There has to be a community outcry that declares dissatisfaction with the current condition, not just of the community, but with the people within the community. This is the place where we must begin.  It is the people that construct the community and the people within the community must grow weary with the low level of safety in our community. I suggest that the standards of the people, our people, have to be raised.  We must want more of ourselves as individuals as well as of each other.

It is at some point that our love for our family causes us to not tolerate having relatives who proliferate acts of crime.  I do not suggest that all of the laws of the land are favorable however they do exist to give all within US jurisprudence an equal outlook or equal footing as to what is justifiable.  Families should not benefit or reap the harvest from another family member’s ill gotten gains.  We have all witnessed the eventual outcome of traveling this road.  There are many motivating factors that lead people to lives of crime.  Some of them are because of a lack of opportunities to be gainfully employed, the cost of living continuously increasing, the mainstream glamorizing of a ‘thug life’, as well as materialism that suggests being somebody of importance is measured by your material possessions, even the lack of life-skills that would enable a person to maneuver through difficult situations without responding in violence.  Each of these as well as there are other dynamics that contributes to the cause nevertheless the community must be outraged not about the police but we must be outraged about the people in the community.

It is unfortunately apparent that our neighborhoods have regressed to a wild-wild west mentality.  Humanity should respect others.  Humanity should value the life of others.  Where do we begin to change our culture?  Where do we begin to right this wrong within our community?  Where do we begin to change the image that we have of ourselves and correct the image that the public has of us?  It starts with us.  It is an effort that can’t be handled by one entity.  It requires individual accountability.  It requires the leaders in our community.  It requires our churches and pastors.  It requires law enforcement, politicians.  It requires people being humane.  It requires that we love life, each other and have a since of pride about who we are.

There is a greater evil in our day and time that challenges our people.  We can cry about racism, which still exists, but we are destroying ourselves.  Sometimes when you look at our community it appears that it has been neglected; neglected by government, neglected by law enforcement.  It may very well have been neglected by government, law enforcement and others unfortunately it has been neglected by us as well.  We have to take pride.  We have to take back our neighborhood.  We have to take back our children.  We have to take back our identity.  We have to grow tired and begin to change and expect more and require more.  We have to become accountable.  This is not how we are supposed to live.  This is not what our forefathers fought for when they envisioned having equal rights and civil rights.  This is not what was envisioned when there was the abolishment of segregation.  This is not what was expected.  This is not how it was supposed to be.  To whom much is given much is required.  With the freedom that Dr. King and others have fought for there comes great responsibility.  We are the recipients of their blood and sacrifices as well as we are the ones that bear the responsibility for what they fought for and have gained.  The question is can we handle the responsibility that comes along with being free.  We must remove the shackles off of our mind and discontinue this path and obtain the greatness that we can become.

Herein lies the challenge for us all, not only in this area of forgiveness but for life in general and that is to accentuate scripture and not ourselves. It is a natural act to react, enact or just merely behave according to what we know and what we have become accustom to doing. Human beings are creatures of habit. If we all were to examine our lives closely you will discover that there are some things that we do, say, eat, drive, as well as wear out of habit. We drive the same way to and from work catching the same lights. We eat the same foods. We sit in the same seat/pew every Sunday. These things are done without thinking. They are done reflexively and can be classified as reflex actions. Reflex actions are almost instantaneous and nearly an involuntary behavior, sometimes also classified as habitual behavior.

Habits are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously, without one being conscious about them. Habitual behavior often goes unnoticed in persons exhibiting it, because a person does not need to engage in self-analysis when undertaking routine tasks. As behaviors are repeated in a consistent context, there is an incremental increase in the link between the context and the action. This increases the automaticity of the behavior in that context. However, good intentions are able to override the negative effect of bad habits. It is through accentuating scripture and not ourselves that we intend to develop some good intentions through Holy and Divine text. It is through scripture that we are enabled to override un-forgiveness, lingering hurts along with the non-biblical responses to offenses.

