Stand Firm

There are a few things I simply don't apologize for. First, I don't apologize for being black. The color of my skin tells a story and comes with a history so rich, a legacy so strong, I'd rather die than to shame it. I don't apologize for being a woman. God saw it fit for me to nurture and guide, to bear and teach children, to love and honor my husband. Lastly, I'm unapologetically Christian.

Plenty of evidence exists to refute the Word in which I believe. Some of the stories seem kinda out there (if you ask me). There are things in that thang I don't understand, and not everything in it finds my agreement. However, it's not hard facts, scientific evidence, or my full following of the Bible on which I base my choice. That's right. Of the 3 things mentioned above, only 1 of them is a choice - being Christian.

So, when people hit me with, "That's the white man's religion. " I reply, "Thats funny 'cause all the key players are black and the setting just happens to be Africa, soooo..."

Them: Science is the exploration of proven facts. Religion is full of falsehood.
Me: You're right, but FAITH is the substance of things NOT seen, soooo...

Them: How can you believe in a God who supports misogyny?
Me: I don't. Suppression and oppression of women is a hard religious limit for me, which is why I operate in the spirit, not the ritual.

Them: Aw you a Christian so you hate homosexuals?
Me: Orrrr nah. Faith, hope, and love last on. The greatest of these is love. I love my neighbor as myself. The way I love my husband, I couldn't imagine if that feeling of love and devotion was "wrong". I dont believe my God gave me or you life to live in that kind of misery, soooo...

Many Christians (mostly church folk) will take issue with some of my responses, but let's be clear: I am a black woman who CHOOSES to be Christian. But by default I'm human. By nature, I'm scholarly. And by study, I've seen the roller-coaster time line of this religion. One minute they are being persecuted; the next minute they are responsible for the persecution of others. Plenty of powerful people have used this religion and it's doctrine for negative causes and selfish gain. I KNOW. Find me a religious sect where that phenomenon hasn't happened, and I'll show you a mountain of lies.

Despite this, I still choose to serve my God. Why? Because that's the God who granted me the Saviour who has sustained me. I don't have to conduct research to know what I've been brought out of...I lived it. That is the essence of spiritual choice. We serve the God we believe has come through for us. For some of us, that's Allah. For others, it's Buddha. Regardless of who we choose to serve, we have to rest in the faith that only comes from personal experience. I have experienced the comfort of my God, the peace of my God, the healing of my God. For these reasons, I won't apologize for choosing Him because well before I was formed in my mother's womb, He....chose...me. Be Blessed.  XOXO