A letter to my fellow Americans
My fellow Americans,
We live here in this country together. I’m just one white American woman passing through this earth who happens to live here since 1977 to present. I don’t expect to make a big splash, but to raise a family who loves Jesus and loves others and to earn the title, “good neighbor” by everyone I come in contact with in the city of San Francisco. I focus my efforts on the local level, on neighbor introductions and interactions, on connecting us and being the hands and feet of Jesus. I agree with Danielle Coke through her beautiful art:
@ohhappydani
I write a letter to us all because with what we’re learning and processing and living, we see divides, an unfair historical past, and wrongs that need to be made right. Shame and judgements are as close as face masks. We can feel trapped, isolated, confused, angry, _______ (you fill in the blank). I’ve wrestled with how to bring this letter to you. I wrote an entire letter of forgiveness to America for the things I’ve learned we’ve done wrong. This letter led to my own repentance. That doesn’t need to be published, but forgiveness was a necessary next step for me.
Today, please allow me to address the relationship we have with our nation that affects how we love where we live. It’s messy and uncomfortable. How do we believe the lie that life is to be neat and tidy and comfortable?
I’ll say it this way: I love my children and can still not be okay with choices they make. I don’t stop loving them. Ben loves me. (He’s my husband of almost 20 years!) We can disagree, point out wrongs, share how we’ve been hurt by the other, be reconciled to honor and respect moving forward in ways that bless God and display love. All of this while still being a family, not leaving because it’s too hard. Not disowning or disconnecting, but choosing, yes, choosing to care because
We are the CARETAKERS.
We are called to care for one another. To not only look to our interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:4) To be kind, forgiving one another. (Ephesians 4:32) To love in actions and in truth. (1 John 3:18) CARE rearranged is RACE. We’ve gotten CARE and RACE jumbled. We were never meant to see RACE (because it doesn’t exist), only to CARE (because it truly exists). That’s what the enemy does. He’s the father of lies. He’s got a jacked up vision and shares it with us. We’ve put on the wrong spectacles. Let us then see how to C.A.R.E.
Come to Jesus
Often it’s in the very first step we go to people who think like us who will help us justify our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Unsettled stomach? Pounding headache? Anxiety/worry? Scared/uncertain? Come to Jesus first. How? Through prayer. Scripture. Remember what He has done for you. For us. Practice His presence first. Build in a habit of His being the first house you go to - the first call you make - the first Name you cry out.
A prayer: Father God in heaven, we come to You first. You give us life and breathe and this day. You sent Your only Son, Jesus, to die in our place, to take our sins, and to give us direct access to You. Forgive us for not coming to You first with everything. We come to You now and say we need You. Our country needs You. Come close. We ask for Your presence, Your healing, Your peace, Your mercy and Your intervention.
Matthew 11:28, Jesus said, “come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (NIV)
Acknowledge the Tension
Say it is so. Get it outside of you. Write it. Speak it. Voice it to God. What’s bothering you?
The tension is the noticeable division of a perfect heaven and an imperfect earth….Our soul aches for people to experience God’s love. We long for peace on earth. We cry out for His mercy. We intervene for our colleagues, neighbors, families, and friends. As long as we have our eyes fixed on Jesus, and our lives are being spent on others, we will be found in the tension. (Caretaker chapter of Love Where You Live)
Acknowledging the tension is “outside of you” stuff. It’s what you see that is so obvious to you. It can also be spiritual insight - something that God points out to you or that you sense in your spirit.
A prayer: Jesus, You know all things, so what I say here comes as no surprise to You. Yet You know it helps our relationship for me to tell You what I’m seeing. Here’s what I’m seeing: ________________. (Fill in the blank) Here’s what’s bothering me: ___________________. "
Habakkuk 3:2, The prophet prayed, “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”
Repent. Re-center.
This is the “inside of you” stuff - it’s personal now. It’s how the tension makes you feel, what it makes you want to do, the resentment that can quickly mount and make home in your heart. If I may also add Recognize. Me and the kids are doing a deep dive into our family tree. We knew and have made even more discoveries of our family ancestors being slave owners and indentured servants. We’re talking about our family history, making distinct shifts in how we think and love. But there’s another family history and it’s found in the Bible - a story of one human race all made in the image of God. This includes all of us and will never exclude any of us. This step purges any feelings of division and helps us take captive any thoughts that don’t align with the ways of Jesus.
A prayer: Jesus, there is nothing hidden from You. (Hebrews 4:13) So it’s pointless to hold anything back from You. I need to tell You I’m sorry for: __________________________. You have created us all in Your image and I recognize moments when I’ve not treated others with respect and honor. I repent and turn back to You and Your ways.
Micah 7:18-19, “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”
Enter back into the story
Every one of us is necessary. God has given you a purpose, therefore we enter back into the story. Every step is necessary. When evil, unkind, wonky thoughts enter, C.A.R.E. When bias, prejudice, anxiety well up, C.A.R.E. When case counts increase, reopenings face delay, C.A.R.E. Do these next steps over the course of a few minutes or a few months. Keep going back. It’s a cycle of healing and restoration that purifies us personally, but has an affect on us nationally. These steps allow us to enter back into the true narrative that God wants to write for each of us, so when done together, we make a lasting impact on the future of our country.
A prayer: Jesus, we want You to keep writing our story for You write the greatest! We want to do our part as we follow Your heart into our homes, marriages, parenting, work, relationships, conversations, neighborhoods, communities. We choose obedience as we enter back into the story - to do life Your way.
2 Chronicles 29:11-13, “Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.”
I am grateful for this land we get to call home. I’m glad this is where we live for such a time as this. You won’t catch me singing I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free, but may you catch me in the act of loving my family, loving my neighbors, in word, action and truth. May we work towards being a united nation under God with liberty and justice for all.
Because I care for you,
Shauna
*I have an entire chapter called Caretaker and outline more in depth how to C.A.R.E. This is one of several ways we can dwell with purpose where we live.
Upcoming posts: Join me and my friends, Jennifer, Desiree, and Shantinay as we have conversations about our purpose growing stronger, friendships moving into new spaces, and the new neighbor(hood) unfolding.