Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
love and faithfulness go before you.
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
They rejoice in your name all day long;
they celebrate your righteousness.
For you are their glory and strength… – Psalms 89:14-17
As a rule, I leave the video-blogging to Rebekah. She has a natural facility with live media, and her “on camera” poise is remarkable. She knows how to connect with an audience, she thinks on her feet, and she has consistently been one of the (largely unheralded) best preachers in the Presbyterian Church for the past couple of decades.
I am a writer. That’s my trade and I feel very much at home doing exactly what I’m doing right now, which is thinking directly through my fingers and onto the screen via this keyboard.
Yet there is an authenticity, an immediacy, and a vulnerability in front of live video that I need to risk engaging once in a while. I enjoy teaching, and I always have a great time when I am asked to speak in front of a crowd; so putting myself in front of a lens shouldn’t be all that hard. But it is.
The video:
So here is my un-finessed reflection, recorded from the coolness of our deck in the early morning. It’s kind of a confessional, an “ah-hah” moment where, hopefully, I can drop a marker that says I have reached another helpful place in my ongoing journey toward being a just and righteous human person.
And remember that both justice and righteousness come from the same root in the Hebrew language. It is not possible to be righteous without also being just, and justice cannot stand without righteousness to back it up.
This is, I believe, what is needed. Protest without prayer is not so effective. Movements that have their roots in faith are always the most powerful (see my blog post on the fall of the Iron Curtain for a great example).
Here is my video post. I will be interested to see your response. Peace – DEREK
Love the back up singers!
Wow Derek that was really good. I have always been bullied in one form or another growing up, and I think that is because deep down God has instilled within me a desire for peace and unity and a love for diversity. I always enjoy learning about cultures and ethnicities other than my own, and for whatever reason I have always connected well with those whose skin is darker than mine…be it the black community, native Americans, or Hispanic community. This whole thing breaks my heart in more ways than one. I used to want to go into the police force or something related to it when I was younger, and so my heart breaks for the good officers and having to endure the hatred because of a few bad apples, I have always been heart broken because the media and certain groups of people would like you to believe if you see one person breaking the law you should think their whole race is that way – on the reverse side if one person is being judgmental and hateful, their whole race is that way. This was very good. Thank you for this. Another great article and video. Keep it up.
Thanks so much. You are always an encourager. I appreciate it.
I’m glad that you connect well with all people. My daughter has the same gift – she truly does not see color and is teaching her children well.
We all have so much to learn – especially me. Peace and blessings – Derek
Great to hear and see your heart ache Derek. The challenge has been felt deeply on this side of the pond too. We stand with you, convicted, forgiven and redeemed. God bless and lead you on.