Can't Stop, Won't Stop

In the last few days I've had people accuse me of preaching at them, been told I'm ranting, raving, and shouting into the air because of my Facebook posts and blogs. I've been told what I'm saying is worthless and divisive and giving publicity to racists. I've been told to stop, to support my president, and to move on. I've had people assume I'm not praying for the situation because I'm publicly speaking out against it. I've been accused of talking a lot but not doing enough.

And you know what, they might be right. I might be screaming at the top of my lungs into an abyss of nothingness where my words will dissipate and float away without anyone ever hearing them.

But I don't care.

For those of you that feel that way, that I need to stop or I'm causing problems needlessly, please let me explain why this is so important to me.

I want to be clear that I don't care if you voted for Trump or not. I don't think you're a racist or that you approve of the horrendously racist things that have been happening around our country in the name of Trump since Tuesday. I trust you made the best decision you could. And that's fine.

But that doesn't change the fact that THOUSANDS of people are now being bullied and harassed in the name of our new president-elect. If you don't believe me, follow Shaun King on Facebook or Twitter, who's keeping track of what's been happening. Look it up on CNN. I won't post the hundreds of articles I've seen here, I'll let you do your own research. But please believe me when I say it's happening. I know people personally, I have friends who know people personally, who have been harassed in the name of Trump this week. It's true. I know it's hard to accept, it's hard to believe, it's easy to pretend it's not happening, but it is. There's no way around it.

Why do I feel the need to speak out about it? Because ignoring it and refusing to acknowledge it is

extremely hurtful to the people it's happening to. By keeping silent we're allowing this to continue, saying it's not worth our time or our breath. We're showing how easy it is for us to pretend it's not happening, because it's not happening to US. It's not giving racists publicity, it's exposing them for what they are. Bringing their actions to light. Ephesians 5:11 even says, "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." Sins in the dark, in secret, have power. Exposing them to the light robs them of that power.

I had someone tell me the other day that talking about it doesn't help, but if they saw it happening they'd step in. That's great. So would I. But how often do we really see this type of racism in person? Most of us live in white, Christian bubbles. I know I do, at least. I have never in my life seen an act of blatant racism in person. Does that mean I get to ignore the fact that it's happening all over the country today?

Ask yourself this- if your 16 year old daughter was screamed at and called names and told she was going to be deported by a grown man in a public parking lot, would you stay quiet? Would you tell her to move on and quit whining because she's causing more problems by being vocal? I sincerely doubt it. So why should we ask that others who are hurting and scared keep quiet?

It is OUR responsibility, as the majority, to speak out publicly and tell our gay, Muslim, black, and Hispanic neighbors that we do NOT agree with this, we are sorry it's happening and we'll stand with them and protect them.

It's more important than ever, especially for Christians. Over 80% of white evangelicals voted for Trump, so the longer white evangelicals stay quiet about this wave of racism the longer our minority brothers and sisters think we approve of it. I know we don't, but we have to TELL THEM. We have to show them we love them. We can't assume they know it. If you voted for Trump, you're still allowed to speak out against racism being committed in his name. It's not being hypocritical, it's not an indirect apology, it's simply saying you're sorry this is happening and you don't approve. That's all.

So why talk about it on Facebook? First of all, it's important for people to understand that social media is my generation's main hub of communication. To me, sharing articles and writing blog posts is no different than Thomas Paine's Common Sense pamphlet or Martin Luther's 95 Theses (I mean it's probably different in quality, but you get my point). Both those men had messages and they shared those messages the best way they could, through writing and pamphlets and papers. They used the mediums they had access to to share what they felt was important. You think if Thomas Paine had access to Facebook he still would've printed hundreds of copies of a pamphlet and handed them out in the street?

Our world is different now. It just is. Messages that used to be shared in taverns or town halls or street corners are now being shared online.

Is Facebook the best medium for these things? Definitely not (although I would've loved to see

Luther's responses to the comment section on his 95 Theses blog). But for me, it's what I have access to. Believe it or not, no one has offered to give me a TV show or a radio program or even a weekly article in the paper. I know, surprising right? But for now, Facebook is my platform. Blog posts are my outlet.

I feel compelled to keep talking, keep sharing, keep being vocal about these things that are so important to me. And I'm going to do it in whatever way I can. And for now, that means Facebook and Twitter and blogs (until they offer me that TV deal).

Please understand, I hate controversy, I hate arguments on Facebook, I hate all of this. I don't share these things because I find it fun or entertaining. I feel sick every time I get a new Facebook notification because I'm afraid it's someone starting another fight or saying something hurtful, and I'm so uncomfortable with that tension.

But that's exactly why I feel like I have to fight through it. I have the option of stopping, of leaving that tension behind. But you know who doesn't? The Hispanic child who's the object of "Build the Wall!" chants in their classroom, or the Asian teenager being called a "yellow b****" by strange men, or the black woman who got a note on her car that said "N**** aren't welcome here. Go back to Africa. Watch your back. Trump 2016."

These people can't leave that tension behind, so neither will I.