I could have gotten lost in the aforementioned display of the few who faltered in their attempt by voicing vehemently as oppose to voicing with a virtuous vigor without being excused from the chambers. There are some other paramount pictures that presented themselves on last night that need not be overshadowed by the display of the few (I mean no disrespect). I have just listed three and others when they step back will find that there are others to add to this list:

1. The ongoing issues in District 5
   

2. The hope in talented future leaders
   

3. The condescending overtone
   

There are ongoing issues in district 5 that must be address. If you talk to 100 people in the district (please note that I said in the district) you will get about 200 different answers. There must be an assessment of the District to identify what are the issues that our newly appointed Commissioner is up against as well as future leadership. As a people we cannot assume that the change needed in this District will be accomplished overnight. This assessment will help to identify what are the issues as seen by the people who live, work, shop, and worship in this District. As well as it will begin to shape a District 5 Agenda. Now mind you the average person in the District may not be aware of all of the political wrangling that takes place from a City, County, State and Federal perspective therefore there is a trust that the person in the Commission for District 5 will help the Peoples Agenda get accomplished. The aforementioned is the development of this Peoples/District 5 Agenda from the inside out approach. However, in order to have a well rounded approach or view you must take into consideration the perspectives of others from the outside in. Yet, this outside in approach must not be more or equally weighted as the view from the people in the District.

On that Tuesday evening we also saw that there is hope for the District in the way of future leadership. Please note here that I did not say young (no disrespect). We witnessed that that there are other faces and voices that are ready to step up to the plate and provide leadership for the predominately minority community of District 5. However, even here there are challenges. How are our leaders chosen? Who selects them? Are they from among us? Are we identifying new talent and positioning them for the next tier of leadership? What are the opportunities for the young black and successful? So often within our community we get divided from those outside of our community as well as from within. This weakens the Peoples/District 5 Agenda. Not only is division a threat individual greed, self aggrandizement, jealousy, and a lack of trust, to mention a few, are viruses that have infected so many. Sadly to say the symptoms are unknown and are not easily detected by those infected and uninfected. I must also warn that these viruses are highly contagious if not careful the best of can become infected falling victim to the sad sophomoric outcome of these viruses. How do we guard against the tainted and how do we not become tainted? One thing for certain is that if there is no Peoples/District 5 Agenda, checking it off as we go along, there can’t be any accountability. I still saw on that Tuesday evening some hope.

As I watched the meeting it came across over the internet as though one of the Commissioners was condescending. I purposely withhold the name because you need to watch the meeting and watch it carefully as to gather you own conclusion. It was as if as though all the people of District 5 are non-working, lazy, thugs, non-dreamers, no vision, content with where they are, mooching, parasitic people. As if as though he had the answers for District 5. It was also as though there were no intelligence near District 5. I am offended and you should be too. He also had the audacity during the meeting to talk to the potential leaders as though he was a superior being. I also felt that he lost sight of the fact that he is a public servant. I say the following from experience. As a pastor, yes my position should bring me respect but I also give respect to those whom I give leadership to I am just a lead servant. Just because you are an elected official it does not give you the arbitrary right to act as though you are above. You have been elected to serve and because you are a Commissioner you are to work not just for your constituents but work along with the other Commissioners and for the constituents of all of Miami. When one part of Miami looks bad the whole of Miami looks bad we are interconnected whether you like it or not.

Servant of The Lord Jesus Christ,

Reverend Johnny L. Barber, II, Th.M.

Pastor, Mt. Sinai M.B. Church

I was reading the text 1 Peter 5:6, wherein it instructs the believer to humble themselves under the hand of God. In this text it is also revealed that in doing the aforementioned that God will exalt the believer in due time. As I read and then meditated on this text it caused me to think of the process that is involved in divine exaltation or divine success. It must be grasped that there can be no divine exalting until there is a deliberate self subjugation by the one desirous of being exalted. This humbling in the text involves a submitting to the way of God which is found exclusively in the word of God. This is important because it is not found in human emotions, fleshly desires but in the Holy Word that gives life instructions. Therefore tantamount to obtaining divine success is the submission to God’s will. I heard one writer says that it means that we understand that we stoop to conquer. This is contradicting to today’s beliefs as well as practices. For in today’s society we view the flexing of military might, the bombarding of ideologies over the ideas of others, as well as the notion of you are either with the aforementioned or you are not a patriot. My dear readers do not subject yourself to this militant and malicious way of existence. God offers to us a different way of living and it is His way of living.

