He Passed

“’Passing,’ this breaking away from all that [is] familiar to take one’s chances in another environment, not entirely strange, perhaps, but certainly not entirely friendly.”

Nella Larsen, Passing

Had he not been my father, He might not have recognized me. I was arrayed in tattered, homely attire and covered in blood. This caused my clothes to look like filthy rags. My wooly hair had matted and become filled with debris. The soles of my feet were cracked like a dried-up brook. My skin was callused and rough; in appearance, I reflected that of a sinful creation.

In my right hand I held a strange apparatus large and perpendicular in shape. As my cracked feet dragged against the rocky ground, a man mashed a crown of sorts deep into my brow. Blood and sweat proceeded to dribble down my face. Without hesitation, another man kicked me in my side and my shoulder fell hard on the perpendicular object in hand. As I struggled to get up, still another man came and spat in my eyes. Eventually, as I was hoisted up and nailed to the perpendicular apparatus, I looked and saw my father. To him I could never pass as a sinful creation, for although my current appearance was nothing like his, his blood running through my veins made the difference…

After The beginning…

darkness came over the earth and a strange wind blew through the trees. I had felt this wind before. I turned to my Father and I turned to my brother and we knew that I was the only word that could rewrite this story. I looked into the glassy sea to see the me who would soon no longer be. I would hold this image near and dear to my heart, for I would never be this being again…this image would forever be different, it would forever remain changed. I walked back to the throne of grace and took off my crown. Kneeling before my father, I presented it to him asking him to hold it for me. He said, “Only for a while. For you shall wear this again, my son.” No one knew or understood what was happening. They all watched in amazement as I chose to lay down my sovereign ranking in the hierarchy of heaven to take up the lowly likeness of Man and forever alter the hierarchy of hell.

As I stepped toward the edge of the universe, the stars refused to shine. The sun and moon dimmed their lights for the Son was now in orbit. As I descended into the Milky Way galaxy, I noticed that my light grew dim as I approached the world I spoke into existence – earth. Her beauty had become tainted and her people were filled with a substance no creature before had ever seen – sin. It was when I became a fetus in the womb of this imperfect creature that I became completely out of place.

As I grew, I kept my true identity a secret. No one suspected anything out of the ordinary, for to the natural eye, there was no difference. My mother knew, but only because she knew whom my real father was. People of all countries and regions despised, criticized, and ostracized me; at times it was difficult to deal with. I had spoken, formed, and ordained their existence, yet no one seemed to care to take the time to look into my eyes or listen to my voice and hear the familiarity of their beginning. No matter what I did it seemed as though no one loved me.

My father gave me the go ahead and I began to tell them who I really was. I stopped trying to pass for a sinful creature because ultimately I wasn’t. I pled with them, asserting that my real father was in heaven! I healed the sick. I multiplied fish and bread. I walked on water. I raised the dead! But none of this mattered to them. I could tell them of my biological relationship to God, I could show them that I too could do the things of God, but ultimately, to them I did not look like God…

That’s what happens when divinity mixes with humanity…The sinful, dominant genes of humanity become overpowering, resulting in my human appearance keeping many from recognizing the divine blood running through my veins. The majority of them felt that their God could not resemble them, so they refused to accept me in my humble state. They lynched me on a cross for being human and trying to pass as God.

What they didn’t understand was that I was God trying to pass as human…

As I hung there with the crowd yelling obscenities at me I saw him, my father. I looked deep into his eyes and said, “I am lonely, so lonely…I cannot help but long to be with you again, as I have never longed for anything before; and I have wanted many things in my life…You cannot know how I reflect on the bright images of that I that I once was…Of the we that we once were…It’s like an ache, a pain that never ceases…To remember who I was…what we were…what I must now be…What we’ve had to become…I had to do something and this was the only way…I do not fault thee…I simply long for us three to reunited be…”

To me such an enormous exchange of power and prestige was nothing.

I loved them…I couldn’t let them die…I had to save them…

And so, with arms wide open I said to my father, “I have glorified you on earth. I have finished the work, which You have given me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. For I have forsaken the recognition of men that I may partake in glorification with thee. For it is written, ‘blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

“Through all the lowly experiences of life He consented to pass, walking among the children of men, not as a King, to demand homage, but as one whose mission it was to serve others.”

 Ellen G White, The Mount of Blessing

READ & STUDY Matthew 5:5; John 17:1-5; Philippians 2:5-8

They’re Playin’ Basketball

I see the floor in all its glory,

I am the author of my teams story.

I Bring it up and call the plays,

I’ll shake n bake em for days.

They asked, “How’d you get it done?”

I simply replied, “I’m the One”.

 

I fly on the wings of the court.

The plays the One has me purport.

Every play I rush to my spot,

I’m told I have an accurate shot.

They asked, “Why does the One always pass to you?”

I simply replied, “I’m the Two”.

 

Look up “Fusion” on Wikipedia and you’ll see my face.

When it comes to the game I bring the grace.

I might pass, drive, or shoot, I might combine all of these.

But it’s my moves that make the home bench hold out their keys.

