Property Rights

“Never move a long-standing boundary line or attempt to take land that belongs to the fatherless.” (Proverbs 23:10 TPT)

One night, I was standing in my yard, looking up at the dark sky speckled with a million stars. Suddenly, a weird image popped into my mind: a Native American woman with her hair blowing in the wind. I was reminded of indigenous people all over the world who had been displaced to accommodate the modern way of life. 

These days, land is property. The owner is allowed to sell it for personal profit or do anything he wants with it. My home sits on land that was once occupied by the Bah-Kho-Je tribe of Native Americans. Between 1830-1847, the U.S. government forced most of the indigenous people off their ancestral lands and onto reservations. Even though I was not alive during these heinous acts, I have personally benefited from them. I am a participant in the system of injustice. I am complicit. 

Counterculture

“None of what they’ve done is wasted; God blesses them for it all in the end.” (Revelation 14:13 MSG)

In the 1700’s, the economy of South Carolina was dependent on slavery. Plantation owners used slave labor for cultivation of rice and indigo. All children born to a slave mother were classified as slaves. For generations, this system of profiteering from oppression continued. 

The Quakers, who were abolitionists and pacifists, lived in isolation within the slave economy. They spoke out against humans owning and trading other humans. Their activism came at a social cost. Many of them were persecuted and forced to move away from the plantations. That generation of abolitionists did not get to see the fruits of their sacrifices; to them, it must have seemed as if all they had done was wasted. 

The Quakers were considered countercultural in the 1700’s. They faced ostracization for criticizing the slave economy and the plantation way of life. Modern day activists can learn from this history. Anyone who criticizes the status quo can expect pushback. Those who choose not to participate in or benefit from an economy that promotes inequality and injustice will feel isolated. Being different can be lonely. However, none of what they’ve done is wasted. God blesses them for it all in the end. 

The Shadow

“Why would you focus on the flaw in someone else’s life and yet fail to notice the glaring flaws of your own?” (Matthew 7:3 TPT)

According to Jungian psychology, each of us has an unconscious dark side or a shadow self. Since it is painful to acknowledge or accept these negative aspects, we instinctively ignore these personal deficiencies. However, we are prone to projection--easily recognizing the same moral failures in others while overlooking them in ourselves. 

The collective conscience also has a shadow side. Our group identities provide us an echo chamber that allows us to deny our weaknesses, while projecting our insecurities onto those we view as different. The unacknowledged parts of our deep-seated beliefs shape our inherent biases. Since we want to believe that our ‘group’ is basically decent, we cover up the shameful parts. At the same time, we gaslight--sowing seeds of doubt in the minds of others. Displacing blame is less painful than accepting our inner darkness. Examining our innards is about as uncomfortable as a colonoscopy--why wouldn’t we put it off indefinitely? Unless we acknowledge the possibility of serious malignancies in our perceptions, we will continue to ignore the shadow side of our communal identity. 

Conservation and Preservation

“Opposition to truth cannot be excused on the basis of ignorance, because from the creation of the world, the invisible qualities of God’s nature have been made visible, such as his eternal power and transcendence. He has made his wonderful attributes easily perceived, for seeing the visible makes us understand the invisible. So then, this leaves everyone without excuse.” (Romans 1:20 TPT)

Ever since I read Henry David Thoreau’s Walden Pond, I have dreamed about buying a large tract of land with some timber, pasture, and a pond. I envision a log cabin in the middle, a large garden to grow food, and clearing a trail through the woods for my personal use. In this fantasy, I see myself as capable of owning and managing my natural surroundings responsibly.

I have come to recognize my ignorance and hubris.

Conservation is the management of nature to benefit humans. It assumes that the earth and everything in it were made for human pleasure. Preservation is the protection of nature from human use. It assumes that all of God’s creation is inherently valuable, whether or not it benefits humans.  Native Americans, unlike most of us, saw humanity as part of nature and thus, treated it with reverence and humility. They did not view nature as something that needed to be conquered and controlled. 

The invisible qualities of God’s nature have been made visible in creation. The earth and everything in it are the expression of His eternal power and transcendence. He has made his wonderful attributes easily perceivable--for seeing the visible makes us understand the invisible. Opposition to truth cannot be excused on the basis of ignorance.

Merry Christmas!

“Glory to God in the highest realms of heaven!

For there is peace and a good hope 

given to the sons of men.”

When the choir of angels disappeared back to heaven, 

the shepherds said to one another, 

“Let’s go! Let’s hurry and find this Word 

that is born in Bethlehem 

and see for ourselves 

what the Lord has revealed to us.”

(Luke 2:13-15 TPT)

Priorities

“Where you deposit your treasure, that is where your thoughts will turn to—and your heart will long to be there also.” (Luke 12:34 TPT)

Prioritizing is the process of ranking everything around you in order of importance and acting upon it. Given two choices that both matter, we give one more preference over the other based on our value system. How we decide to spend our time, money, and energy shows our priorities. Even if we say one thing is more valuable than another, our choices may reflect otherwise. 

What shapes a person’s priorities? 

What you find valuable about your identity often influences your priorities. If you see yourself as worthy because you belong to a certain group or have certain attributes, you may try to maintain these aspects at all cost. For example, if you think you are relevant because you are skinny, intelligent, patriotic, Christian, hard-working, rich, White, Black, Asian, educated, athletic, etc.--you are likely to prioritize activities that uphold that value system. If you see yourself as empathetic, compassionate, humble, kind, honest, etc.--but you don’t think these characteristics are respected--you may assign less importance to these ideals. Ultimately, whatever you treasure, that is where your thoughts will turn to--and your heart will long to be there also. 

Shelters and Sanctuaries

“God’s a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times. The moment you arrive, you relax; you’re never sorry you knocked.” (Psalm 9:9-10 MSG)

 

We have a local shelter for battered women. It gives victims of domestic violence a safe place to get away from their abusive situations. However, many women are reluctant to use this service. They do not want to admit to themselves that things have gotten that bad. Most of us want to believe that we can manage, even when we can’t. 

 

Is your life messy? Have you been beaten up by circumstances? Do you feel ill-equipped to handle all that you are facing right now? You are not alone. Right this moment, millions of people around the world are facing the exact same emotions. This sense of despair can be soul crushing. 

 

Where do you go when you feel overwhelmed? When you are in the midst of grief, panic, and helplessness, it is hard to make good decisions. The chaos creates confusion. You want to grasp at whatever gives you a sense of control. This makes you reluctant to leave your current situation, to let go of the ideas of how life should be.  God is a safe-house for the battered, a sanctuary during bad times. The moment you arrive, you can relax. But you can’t bring all the junk from your previous life. You have to leave the chaos, distrust, and resentment behind. God’s shelter is peaceful. You can count on the Lord, no matter what; He will never turn away those who come to Him for help. Go now. Stay in God’s presence.