Enveloped in this Petrine text are a promise of exalting and a projection of such time as well. It is an assurance that if the person would submit themselves to God’s will then what is promise is then produced in that person’s life. Preparation to receive the blessing of being exalted by God is thusly nestled in the practice of submission and waiting on God. This, “due season,” as mentioned in the text, is akin to the cliché-ic statement about God’s arrival in our needs/situations, wherein it is decreed, and “He may not come when you want Him to come but He is always on time.” “Due season,” appropriates the timeliness of the exalting. Please note that it is not declaring ‘a’ season. For if this was done then it would attach the exalting to a particular period in time. There are dangers in the attaching the ‘exalting’ to a particular point and then period in time. One of such would promote a looking to a definitive point in which ‘exalting’ will happen. Another of such would relegate the ‘exalting’ to a point that once it has occurred becomes a moment in the past. To speak of the aforementioned, it would cause a half-hearted effort only doing enough to make it to the point of ‘exaltation,’ with no lasting godly developed lifestyle. The latter would suggest that the ‘exalting,’ has a life occurrence of once-in-a-lifetime. But the author eliminates these as non-plausible considerations when he says, “due season.” Suggestively enveloped here is that ‘exaltation’ comes at the right time, Praise God. That means that all dynamics (to include external and internal) are right. I would like to also suggest that there is not a limitation on the exalting that is done. Therefore, throughout life ‘due season’ will appear as determined by God, Praise His name. Humbling oneself will cause you to have humility and an accurate estimation of self. Yet, humbling oneself under the hand of God requires total abandonment of selfishness and total reliance on Him. Exaltation and sure success is available the cost is humbling oneself under the hand of God.

Johnny L. Barber, II, Th. M.

 I was talking with a fellow Pastor the other day and he was sharing about a problem that plagues the church that he pastors.  He identified the problem as ownership.  Members were giving him a hard time because believed that, that Church belonged to them.  Time is being diverted from developing the people of God to fulfill the mandate, as given in what is known as “The Great Commission,” to preaching about the fundamentals of the church.  I listened because this problem is not unique to this pastor but it is also plaguing other parishes and parishioners as well.  The troubled pastor described some of the actions as being confrontational.  This perturbs me; for it is quite evident that the owner of the church is Christ Jesus, who died for the church.  The pastor happens to only be the steward of the church.  This brings about with it the responsibility to care for as well as give leadership to the church in the ways of Christ (this is just a synopsis).  The people in the structure of the church are members/disciples.  This gives credence to them being servants (the pastor is a servant as well) who have been disciple to carry and conduct themselves in the way of the Master Teacher who is Jesus the Christ. 

 Scripture clearly indicates that Jesus is the chief corner stone we are merely lively stones.  Ownership status can never be obtained by any man or woman.  It cannot be obtained through longevity or through family.  This is clearly evident in Holy text.  This is the Christians blueprint for how church gets done.  Yet I am sad to report that these biblical truths are deliberately ignored or they are selectively followed for convenience.  The absence of the bible for governance is unequivocally the absence of the Holy Trinity (God the Father/God the Son/God the Holy Spirit).  This absence has led to a perpetual miscalculation and misled assumptions that create tensions in the church along with confrontation.  What happens in these instances is that the energies of the church are now focused intently on the fundamental basic knowledge that all Christians should have and that is that the church belongs to Jesus Christ.  And it is not what the By-Laws and Constitution say that governs the body on the contrary; it is what the bible says.  Let me clarify here.  I am not suggesting a throwing out of the Church Constitution and By-Laws.  They are not evil in and of themselves.  They are a useful instrument if and only if they are birthed out of the bible, reference back to the bible and are subject to the bible.  Another pastor offered comically, yet with some validity, that the reason we (Christians) refer to the Constitution over the Bible is because we know what the Constitution says and not what the Bible, the Holy Word of God says.

 So when a statement like we’ve been here longer than you and my family has always been here arise remember that Christ died for His Church and it belongs to Him.  Our responsibility is to merely stewards over what is not ours and disciples to our Master Teacher living by and according to how he has lived.

 It is not ours it belongs to Him.  It is not yours it belongs to Him.  Let’s talk.  What you think?        