They asked, “Does coach see you as the glue to be?”

I simply replied, “I’m the Three.”

 

In the post, the goal might be to set a pick,

but you betta get off, cuz me you can’t stick.

Though rough, I am not all brute. In fact I am a collector of fine jewels.

You might like diamonds and you might like rubies, but me, I prefer pearls.

They asked, “How do you consistently crash the board?”

I simply replied, “I’m the Four.”

 

With wisdom and strength, I am the  keeper of the gate.

Unfortunately, my shorter opponents often hate.

My long arms and long legs help me scale the line with ease,

After all, I have to block you, my coach I must please.

They asked, “Why is your wing-span so wide?”

I simply replied, “I’m the Five.”

 

Remember, though you are strong apart,

It is when you work together that you make art.

The game is never won when you work to have the brightest beam,

But rather when you all come together and work as a team.

Apart you’re just a bunch of numbers, but together bring them all,

And I can say, “They’re playin Basketball.”

What Would I Do Without You!

Have you ever thought about some of the many things that we use on a daily basis? Have you ever thought about what your life would be like if the people that invented them never existed? Imagine waking up with your unattractive bedtime hair only to realize that there was no Madam C.J. Walker to invent the hairbrush and comb. Imagine turning around to get a cold water bottle only to realize that you don’t have a refrigerator because there was no John Standard. Now you’re upset because not only could you not do your hair or even get a cold drink of water or juice before class, now you remember you couldn’t finish your homework last night because there was no carbon filament in the light bulb and your electric lamp disappeared because there was no Lewis Latimer or Joseph Nicholas. So naturally you turn to email your teacher of the unnecessary events transpiring in your life but your laptop, computer, and smart phone are all gone because IBM computer engineer Mark E. Dean never existed. Now you simply need some comfort food. Every thing will be all right if you can just reach up in your cabinet and make a gold ole PB&J. But you can’t because there was George Washington Carver either. You take a deep breath and say, “That’s fine. I’ll just go to McDonalds” only to end up in 5 car pile up because the two traffic lights in Berrien are gone because we have no Garrett Morgan! There are a host of things that we use and take for granted not even knowing that these things were brought to us by intelligent, innovative African Americans who in spite of the odds against them played a huge role in our lifestyle and daily routines. I wonder what else you would be without if we never had Asian Americans, or Hispanic Americans. Hmm. Something to think about.

Why Black History Month?

This is my Black History Month opinion.

“Say it LOUD! I’m Black and I’m Proud!”

I am extremely disappointed and frankly boarder line furious. As a direct descendent of the racial hatred that plagued this country for over 400 years I am shocked and appalled that particular

individuals find it “freeing” to vocalize such disrespect.

I am shocked and appalled that particular individuals are so quick to take offense and want to do away with something that you are not willing to even research and understand.

I find it incredibly interesting that particular individuals want to catch offense when I choose to, every day of the year, celebrate who I am in color, Nationality, and race, and even more so catch attitude during a 28 day month, during which I choose to consistently focus my efforts and interests.

I find it incredibly interesting that you all can throw hissy fits on facebook about how you don’t want to talk about the harsh realities of racism in this country, but when i tell you that I walked into a bookstore in 2012 and was followed by a White woman looking at me as if I was going to steal something oh you don’t take offense to that.

You don’t take offense when I get stopped by a cop who proceeds to ask me if this is my car.

You don’t take offense when my fellow black brother in Mississippi in 2011 was brutally beaten and run over by a gang of white teenagers who were screaming, “kill that nigger!”

You don’t take offense to the fact that every day blacks are still called such terms as, “tar baby” and “nigger”.

You don’t take offense when the GOP continues to speak of how the “underprivileged black is on welfare” when MULTIPLE studies have proven that there are more WHITE people on welfare than there are Black people.

You don’t take offense when the media portrays the black man as a drug addicted, violent, uneducated, profane, vulgar, lazy, good for nothing criminal, who we hope learns a sport of some king to get out “da hood.”

You don’t take offense when the media portrays the black woman as a sex crazed, loud mouthed, disrespectful, uneducated, violent, independent, weave-wearin, fake nail-gettin, 6-inch heel wearin whore who longs only to be Dwight Howard’s baby mama.

I think we need to re-evaluate what we are taking offense to now a days.

When else will we learn that out of the ENTIRE black community within this country OVER HALF are ranked as Middle class, educated working individuals. It is an incredibly LOW percentage of individuals that actually live the life that is portrayed in the media.When else will we celebrate the thousands of Black intellectuals serving our communities as doctors, lawyers, and teachers.

The purpose of Black History Month is NOT to over emphasize the evils of “The White Man”, nor is it about over glorifying the successes of “The Black Man”. What many of you DON’T know and understand is that MUCH of the success and progression of the Black Man was due to the integration and cooperation of the White Man. But you wouldn’t know that without Black History Month, because we don’t talk about anything that has to do with Black people except DURING Black History Month. Therefore, do not come to me about not talking about Black People during Black History Month. And DEFINITELY don’t come talk to me about no Black History Month whatsoever. Because I find it ignorant and extremely selfish.

