hypocrites

Path Has Already Been Paved

Before I begin this post, I want to tell how I found this beautiful image. In Google image search I typed in “church lady black” and on the first page of google, my mom’s artwork comes up! African-American artist Janie McGee….that’s so awesome! I mean already know my entire family, especially her come up on 15 pages of Google…but wow I didn’t expect church lady to result in me finding my mom’s art. So cool!

I wanted to post one of my favorite songs by Dennis Ferrer. I first fell in love with this song when I heard it a little over four years ago when I was leaving New York and driving back to Maryland. The beat shifted through my entire body and the vocals had resonated in my soul. The first minute of the song has this sensational vocal humming, sort of like an old school negro spiritual and the old church hymns that were influenced by southern slave roots.  The song title itself, Church Lady, speaks for itself.

Like most house songs, there is a story being told through the instrumentals and the vocals. The organ, the hallelujah praises, and the humming  work in sync. The song tells the story of a young woman who is the single mother of a year three year old. She is going through a rough time in her life and the Church lady is her last chance for her soul getting some peace. The young woman is scared and lost, she has nowhere to run, and the Church lady is there to help guide her down the right path.Towards the end of the song this life and death struggle this young woman is facing is evident in the following lines:

Church Lady, you better find her a hymn,
She’s going down that road,
She’ll be early seeing Him.
I’ve tried my point of view,
All of her friends tried it too,
So Church Lady, sing her that song, sing her that song.

Then the song goes off into a spiritual house movement. At this point, I’m not earthly good to anyone in the room with me. Every time I hear this last part of the song, my soul begins to have a spiritual revival.

Glory, (Halleluiah) Halleluiah,
Let show them you the way
(Let em show you the way)
Glory, (Glory) Halleluiah,
Cos That’s already been paved
(Already been paved)

This part of the song continues to repeat itself and drives the central message into the garage. It’s a wrap at this point, but on many occasions I’ve listened to this song on repeat for a good twenty minutes. I haven’t been to church in over a year, but I’ve grown spiritually and truly understood what it means to be a Christian disciple of Christ. Being a Christian in our current generation has so many negative connotations and people are immediately turned off when they find out I’m a Christian. Most people that aren’t followers or believers in Christ have had such traumatic and negative experiences with “Christians”. It’s such a shame that many individual’s walk out hypocritical religiousness instead of pure Christ like spirituality that isn’t defined by man-made parameters.

I have friends of different religious beliefs in my life and we understand each other. We don’t agree on the same things as far as spiritual practices, but that doesn’t stop us from going to the movies together, playing video games, or shopping and talking about relationship drama. I’m not perfect and I have my faults, but I try to broaden my horizons when it comes to the people I associate with.  In the Bible Jesus Christ taught around people of different lives and didn’t follow the typical guidelines of the Pharisees. He accepted people for where they were in life the moment he met them, and I try to do the same. I have common sense as well and don’t associate myself with people that obviously aren’t called to be in life. If something isn’t bearing some type of positive fruit in my life, then I love that person from a distance and keep them in my prayers.

I have such a joy in my life that comes from my walk with the Lord. When nobody else ever loved me outside of my family, I always knew that Christ wouldn’t reject me. I found such a since of peace within him and it’s something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. This song Church Lady reminds me of how hard life can be, but there is always someone out there sending up a prayer on your behalf. Whether it be your grandma, your co-worker, one of your distant friends, or simply your parents…there is always someone out there in the midst of your social circle that has an ounce of spirituality, and they are praying that God blesses you and your daily endeavors.

I’m so thankful that I grew up in a household with a loving mom, dad, and brother who showed me the true love of Christ. Not the stuck up hierarchy of chasing success that seems prevalent in most mega churches. I’m so thankful that my mom studied the New Age, Hindu, Islam, Witchcraft, and so many other religions before choosing to follow Christ. Her journey helped me understand the path I was on and why it was the right fit for me. God is so good and I wouldn’t regret dedicating my life to Christ for anything. I want my life to stand for something and I want the love of Christ to reflect in my daily interactions. I still have a long way to go and each day I’m learning and studying something new. This world we live in is a harsh bottle of pills to swallow, but the path has already been paved. My life is in the hands of God and I’m thankful for the Church Lady out there that prayed for me in my times of affliction, heartache, and insecurities. Thank you Church Lady for singing that song.