 We are presently living in a culture of high divorce and troubled marriages.  This is not unique to this current culture yet it has created immunity to marital trouble.  Thusly, it has become the norm in this climate to have difficulty and divorce on the horizon in a marital relationship.  Well, what can be done to preserve a relationship?  What can be done to perpetuate that first date or that moment where you fell in love with your mate?  Is there anything that can be done to protectively insulate a marriage with love? 

 Allow me to preface the following by stating that I am not an expert nor do I profess perfection in my relationship.  I have heard of various methods employed by men and women across the US with successes as well as struggles with these methods.  I have found that many try to have at least one night or evening as a date night or family night.  This night becomes a deliberate weekly agenda item kept by all parties as a night of romance, fun, personal time, and quality time with the family or just alone with your mate. 

 Unfortunately, things as usual start off good but bombardment from outside social and professional sources derail the consistency in this area.  This raises the importance of a need to strategically surround yourself with individuals and reminders that will point to fulfilling this weekly commitment.  Anything that serves as an healthy indicator that would aid in the motivating of this effort to differ from the norm of marital trouble with divorce looming on the horizon.

 I saw such an indicator the other day when it was reported that President Obama took First Lady Michelle Obama for a night out on the town in New York City after having earlier spent time at Malia’s soccer game.  Here the President showed that he was a man that keeps his word with his family and wife.  Like a couple that is concerned about the health of their marriage and committed to its success as well as just merely in love left their daughters in D.C.  Bravo Mr. President many others need to take your lead and invest in their relationships as well as families.

 For every day of sun there is a day of rain that can soon come.  Surely not after such a genuine and example setting effort that scrutiny would arise.  If you thought that there wouldn’t be scrutiny sadly mistaken you are.  For the Republican National Committee, which questioned the president’s decision to travel to New York for a night of entertainment during a recession and while the nation’s automakers struggle to survive.  It was just a few months ago that auto execs were roundly criticized when they traveled to Washington for congressional hearings in pricey private jets, noted the RNC, which issued a news release chastising Obama for saying he understands American’s troubles but then hopping up to New York for a night on the town.

 I perhaps can concur with parts of the scrutiny, however, in scrutinizing there could at least been the recognition of the example that it sets for couples in America.  Sadly, Mr. President you are ridiculed if you do and ridiculed if you don’t.  Thanks for the example Mr. President. 

 What do you think?

With times the way that they are it is going to require that all would regain thankfulness for the things that we take for granted.  It is the simple things such as life.  Being alive in and of itself is a good staring place.  Life being the point of departure for thankfulness elevates the individual to transcendence of these terrible times.  There has been many advancements improving life yet it has contributed adversely to life as well.  The appreciation of life has been, unfortunately, relegated to an estimation based upon possessions.  This if true, especially during these current economical times, would really be disastrous.   Currently there are those that are loosing possessions, not by choice but due to the global economical constraints, daily.  Those who are experiencing these troubling occurrences would estimate themselves to have nothing to be thankful for as well as would be less than appreciative of life.

However, I would like to offer as a contradict a character that finds its origin in the Christ.  For this character the joy of the Lord is its strength.  There is a song writer that waxed so accurately in stating that “Jesus you’re the center of my joy.”  This offers an accurate gauge or tool for the measurement of life.  By that I mean the life that has Jesus at its center has joy.  This type of joy is not a situational influenced joy, no on the contrary, it is Sovereignty supplied, situated and sustained joy.  For the joy that is a situational joy is nothing more than happiness.  This relegates the emotion to being stimulated by tangible stuff.  On the diametric opposite of the aforementioned is a Sovereignty joy whose stimuli is enveloped in the Sovereign. 

Hence, I say to all we can all have a Happy Thanksgiving as well as life that is continuously occupied by joy.  In conclusion, given the present conditions every day is still a day of thanks.  I am simply thankful for life, my family, my church family.  I truly thank God for life and many other things.  I recognize that there is a blessing in just being alive.

Can you name something that you are thankful for?  

Risky Person

There were commercials that were driven to make viewers feel that Obama was a risky person. This was an absurd attempt to tap into a subliminal fear of blacks. We must be careful as to how we are descriptive of people as well as the generalities that are applied to a race of people. Stereotypes are hurtful reminders of the horrid past of this United States.  Where are the apologies for the divisive language used in this recent election?  Unfortunately, there will not be an apology.  It will only be stated that, “that is/was just politics.”  This is a sad reality because it has unearthed as well as displayed some of the most ugly and hateful feelings as well as practices that we simply turn the other cheek at. 