If I don’t talk about the journey and progression of my people during February when am I going to talk about them?

Their historical contribution and experience has yet to integrated in Elementary, Middle School, High School, and MERCY College History, Social Studies, World History, and Political Science courses.

Their literature has yet to be integrated!

Their contributions to music theory & praxis have yet to be integrated!

Their contributions to religion have yet to be integrated!

Their contributions to Mathematics and Science have yet to be integrated!

Their contributions to Leadership have yet to be integrated!

T heir contributions to Psychology have yet to be integrated! Their contributions to Anthropology, Sociology, Etymology, and ALL OTHER OLOGIES have yet to be integrate! S

o you wanna know why we celebrate Black History Month?

You wanna know why I raise my fist and say, “Black is Beautiful” during February?

Because until I can learn about George Washington and Angela Davis at the same time I will not be satisfied.

Until I can learn about Thomas Edison and Marcus Garrett at the same time I will not be satisfied.

Until I can learn about Ronald Reagan and Rev. Adam Clayton Powell I will not be satisfied.

Until I can read William Shakespeare and Lorraine Hansberry at the same time, I will not be satisfied.

Until I can read Henry David Thoreau and W.E.B. DuBois at the same time I will not be satisfied.

Until I can read Emily Dickinson and Maya Angelou at the Same time I will not be satisfied.

Until my Black history becomes recognized as the American history that it is I will not be satisfied to not celebrate my Black History Month.

So if you feel ostracized, offended, or ogled; uncomfortable, uneasy, or unappreciated than I greatly apologize. But I WILL celebrate and communicate my love for this Month

So to EVERYBODY! Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, Indian, Italian, and ANYBODY ELSE I HAPPENED TO FORGET, as we are one family of many cultures in Christ, Happy Black History Month! Let us remember how far the Lord has brought us all, and continue to celebrate where He will continue to bring us in the future.

“Black is Beautiful!”

“Say it LOUD! I’m Black and I’m Proud!”

Salvation Precipitates

God – The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit in their omniscience agreed that in order to save Man, the savior had to be someone who is above Man. So they began to discuss the hierarchy of creation. They looked at the animals and saw that Man was created to have dominion over them, and therefore animals’ blood would not be adequate. They looked at Man himself, but realized that Man’s imperfect blood could not account for Man’s imperfection. They looked at the Angels, but realized that these heavenly beings were not created above Man, because the Angels do not represent the image of God. It was then that God realized that it was up to them. They would have to separate. This unity, this team, this trinity of three in one would have to be broken temporarily for the eternal salvation of that which they created. It is in this sacrifice that God’s loving character is once again manifest.

And so all of Heaven begins to murmur in its confusion as the cosmic universe prepares for change.

God the Son takes off his bright shiny crown of power, He takes off his regal robe of justice, steps down from his worthy throne of truth and proceeds to change. He then steps towards the edge of Heaven and begins to wonder, what way is best for His departure. So this legendary chemist stepped out into space and the stars chose not to shine. He then was cosmically sucked into a molecular cloud and the Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen were confused because they could not join with this gas molecule. He then reached the Milky Way Galaxy where he proceeded to join the rotation of the planets until He got close enough to that one planet called Earth. He then knew that He would not be able to stay in this divine molecular gas form and so upon entering Earth’s atmosphere He became a common Earthly molecular gas called Oxygen. See everything on Earth needs oxygen to live. But as he passed the Earth’s atmosphere and drew closer to the ground He then realized that Oxygen in its molecular gas form does not create Man in the uterus of Woman and so God united one last time and hovered over Mary, as they did in the beginning and God in their union chemically changed The Son from Oxygen into sperm. This divine sperm connected with WoMan’s imperfect egg then gave birth to Immanuel or “God with us”. This same God, “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:6-8). And it is from His death that we have the opportunity at life everlasting.

I don’t know about you, but aren’t you glad that Salvation precipitates?

See precipitation is a substance that is deposited in solid form from a solution. And on this Sabbath day, and this Christmas season, let us worship Them who deposited salvation in a solid form, The Son, from the solution that is God.

Merry Christmas! and Happy Sabbath

           

Do Black People Need Another Black Leader?

Three hours before dawn he was awakened by a gunshot. Immediately, he knew he only had a few seconds to rise and find his place. Suddenly, he was yanked from under his coarse slave blanket, which he used as a bed, and drug outside, stripped naked, and beaten. It was dark and therefore could not tell whom it was that had taken him away from the peaceful arms of rest, but he figured it had to be his Master and his goons. They kicked him in his side, head, and back while yelling profanities. It was once he thought the beatings would end that he felt the sharp pinch of the steel metal pin dig into his skin from the chain. Then he was flipped facing his master and forced to watch the overseer grab his wife by her hair throwing her to the ground. He then proceeded to violently tare off her clothes holding her down by the neck and ferociously thrust himself into her as she alternately screamed her husband and Jesus’s name. As the Master and his goons’ leave the man and wife hold each other crying and singing, “Didn’t my Lord deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel, and deliver Daniel. Didn’t my Lord deliver Daniel, An’ why not every man.”

