Healing

The Storm in the Delta

by Dr. William James Carter, The 1st
04/28/21
Free to Share

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

This past weekend I had the pleasure of being in Greenwood, MS where I was asked to present the matter of racism in the Church. Unbeknownst to me, the racism in the Church in the Mississippi Delta is more severe than I thought. Still, as if it makes a difference, this Black preacher was invited by a White preacher to face the storm in the Delta.

The problem is this storm of vitriol is not only raging in the Delta. It has gripped and blown apart many lives across this nation. It has pitted brother against brother for no other reason except to further divide a people already broken and in need of healing and reconciliation, Moreover, the vitriol stems from immutable qualities man has no ability to decide and had no say so as to his immutable qualities.

Let me go a bit further. While I was in the Delta an older Bishop (probably in his 80s) shared an experience that was not a good one. He shared how he was planning a tent revival and received permits from the landowners to have the event. Then, came the winds of the storm.  The rains fell heavy and hard. The storm was vicious and angry and came because the Bishop sought to have an event that included all people. The good Bishop was forced to cancel that meeting because the storm of racism in the Delta is vicious and seeks to leave no victims sanding.   

And, there was another incident shared with me by the Bishop who invited me to speak. He shared with me how that he was invited to oversee a local body in Mississippi. For a while, he did not see the bylaws. Once seeing them the Bishop learned this body had set the intention practice of keeping that body segregated. He did the right thing and left that assembly quick, fast, and in a hurry. The storm in that body blew out the love of God while ushering in the unfeigned hatred of people of differing ethnicities.

We need to make something very clear. This discussion is not emblematic of everyone in the Delta nor the country at large. Still, storms have a way of destroying everything in their paths. As such, many have been blown down and soaked in the storms which have done nothing but destroy and divide the Church. Well, I have had enough. I have had enough of ridiculous characterizations of people over conditions over which they have no control. Moreover, I believe I read that God’s people (remember context) are fearfully and wonderfully made. With that being the case, it is time to face this storm headstrong.

Well, I am storming mad. Not just because of the Delta but also what is going on across the country. While I was in Greenwood I started a storm. It is past time we blew out racist vitriol. It is time we soak hate-filled segregation with love. Christ died for the entirety of mankind and when He did that another storm was started that storm affected the healing and reconciliation of a people, no of all people. I will not relent. I will not give up. I am going to keep on fighting the false narratives of racism and attack racism where it sits.

Look here, if you need or want me to come to help you fight, let me know. We can work out the details. I am determined to bring healing and reconciliation to the Church. I have an outline for church leaders I will be glad to present as well as lessons geared toward the people at large. Where I have started a new storm in the Delta (well, with the help of others) I am willing to reasonably travel to quiet the storms of racism and division whilst taking the love of Christ and replacing unjust and unqualified hatred with the unbending love of Christ.