Encouragement

After reading an article titled, ‘When Mercy Meets Justice’ I thought about my personal journey dealing with injustice. Having read Hosea 4:6, which says: ‘My people perish for lack of knowledge,’ I came to the conclusion that many conflicts have developed from lack of knowledge and/or understanding. As a result, many relationships have been damaged or destroyed.  

After that thought, I looked back on some of the scenarios I faced since arriving in the UK: 

Being spat at by a man who was consumed by alcohol (the first time I went on a double decker bus, on my own, in the early 90s) and told to go back where I came from, was the first sign that I was not welcomed in a country I was to call my home. Did all people looking like him feel the same way about me and others who looked like me? That was a question that lingered for years and begged for me to answer “Yes” after the many similar experiences that followed.  Nevertheless, I chose to see each situation as a separate incident.  


I originally thought that man was just drunk but I later came to understand that there are groups of people looking just like him who would like it if I didn’t exist in ‘their space’; they would walk on the other side of the road when they saw me approaching or use derogatory terms in shouting ugly words at me. I am now older and wiser with the understanding that one person does not represent a group of people and a group of people does not represent a nation, therefore, it doesn’t help when we begin to generalise.  


Being called a ‘Slave Baby’ by someone who looked like me was the first time I felt rejection of this kind (see article ‘Overcoming Rejection’). What I’ve learned from this episode, is that there was a need for education and I am now on a path of learning and sharing with those who need to grow in understanding. 


When I sat down at the dining table, on an outbound trip—1st year of university—one by one, my peers took their plates and cups; got up from around the table; went to sit on the couches and chairs and continued their eating and conversing. That was the first time I felt unwanted. I was the only individual on that trip who had to be escorted by my tutor and other lecturers for protection. It triggered that first memory of being spat at and the feeling that I did not belong. 


Being excluded from team activities within faith communities I’ve been part of was the first time I began to question my faith asking questions such as: 

Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose here on earth? And that’s when just being an active member in my church was no longer good enough for me. I longed for relationship; I longed to be known for the person I am and not the thing I could do. So, I began a process of research—getting to know me by getting to know the One who created me.


I had no understanding of why these things were happening and I began to feel there was something wrong with me. I would think long and hard—deep thoughts trying to figure out what was happening. Nowhere in the back of my mind did I have thoughts of prejudice in any form but then my son began school and I was able to see clearly what was happening. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes chapter 3 that there’s nothing new under the sun. How I dealt with those issues in the past, gave me insight for dealing with them now that I am a parent.   


The first thing I realised was that I needed to gain knowledge. I began to research... I then had to gain understanding. There are various Proverbs telling us to get understanding and get wisdom. Going back to past experiences I found similarities in mine and my son’s scenarios which was also highlighted as I read this morning’s article. 


I’ve found that once we respond with worldly wisdom, the problem prolongs in our sphere of influence. The offended becomes a victim or a bully. Often, it continues into the next generation: ‘Children live what they learn.’ However, when we respond with Godly wisdom, both sides find healing. In this article, I was able to see both myself and my son’s scenarios played out. I’m thankful we’ve both found the way of healing. Now we’d like to encourage you to do the same. We all have a past which directly impacts our present and inevitably our future.  

What legacy will you leave behind for the generations that will follow you? 

The challenge for you today is to invest in your future.  Gain knowledge. Gain understanding. Get wisdom. Then pass on that wisdom. We have a duty to the next generation. It is one of discipleship, according to Matthew 28:18-20; Proverbs 22:6 and Deuteronomy chapter 6 to name a few.   


“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).