Yes I’s a colored woman, a wife, and a mammy. My husband walks home from the fact’ry ev’ry night. He been missin for ‘bout a week now. My brotha told me dat a mob lynched a colored man about a week ago. Said, they tar and feathered him and while he was hangin there lit him ablaze, as if the latter wasn’t enough. Personally I think it was the KKK. You know, the Ku Klux Klan, but no one knows who’s ever under dem hoods. Humph, Oh well, who cares. An angry white man is an angry white man. He doesn’t have to wear a hood. Some just wear the hood for theatrical affect. Either way, here in Tupelo, Mississippi, a woman’s gotta take care of ha’ family, so I’s works fa this wa’men taken care a ha’ babies. I don’t mind it. After all I gotta take care of my babies. It be hard tho. My babies got ta’ go to a seprate schoo that don’t have no good books. Yesta’day my five year old ask me what ‘nigger’ mean. There has to be mo’ ta life than this. God din’t ‘tend on His chil’ren bein treated as such. I herd a Negro wa’man say, “Someone will at last arise who will champion our cause and compel the world to see that we deserve justice; as other heroes compelled it to see that we deserved freedom.” I gots to say, I’s kind a agree wit ha’.

Upon graduating from Harvard Law I decided to treat myself to a new BMW 850i series, Black, sleek, and gorgeous. I was so excited because I was able to set up an installment plan for only a 24-month period. I told Christine I would drive her around in style for the rest of her life. I picked her up around 8 o’clock so that we could catch our dinner reservation for 8:30 at Chandra’s, a jazz and fish spot in the city of Atlanta. I was excited. I had my JD, my girl, and my new car. I couldn’t believe the year of my car matched the present year I was driving in. I knew that 1991 was about to be the best year of my life. I made sure to drive the speed limit because I did not want to get into an accident and mess up my new ride. I guess that was the least of my worries because less than 15 minutes on the road I noticed a police officer behind me. He had not initially turned on his lights, which led me to believe that he was running my tags, first. Honestly, I got scared. I had heard about black men getting stopped because they were driving nice cars but it had never happened to me. I guess I spoke too soon because he pulled me over and I got my first DWB, Driving While Black. This is ludicrous. I told the officer that he was violating the federal law by assuming that I was a person of suspicion because of the color of my skin, but that just made him angry and caused him to pull me out of the car and frisk me. I was so humiliated. I had done nothing wrong. This has got to change.

I’m sure you’re wondering about these what seem to be random and unrelated stories, but they are in fact very related.

This semester I studied about Black Leadership from slavery to the Presidency of Barack Obama. What I have noticed is that Black Leadership is in fact a response to the Black condition as relates to their treatment from Mainstream American society or White Supremacy. It is this response that caused me to question ‘Why Black Leadership?’ These scenarios are the ‘Why’ of Black Leadership to me, and motivates me to continue to work towards the progression of the Black condition in America.

What is Black Leadership to you? Is it necessary? Where do you think it comes from?

Everyone’s Eyes Watch God

Zora Neale Hurston, a significant female writer of the Harlem Renaissance, uses biblical allusion to communicate the love story found in her piece, Their Eyes Were Watching God. From the dialogue to the narration, Hurston alludes to scripture as well as Negro Spirituals subconsciously calling her readers attention to God, thereby fulfilling the nature of the title of the book; the reader “watching the eyes of God” through the dialogue and narration, while the characters “watch the eyes of God” in each other and their environment.

“The wind came back with triple fury, and put out the light for the last time. They sat in company with the other shanties, their eyes straining against crude walls and their souls asking if He meant to measure their puny might against His. They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God” (160).

Many of the biblical allusions are experienced through the dialogue of the characters. Hurston introduces us to Janie, the protagonist, and her friend Phoeby, and their conversations consist of numerous biblical allusions and parallelisms due to their reference and recitation of scripture. Though it is usually misused concerning scriptural context, it is semantically correct based on scriptural interpretation. For example, Janie and her grandmother Nanny are having a conversation about her marriage to Logan Killicks, an older man who owns a lot of land, but in spite of the protection and financial security Janie is not interested in marrying him because she has no emotional feelings or attachment to him. Nanny replies, “’Tain’t Logan Killicks Ah wants you to have, baby, it’s protection. Ah ain’t gittin’ ole, honey. Ah’m done ole. One mornin’ soon, now, de angel wid de sword is gointuh stop by here. De day and de hour is hid from me, but it won’t be long” (15). Here the reader observes Hurston reference Matthew 24:36/Mark 13:32, which speaks to the fact that no man knows the day or hour when the Son of Man shall make his second appearance. When looking at the scriptural context we see that the text is speaking to man not knowing the days, or time of Christ second coming, but Hurston uses this as a way to speak to the uncertainty of Nanny’s death. Nanny here is acknowledging that she is growing old and is therefore only going to live for so long, therefore, because no man also knows the day or time of his death he should do his best to make the provisions he wants while he is alive. This is what we see Nanny doing by trying to marry Janie off to an older, but financially established man. Someone who can take care of her needs, ensuring that she would not be in want of any good thing.

