Racism isn’t political.

This shirt is not a political statement. I am not wearing it because I’m a liberal snowflake who hates the police. I wear it because I am a human being and more importantly, a Jesus follower. 

The greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God and then love others as ourselves. Remaining silent right now because it makes us uncomfortable or we don’t think racism exists is not an option. 

The millions of people protesting around the globe aren’t doing so on a whim. Maybe you’ve heard a few voices from POC who tell you it isn’t an issue, and those voices reaffirm your belief that the rest of us are wrong. Let me be clear, you are on the wrong side of history. 

I remember learning about the Civil Rights movement when I was younger and asking myself an important question – would I have marched? You want to believe you would, because equal rights shouldn’t be up for debate. It was, or at least should have been, an obvious argument. 

People in this country didn’t receive the same treatment because of the color of their skin. They decided to protest and fight for their rights. Slavery had been abolished for a century and yet some Americans still didn’t enjoy the basic rights that we are all supposedly entitled to. 

This is the time when I can confirm teenage Chelsea’s suspicion that yes, I would protest. Yes, I would speak out. There are people hurting in this country. We may technically have Civil Rights laws, but we all know a law doesn’t change a heart. 

Making something legal doesn’t make people accept it. It doesn’t mean a person has value to someone else, only that they should in court. This gives people the freedom to continue the trend of racism even if they don’t believe they are actively contributing. 

Trust me, I grew up in a small town with few POC. Since moving away, I’ve had to dismantle a lot of racist beliefs I didn’t know I had. I still have to search myself and recognize these thoughts that ever put me higher than someone else in my own mind. I have to check my privilege willingly because I want a better and more loving world for everyone. 

Jesus himself fought the system and sought those rejected. He didn’t ask to talk to the Pharisees to get both sides of the story. He wasn’t trying to validate that the religious people weren’t that bad. He sought the lost, the hurt, the broken, and He loved them.

I believe wholeheartedly that police officers are heroes. I do not believe they are all racists. But like a lot of systems in our world, something is broken. Crying ‘defund the police’ doesn’t mean get rid of them but exploring different funding options to help communities instead of militarizing.

You can cry ‘Black Lives Matter’ and still believe in your police officers. One doesn’t eliminate the other. This fight is to create a better future for everyone. Don’t get caught up in the polarizing nature of BLM and ‘defund the police.’ Focus on the real evil in this world.

Racism. 

Now is our time to make a real change. I don’t just mean legally, because again, laws don’t change hearts. They are important, but we need to look at ourselves first. We need to recognize what’s inside of us and how we contribute to the problem. We need to be brave enough to stand up to racist comments and jokes. We can be difference-makers.

This fight starts with the individual. If you and I don’t change, racism will persist. 

Write something.

Today I decided I would write something. What exactly, I wasn’t sure, but I woke up knowing I had to try. Every day I think about writing. My inner monologue thinks as if I’m writing, but the words never leave my brain.

I could write about my mental health and personal issues, but who really wants to read that? Maybe a commentary on racism and the political divide in our county? No, I don’t have the right words to conquer such a subject. Oh, I could try some sort of devotional, except I don’t know the Bible that well.

The rejection I face from my brain keeps the words from ever even trying outside. Every idea I have is shut down by one simple thought: I’m not good enough. It’s the root of how I don’t know enough, meaning I don’t really have anything to offer.

So instead of writing anything, I let my brain become overcrowded and continue starting posts in my head that remain unfinished. I fall asleep thinking about what I could say, knowing it won’t happen.

But today was different. I decided I would write something. I would take the time so the words couldn’t figuratively fester in my head. Because that’s what they do.

I actually just looked up the word fester, and it’s great. You can think of it like a wound that gets really gross, or food that becomes rotten. Whether it’s an emotion, tiger scratch, or an old clementine left in the fridge, things fester. They get worse and gross and harder to deal with. Those are the feelings in my head.

If you know me, you know I don’t like to figure out my problems alone. I need to talk through my feelings and whatever I’m facing. Tonight I was mad at my family for not talking to me about painting my apartment. This is because I have a lot of ideas and feelings and after awhile people drown me out. I’m not mad, I get it. I have a blog called Seemingly Good Ideas for a reason.

The point is, I know I need to express my feelings. I know my words need a place and I know there’s a limit to how much my friends and family can handle. Plus, when I take the time to think through something in writing, it’s like I’m releasing it. Or better yet, I’m taking care of a rotten wound.

Unfortunately this one something isn’t releasing everything I’ve had trapped in my head, but it’s a start. Today was hopefully the start of several things, including the practice of writing something.

If I can provide any help to someone reading this, if anyone has stuck through my rambling until I found my point, I would say this: do something. Revolutionary, right?

I know I’m not alone in waiting for the right moments. I’m waiting for the perfect alignment or plan before I move forward, but when has that ever happened or worked out? We can spend our whole lives waiting for a moment we’ll never see. Or we can do something. Anything.

Your first step might not be good. It might be as clumsy as this post, but you took it. That’s the important part we all miss. Spending time to get the path straight is nonsense; all we can do is focus on putting one foot in front of the other and following where we’re led. If we’re too busy looking at our feet, unsure of where they’ll take us, you’ll never get there.

Start with a day when you tried. You did something. You made a small move. I don’t know what it is you need to do, but you do. Stop waiting and go. If you fall, which you probably will, pick yourself up when you’re ready and try again. What good does staying on the ground saying ‘I knew I would fall’ do?

Build something. Say something. Try something. Change something. Break something. Lose something. Find something. Write something.

Whatever your something is, today is the day. I believe in you.