Think About It

Awhile back I encountered someone who’s viewpoint was quite raw concerning GLBT’s ( gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders). He pretty much told me that he hated anyone that was gay and he was homophobic. I asked him why he didn’t like them so much and he simply said “they are just disgusting people”.  The nerve of him! I wanted to smack the black right off his face. I could never be with someone who had such a shallow viewpoint on life and treated anyone different then themselves with such hateful disregard.

His attitude made me think about all the gay teen suicides that have been taking place past few weeks. Attitudes like that guy are an attributing factor in the hate that those who are different receive. It really upsets me! Just because you don’t agree with someone’s lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to outcast them and make their life a living hell. I’m not blaming other people for those who are gay and kill themselves, but some people aren’t strong enough to handle such emotional abuse from people who claim to be their “friends”.

I was teased in high school, not for being gay or anything, but for being a black girl who focused on school, was cool with all the teachers, and for the fact I was taller than most females. But I was strong enough to handle the teasing and it so wasn’t worth taking my life. I have way too many things I want to accomplish, places to go, and things to do. I wanted to actually make it to college and fulfill my dreams of graduating, getting a masters, and doing my career to the fullest. I want to somehow make a difference once I finish school. I’d love to start an organization for young girls who are facing issues of low self esteem due to negative images portrayed in the media. It’s so sad that so many of are youth are dealing with issues of low self esteem and sexual identity, and being bullied for having these issues.

One thing that upsets me the most is religious folks who treat those who are homosexual as if they are scum of the earth. Man…that’s messed up! I’m a disciple of Christ (Christian), but I don’t go to church. I got so sick of the hypocrisy and the ill treatment of those who are different. I’m the type of person who comes to church the way I am, I may not own a fancy Sunday dress or a skirt. So I work with what I got….nice jeans,a blouse, and ear piercings( nothing serious). But oh, that’s not godly! Your not supposed to wear denim to church! Oh, hush up. The things I read in the Bible don’t line up with the things I see in church and that’s why I opt not to go. Jesus loved people of different backgrounds and didn’t hold a machete to their neck forcing them to change their ways. I may not agree with some people’s lifestyle choices, but I’m not gonna sit their on a high horse and make them feel like crap. I’ve had better treatment from people outside the church, then those sitting on the pews every Sunday, Wednesday, and don’t forget the occasional Friday night choir rehearsal.

I honestly don’t know if I’ll go to church again anytime soon. The last time I went was a few months ago to this church out here in Colorado and it was just a terrible experience! The pastor pretty much called everyone out for being poor and not giving enough money in the additional birthday offering he passed around (pastor’s bday…and he wanted a gift). I’ve never seen anything like that in my life! Really pastor….come on now….really? Instead of praying for the congregation and taking the time to realize why everyone was struggling….he just made them all feel bad, including me and my family. Everyone who didn’t give in the offering he made them stand up. That’s just not biblical and not God.

We  need to get to the point where we just accept people the way they are. Love can change the world. My close friends are gay, bisexual, lesbians, Buddhists, atheists, and other religions (one of my old friends from school was a wiccan….we lost touch though since I moved out here, might find her on fb). The beautiful thing about the world is that people have so many different lifestyles and beliefs, but when we all come together and accept people the way they are that broadens are horizons. I stand strong in my viewpoints are a follower of Jesus Christ, but I’m not going to constantly slam my beliefs down people’s throats. That’s just not legit. I’d rather agree to disagree, love each other, and just continue being the best person I can be in their life. Dish the hate, it’s not cool.

Hating people because they are different is so elementary school….so get over it! If your a close minded person or someone who is so religious that they make others feel bad for being different….then wake up and smell the coffee. GLBT’s aren’t ever going away, so you might as well get used to it. They are people too….don’t stereotype them into some category where they all love girlie colors and love Lady Gaga.Take each person as they come and you will find that the world is such a beautiful diverse place. If you have hate in your heart…take a moment and examine it. Why do you hate those who are different from you so much? Where is the hate coming from? Is it really worth pushing someone to take their own life? Don’t be an advocate in creating another gay suicide statistic. You don’t have to campaign for gay rights or start a foundation….it all begins with showing love to those around you.

Tim Gunn’s View point on Gay Teen Suicide -http://culturemap.com/newsdetail/10-09-10-tim-gunn-and-houston-own-trey-speegle-take-gay-teen-suicide-to-task/