Another way that Hurston causes the reader to subconsciously keep their eyes watching God is through the sporadic use verses from Negro Spirituals, particularly when used outside of a church context. We see this is in the second phase of Janie’s life as she marries Joe Starks who becomes the Mayor of a “colored” town. While Mayor he decides to build the street lamps, making his colored town the first to have street lamps. During this momentous occasion he makes an eloquent speech using the style of the Black Preacher of that time period. To culminate his speech he asks the people to look up at the light and, “…let de light penetrate inside of yuh, and let it shine, let it shine, let it shine” (45). Here we see him reference a Negro Spiritual, “This Little Light of Mine” to foster an image and an understanding that the reader as well as the participating characters can comprehend. This act implies that Hurston assumes that her audience is very spiritual or closely affiliated to the Church, or is very familiar with scripture as well as Negro Spirituals, particularly since many of the Spirituals are based off of scripture. “This Little Light of mine” for example is based off of Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (KJV).

Hurston’s work is not only a complete biblical allusion at its best, but it’s a spiritual masterpiece taking the reader on the spiritual journey of the protagonist. Ephesians 6:12 states, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (KJV). This text alludes to spiritual thinker that we are spiritual beings having a spiritual experience. Hurston portrays this concept beautifully in her work, Their Eyes Were Watching God, by the constant illusion to the spiritual realm. This constant frame of mind found so consistently throughout the work is created by the content, context, and vernacular of the conversations shown through the Character – Character relationship, Reader – Character relationship, and Reader – Narrator relationship. Hurston’s work is not so much about finding how Janie watches God, but how those who will read this book watch God. This is evidenced in her choice of the plurality, “their” rather than “her”. Hurston is speaking of both Janie and the reader experiencing God through the intentional biblical allusions placed in the text from start to finish. Were your eyes watching God?

 

AAVE

You down home I say!
Countrified and fortified with descriptors that send me away.
Away, to a time a place where dreams was deferred, and people displaced.
You down home I say!
Witcho slang and rang
Touchin ears wit yo down south twang.
But ain’t a soul know that yous a secret.
Shhhhhhssssh.
See yous a code,
A secret code fa us.
I’s don’t wants to blow ya cova.
Just knows that I likes ya.
I likes ya real good.
Even though I don’t always use ya,
I only switch fa him.
Know that I likes ya just the same.
You down home I say!

 

Withdrawl

They taught me to avoid you,

More like try to ignore you.

But in the haze of your diction I experienced a true conviction that,

The you I was to avoid was the you that I wanted to be my boo.

So I tried you…

Slowly…

Cautiously…

Hypnotically falling for your kryptonic allure.

Each conversation was a high.

This high I surmise was the why of my cries.

For this high had me energized.

Your speech swept me off my feet,

Your swag had me bagged,

And I was as vulnerable as Adam & Eve in the Presence of God after their sinful collapse.

So I had to have more.

But the more I wanted the more distant you became.

Resistant to my plea in agony of your insufficient fulfillment

I settled for your face.

Without embrace

You allowed no time or space to create…

You’d think I was on crack the way I had your back.

Yearning for you every free moment like a crack addict.

Hanging on every dull word,

Batting broken wings like Dunbar’s caged bird.

I have a song.

You left with ease and while in search to appease your own broken needs

I found myself itching for your presence,

Every puff giving me the munchies for your touch,

But I know you’re no good.

You were never good.

You simply introduced me to something;

That man made temporary emotion of happiness that I, in my ignorance, equated with good.

But good doesn’t blacken my lungs with its presence,

Suffocating me with its smooth suave voice,

Destroying my mental capacity to differentiate between love, lust, and crust.

See you weren’t the pie,

You weren’t even the sweet filling on the inside.

You were the hard, blackened crust that everybody wants, but no one ever trusts.

I want to stop.

I need to stop.

But I can’t.

Everyday I shoot up a smile, one embrace, and one date to a place that takes me back to the good ole days.

Now you’re gone and no where to be found, so all I do is sulk around town

Looking for anything brown trying to fix my downcast mask and erase my frown.

I need to quit, but your fix is my lift

Please come back…

I know I’m an addict…

But I’ve decided I’d rather get short painful shots of you than deal with the long pains of

Withdrawal.

They taught me to avoid you,

But it was more like ignore you.

I know why the caged bird sings.

In the Days of Noah: Is the Peculiar Man the Invisible Man?

“I am an Invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids-and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. Like the bodiless heads you see sometimes in circus sideshows, it is as though I have been surrounded by mirrors of hard, distorting glass. When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves, or figments of their imagination, everything and anything except me.” 

In 1952 Ralph Ellison penned these words in a book he wrote entitled, “The Invisible Man.” This discourse he communicated to American Society because he did not feel accepted based on the color of his skin.

