hope, love, and justice

For the past year or so I didn’t use Twitter. I didn’t like seeing a lot of the content so I decided to delete the app. During COVID, I got really bored and decided to re-download it, and easily became overwhelmed by all the content.

From half-hearted jokes to arguments about the constitutionality of face masks, Twitter has it all. Last night, I was going through content of riots in America until the early morning hours, and it left me feeling hopeless.

I couldn’t stop asking myself questions about how things could change or what would stop the riots, and, to be honest, I don’t know, and I don’t think I ever will.

I woke up with a strong feeling to say something about the current climate of America, so I took to Instagram with a couple of Bible verses and the following statements.

After a while, I was told that saying “… what I personally believe… doesn’t matter” was a disappointing statement, and, after thinking about it, I came to a big realization.

People log onto Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and instantly see some sort of politics or controversy. I’m not condemning anyone for doing this, but I noticed it created an overwhelming sense of hopelessness in me. Seeing a whole country at war is scary.

I’ve always been scared to say the wrong thing in fear of getting into political debates or being ‘cancelled.’

But racism isn’t something that should be looked at as political

My entire life, I haven’t really shared my political beliefs for various reasons. This led me to ask the question, “why did I feel so convicted to say something about what is going on in America?” The more I thought about it the more I realized, speaking about treating people justly and with love is not a political topic.

God speaks of all throughout the Bible about how to treat others. The LORD is not silent about his stance on injustice and oppression.

In fact, throughout the whole Old Testament, we follow God fighting for the justice of his people! He fights for his children who are under the oppression of cruel rulers. When Jesus comes in the New Testament, who does he spend time with? Not the oppressors but the oppressed.

My beliefs do matter, but the beliefs I want to promote are from the Bible and God himself.

My heavenly father is one that gives hope. He promotes justice and loves everyone. If this wasn’t true, he wouldn’t have sent his beloved son to die on the cross for a chance of a relationship with us.

It’s hard to believe there is hope during this time, but God has shown to be a reliable and steadfast provider of hope, justice, and love.

I hope that this speaks some truth into your day and social media feed. I’m going to list some Bible verses below and the follow-up response I posted on social media.

Making a stance for me had become a political move in my mind, but speaking up and noticing that not all people are treated equally isn’t a political observation. I love you all and want you to know you are seen, heard, and loved during this situation. Until next time,

sincerely, jamie lynn