaysbetiedtoitsservantsHealyourservantandinsomewayyouwillhealyourselfMakenomistakeaboutit.WhentheservantissickyouaresickYoucantsayyouvalueyourser-vantwhenallyoudoislock-uphischildren.Americashowshowmuchitvaluesitsservanteveryday.Youdontvaluemeifallyoudoislockmeupandgivemetimeinprisonthatisdis-proportionatetotheprisontimeyougivetoothersYoudontvalueyourservantifallyoudoisprofilemeandkillmebecauseyouhateanddespisemyblackskinYoudontvaluemeifyoustillwonteducatemeYousayyoucantteachyourservantschil-drenbecausetheyaredisruptiveandhyperactive.SoyoubrandthemwithADDandpumpthemfullofRitalinandtheygettrappedandtheygetonthefasttracktoincarceration.ThereisnovalueinthatTheonlythingthathappensisthepastjustkeepsshow-ingupTheservantissickbuttheservantdoesntneeddrugsTogetwelltheservantneedsjobsTheservantneedsopportunitiesTheservantneedsresourcesTheservantneedseduca-tionTheservantneedsjusticeTheservantneedseconomicsTheservantneedstobevaluedUntilAmericahealsitsservantthepastjustkeepsshowingupTheTrayvonMartinstheRodneyKingstheMarvinBookersandthecountlessotherinjusticesReginaldHolmesByRev.ReginaldC.HolmesThereisnoargumenttobemadeagainstthetruthespeciallywhenyoulookatthedisparitiesineducationeconomicsandthejudicialsystem.ManyinthemajorityculturearestillupholdingtheMasterServantrelationshipbetweenwhitesandblacks.ContinuedonPage7TheFunctionofFaithSERMON