Fifty-eight years after the publication of this book, I can relate to the words of Ralph Ellison not because of the color of my skin but because of my choice to reject sin. And in doing so, seek to live as a sincere Seventh-day Adventist Christian within the Church today. One who genuinely embodies the expectation of being a peculiar person. I view this as invisibility because an overwhelming number of young people in the church claiming to be remnant, last day Seventh-day Adventist Christians are actually not living up to all the truth that they know. Not only are they not living up to their truth, they work to pull those who are, out of God’s safety zone of practicing believers. It is almost as if they are mirrors of hard, distorting glass surrounding us, as talked about by Ellison in his book.

Because there are so few of us young people striving to live in accordance with the Word and will of God, I view us as invisible. Therefore I have chosen to speak to you a short while on the subject; In the Days of Noah: Is the Peculiar Man the Invisible Man?

Let us pray!

Father, he who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. Hide me behind your throne of grace, and not my will Father but Thy will be done. Allow your Holy Spirit to speak through me this day, and when all is said and done we will be careful to give you all the praise, honor and glory. In Jesus’ name I do pray, Amen.

Although I am only a third generation Adventist I am convinced it is my generation that will RAP, capital R-A-P, it’s way to the second coming of Christ. And by rap, I don’t mean a type of popular music of US black origin which have words that are recited rapidly and rhythmically, over a prerecorded-typically electronic-instrumental backing; as defined by the dictionary. Neither do I mean an informal talking or discussion session. No, when I say rap I mean having the Responsibility, Accountability and Probability of ushering in the Second Coming of Christ.

The Responsibility because it is our generation that God has given the technological knowledge and ability to complete the spreading of the three angels messages throughout the world in the short period of time, that remains.

The accountability because of the Pathfinder Aim we have taken to heart, recited, and declared throughout the years which states  “The Advent message to all the world in this – our -generation.” And the Probability, because the signs of the times we currently experience point to the very soon coming of Christ in the midst of Days which mirror Noah’s time, as prophesied. Now when we usually speak of ‘signs of the times’ we refer to environmental tragedies and wars and rumors of wars. However, the signs of the times in Noah’s day were character specific and as it was in Noah’s day, it is the same today.

What did the days of Noah look like? Step into my spiritual time machine and let’s go back to the time before the flood. It’s a beautiful spring morning, as a giant man of great stature and strength – known for being quite wise,  walks outside to observe the jewel covered mountaintops in his backyard. He has just finished adding gold to his front porch and silver to his chariot. He smiles as he beholds the almost perfect green grass and deep brown bark surrounding the trees, then thinks – “what a blessing to live in these times in Utopia.”

Next he admires the clear, crystal blue sky and near perfect temperatures surrounding him. The pure, untampered air fills his nostrils with the smells of lavender and vanilla, rosemary and violet, jasmine and citrus, just to name a few. He walks towards the place of worship where sits the altars of his family idols and graven images. On his way there he eats from a tree which bears fruit of all kinds of description.

As he leaves his idol-worshiping experience, he walks past where Noah and his sons are building a strange apparatus and preaching, and stops to listen for a little bit. Now we see him gaze with pride at his home. And then, it happens, his gaze shifts from admiring his house to admiring his neighbor’s wife tending to her garden. “What a beautiful woman” he says to himself, “I must make her one of my wife!” Then his current wife comes down the stairs, and he does not avert his eyes and she does not avert her eyes either because in this Utopia, it is normal to have multiple spouses.

Unfortunately, these are not the only activities occurring in this world during Noah’s days on earth. In-fact this afternoon – a group of friends in the subdivision called ‘Eden Desired’ are having a get together. As people walk into the facility they are greeted by the lovely gay couple hosting the party – Adam and Steve. Adam and Steve were well known because they always had good entertainment at their parties. In their everyday jobs as CEO and COO of the well known antediluvian think tank, their focus is to come up with any and everything that could be thought or imagined that is evil.

As a result at their parties can be seen revealing dress on both males and females, clothes that not only do not cover the body, but if they do cover, they are extremely tight, and look painted on. Also at Adam and Steve’s party can be found date and statutory rape, incest, drinking and use of mood-altering herbs, gluttonous eating, cursing, gambling, lack of restraint and more. The theme of the party is on a banner in the front which states, “Act on your hearts desire, there is no right or wrong, because anything goes.” These are people who say they believe in God and claim to be His.

However, do you see that one family over there across the street? The one that did not go to this party, did not worship at the place where the altars are, and are living lives in close relationship and fellowship with God? They are very peculiar, and referred to by God as righteous and blameless in the heavenly realm. But you know what? In the earthly realm they are invisible.

Even when they are building the ark during the week, making noise and building this strange apparatus, people act like they are not there. The head of this household is Noah, and he just recently received word from God that because of this carefree mentality as relates to sin, He is going to destroy the Earth with water. It is Noah’s job to warn the people and to build a boat for the survivors. So he tells them about the rain that will lead to a flood

They replied. “We live in perfection. What is rain? It has never rained before, so why would it start now. Our great philosophers have just begun to prove that Mother nature is more powerful than God Himself, so we have nothing to fear. As we continue our ride in the spiritual time machine, we fast-forward a hundred years or so. The ark is done. The hearts of the people of this Utopia have been so hardened that not only do they ridicule Noah for his “foolish” ideas, but their sinful living and characteristics have become automatic.