Racism

Will we, the United States, deal with this invisibly visible underlying current that reared its head in politics?  I feel that what took place this political season was this evil showed itself; clothed in the clothing of politics and code worded language used to disguise yet convey to those of like hearts, minds, and philosophies to easily grasp the subliminal message.  In this campaign we saw the failed effort to draw cultural lines to divide US citizens. 

We must admit that it became evident as well as apparent that there are still pockets where racism exists.  Blacks are ok, in the minds of some, as long as they stay where they are supposed to stay.  It is sad that I must sit here and write this.  I can’t even begin to wrestle my mind around a mentality that hates a race of people.  It is unphantomable to be filled with disdain for a race of people.

One Nation under God

The only way that we can truly say that we are one nation under God is because we tolerate each other.  This may be a large task to undertake.  By that I mean to transcend tolerate and appreciate the differences that the many rainbow races that exists here in these United States, our United States.  Yes our forefathers made some horrific mistakes along with brutal mistreating of people of color; but we are all here now.  This country has the greatly tremendous potential of being a precursor giving a glimpse at what unity and a divine togetherness could be. 

In this country we should be able to live next door to each other, work with each other, go to school with each other, shop with each other understanding that yes there are cultural, religious, political, and even social differences.  Yet we can have differences but it would not affect our togetherness.  We must learn how to articulate the differences without being barbaric and brutal towards each other.

Should there be an apology?

Should there be a change in how politics is done?

How do we deal with racial issues?

I have had a moment to take and wind down after today’s (11.9.08) worship service.  Whew, it was a great day.  This Sunday was our Friends and Family Day.  Worship service I think, however bias that may be, was awesome.  Today our youth choir was just spectacular all day long (7:30am & 11am).  To hear their voices being utilized for worshipping God aided in setting the atmosphere.  I must give kudos to our Minister of Music, Bro. Keotis Williams.  I also take great joy in seeing the youth ushers being trained and molded into door holders in the house of the Lord.  It was good to see the extended family of Mount Sinai; these are the family members of our church members.  There were some faces that we have not seen in a while however, to see that they are doing well brings joy.

Well, our day began with our 7:30am service.  During the early morning service our message focused on the biblical story of the four leprous men in the book of 2 Kings 7.  Our topic for this sermonic presentation was a rhetorically probing question, “Where do we go from here?  This sermon’s effort was aimed at the black experience.  We have witnessed the historical election of Senator Barack Obama as president of the United States of America.  The question is, “Where do we go from here?”  As African Americans, yes we should be excited about what has taken place and what is taking place.  Yet, we should not be surprise as we ascend to positions of prominence.  Our attitude should be one of expectation.  By this I mean that we should expect nothing less of ourselves.  Mind you this does not promote an attitude of carelessness.  No, Lord forbid, on the contrary because of a greater position there is a greater responsibility.  So where do we (African Americans) go from here?  This is not reserved for the professional African American but, no pun intended, the average Joe.

As the day continued we were richly blessed during our 11am service as the families of our church invited several of their family members and friends to worship with them, to God be the glory.  During these services the sermon focused on the family.  I spoke from the topic, “I need thee.”  The text was from 2 Samuel 6:11-16 and the focus was birthed out of the awesome ability of God; wherein the Ark of the Covenant while at Obed-edom’s house caused his house to be blessed and all that he possessed was blessed as well.  The Ark of the Covenant represented the presence of God and when you have the presence of God it brings the blessings of God into your life. 

We concluded this day of worship with an old fashion pot-luck dinner out on the yard under the big tent.  It was good to see people breaking bread together and fellowshipping after the worship service.  This truly was a blessed day.  Thank you goes out to Sis. Betty Nesbitt and the Special Events Committee for all that you poured into making this a very successful event and time in worship.

I leave you with the questions…

Ø As a people (whatever nationality), where do we go from here (in light of the recent political election)?

Ø In what ways do you sense the presence of God in your life?  Have you notice a change since having this divine presence; if so, in what ways?  How do you excite others to desire God’s presence?

Lets talk…