Now the people at the party are astonished. They gaze upward, and are astonished because the crystal, clear blue sky that they have grown so accustomed too is slowly darkening. Clouds have begun to swirl in circles and as they continue to gaze small droplets of water began to fall from the sky. A jagged piece of light that just skips across the atmosphere, a big noise is heard crashing throughout the sky. In the boat is Noah, his family, and every kind of animal.

The people’s fear overwhelm them so much that they became wild. They run all over with some people tying their families to large animals and racing for the mountaintops. Others are beating on the ark asking Noah to open the door so they can get in. While others are climbing to the tops of trees only for them to be uprooted by the waters.

According to Ellen White in the book Patriarchs and Prophets – chapter 7 –  “Many at first appeared to receive the warnings yet they did not return to God with true repentance, they were unwilling to renounce their sins….some were deeply convicted and would have heeded the words of warning, but so many of the people that they worshipped and fellowshipped with were laughing, scoffing and ridiculing what was being preached and taught. As a result, those who were deeply convicted changed their minds and chose to partake of the same spirit of jesting and scoffing with others. As a result, they resisted invitations of mercy, and were soon among the boldest and most defiant of scoffers.”

In 2 Peter 3:3 we are given a heads up. It says, “Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days, scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires.” Luke 17:26, 27 & 30 and Matthew 24: 37-39 tells us that“ When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all. Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of man comes.”

Once more our time machine takes off, only this time we land in the here and now, the last days. We are now in ‘REAL TIME’. How do we know, because we see the same character and behaviors in people here that we saw in Noah’s day. Sadly as we look around we don’t see an acknowledgement in the countenances of your faces that this is the last days and time is short. Well, let me tell you the signs that we see.

Currently in the United States of America, as was calculated in 2008, 40% of first marriages end in Divorce. One of the problems is that sex is the number one topic searched on the internet. In Berrien County alone – which is a small rural town where I live – drinking begins at the age of 12. The watching of porn begins at 11. But it’s not just sex and drinking that was a problem in Noah’s day or our day. It is also spiritualism and satanic worship. 1 Timothy 4:1 states, “The Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last days, some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.”

In 2007, the New York Times Book Review put out an evaluation on Harry Potter. I’ll quote, “In the 10 years since the first one, ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ was published, the series has sold 325 million copies worldwide, with 121.5 million in print in the United States alone. Before Harry Potter, it was virtually unheard of for kids to queue up for a mere book. Children who had previously read short chapter books were suddenly plowing through more than 700 pages in a matter of day.”

A large number of elementary, high school, and college students in the Adventist Church have critiqued J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series as not only creative but “a great read.” I watched as my friends in elementary, junior high, high school and now college, continued to feed their minds with what I consider to be the devils food, and then practice reciting spells. Hordes of young people under the spell of Satan and promoting it as literature. Yet, a small number of young people have maintained a voice that it is spiritualism and should not be read at all. Unfortunately our voice is not heard. Why? You guessed it, because we are invisible in the church. We are struggling against a tide of the majority, to be a peculiar people, an invisible people, a ‘chosen people’ as identified in 1 Peter 2: 8,9 which says, “…you – young ladies and young men of Hyde Park – are not are a chosen people. You are a royal priesthood. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God; for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.”

Guess what other signs of the times we see in these last days: turn with me in your bibles to 2 Timothy 3:1-5, it states “in the last days perilous or difficult times will exist. For people will love only themselves and their money; they will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. Nothing will be considered sacred, people will be unloving and unforgiving, they will slander others and have no self-control. Remember the banner at the Adam and Steve party when we visited the days of Noah in the time machine? It stated,

“Act on your hearts desire, there is no right or wrong, because anything goes.” That is what is going on now. In addition, other character signs of the last days includes: people being cruel and hating what is good, betraying friends, being reckless, puffed up with pride, and loving pleasure rather than God. They act religious, but reject the power that could make them spiritual or godly. This text was speaking about people in the church. People supposedly in the God’s zone. And yet, it advises us to stay away from people like that. I am sure as we read this text our tendency is to identify someone we know that fits the bill. I encourage you all to evaluate your own character to see if YOU fit the bill.

If you do, the Holy Spirit is asking you on this day, at this moment in your heart to change that, to be in these last days – days that mirror Noah’s days – a peculiar person and join the ranks of the invisible in God’s Zone.

When you are in God’s Zone, then you are supposed to be peculiar. But I would like to suggest that some in the God Zone are so intrigued by the things of this world that they have begun to assimilate with the world. In fact, I’d like to suggest that some in the God Zone have assimilated so much that we excuse them looking like the world by saying that the only way to reach the world is to be like the world. Well, the last time I read the Word it said, in John 12:32 that if, He -Christ be lifted up He would draw all persons to Him. I also read in 1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father but are from the world. And the word also tells us in James 4:4 “Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again, if you want to be a friend of the world you make yourself an enemy of God.”

So I ask,  why is it that when a young person in the God Zone speaks up for and lives up to the original beliefs they were baptized under, and refuses to assimilate like the world, they are either shunned or ignored, and treated as though they are invisible?

I ask this question because I had an experience where I felt invisible. Recently, while at college, I was asked to a Sabbath luncheon and while we were waiting for the food to be prepared the host asked if we wanted to watch a movie. Our options were a Marvin Sapp gospel concert on DVD, or Tyler Perry’s Movie ‘Madea Goes to Jail’. I paused for a second and then something told me to speak up so I said, “I feel we should watch something spiritual since this is the Sabbath and we just got out of church.” The response given to me was, “Madea is spiritual!” No one else spoke out with me. I was alone, and disregarded because they put the  movie in anyway despite my voice against it. Me and my opinion were invisible.

I just quietly pulled out my ipod and began to listen to some gospel music to place myself in a personal ‘God zone’, and zone out the movie. I began to read my Bible. It was amazing how God would send me to verses in the Bible that affirmed my decision. Because of this, I found myself laughing out loud and singing along with Richard Smallwood one moment and Tye Tribbett the next. Little did the other guests know, I could hear them make comments like, “She’s off into her own little world.” That made me laugh as well.

I share that story to show how even at Andrews University, which is supposed to be a zone where God is the center, one can become invisible because of your belief in the Word. Even in the clearest of doctrines as keeping the Sabbath Holy. The scary piece was that others who were in the God zone with me, actually thought the ‘Madea goes to jail’ movie was spiritual. Still others in the God zone who believed as I did, yet did not speak up, later came and told me that they agreed but were not strong enough to stand up. They had decided to be a peculiar people, and a chosen generation, but they let peer pressure make them invisible.

In the Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary Volume 7. The word ‘peculiar’ is taken from the Greek word peripoiesis, meaning ‘possession’ [one’s] own property, literally an acquisition, which is an object that is bought or obtained. It further states that, “the expression translated ‘peculiar people’ reads, literally, ‘a people into possession’. Meaning ‘a people of whom God has come into possession of’, or a ‘a people God has acquired for Himself’.

Therefore the concept of being called a “peculiar people” is not solely based on the idea that we are to live lives that are “odd” “strange” or “unusual.” It is in-fact based on the idea that we were bought with a price and therefore we are to live our lives as living sacrifices unto God because the price that was paid was not cheap.

So I invite you to ask yourselves the following two questions, which I ask myself; one, how can I live my life so that others know that I’m in the God Zone? And two, how can I live my life so that the one who possesses me – Jesus Christ – My Master who has set be free from the chains of sin, sees me living my life in such a way that He knows I am sincerely in the God Zone.

Well, it is hard to live that life, talk that talk, and walk that walk in 2010. It’s hard to dress like royalty when everyone tells you that the only way to get a man to dress sensual, and the Media tells you that the tighter your clothes are, the sexier you are no matter what your body type is. It’s hard to behave like a queen when young men communicate as if you a part of the harem rather than the royalty. It’s hard to maintain sexual purity when your friends say “you just don’t know what you are missing, and you need experience before you get married any way”. It is hard to stay in the word when movies, video games, and the internet fight to monopolize your mind. Well, I would like to say, it might be hard because you are surrounding yourselves with people in the God zone that do not have the same spiritual vision and mission as you have; and, are not trying to be peculiar or identify with the chosen generation. If that is the case then you need to take heed to what 1 Corinthians 15:33 advises when it says, “Don’t be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good character’” (1 Corinthians 15:33).

OR it might be hard because like Paul you feel that the things you hate to do are the things you do, and the things you want to do, you don’t do; then I want to remind you that “Greater is HE that is in you than he that is in the world.” So you have no excuse. Because when you understand your role and accept the RAP goals of responsibility, accountability, and probability, for ushering in the Second Coming of Christ, then you will understand that when God takes you out of darkness, you do not remain the same. You don’t dress the same. You don’t walk the same. You don’t talk the same. You don’t even get out of bed the same. You don’t do anything the same because God has changed you from the inside out. You have now realized that because you are a peculiar person you are to living a different kind of life, one that reflects a ‘royal priesthood’.

And if you stay true to this, in the end the tables will turn. Because you will be in the true God Zone, the group of believers to whom He says, “Well done thou good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things so I will make you ruler over many. You may enter into the joy of the Lord.” However to those who don’t get this message, they will be the invisible young man and young lady. Why? because Christ will tell them, depart from me you sinners I know you not,

So as I close, I want you leave you with this thought. Our days are as they were in Noah’s time. And while it is O.K. to watch the last days signs of the times evident in the environment, I encourage you to watch the last day signs of the times that were evident during Noah’s days. Signs of the times related to character and characteristics that let you know you are not a peculiar person in the God Zone, and could end up being an invisible person when Christ returns.

So I encourage you to Watch your WORDS they become your THOUGHTS; Watch your THOUGHTS they become your ACTIONS; Watch your ACTIONS they become your HABITS; Watch your HABITS they become your CHARACTER; Watch your CHARACTER it determines your DESTINY! 

Have a blessed Sabbath