Saturday, August 21, 2010

Selfishness and Manipulation = Continual Oppression

 
I am a African who lives in America. At times I refer to myself as African American because my ancestors have been in this country since 1785. The exact date that I listed comes my family reunion book. But now I am referring to myself as an African who resides in America. I purposefully do this to remind myself that I am connected to all Africans and peoples of African descent around the ENTIRE world. We can not think of Africans as just those who live on the continent Africa. Africans and all Black people who are scattered around the world are Africans who just happen to live in other places and have different cultural traditions. This is just my opinion and you do not have to accept it my friend. But I strongly feel that you should at least ponder the thought and in time adapt the idea into your own life. I will share with you why I feel this is of the utmost importance for people of color. Why this ideological UNITY is important for all Black peoples' futures!

Unity is so important that the Bible mentions it as essential for believers in Jesus Christ to grow in HIM. "As a prisoner for the LORD, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received....Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1,3).

Consider this scripture, "May the GOD who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow CHRIST JESUS (Romans 15:5).

I feel that unity is of the utmost importance for people of African descent globally to heal and recover from the damage that has been inflicted upon us. But the first step to healing is to believe in JESUS CHRIST who loves you and is the answer to all of the pain on this world. After that, then its important that we learn to love and respect one another and not think we are better than one another.

Over the years, I have been blessed to meet people from all over the world: Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Caribbean, Nigerians, Ghanaian, Tanzanian, etc.

It has been a humble joy spending time with people from all over the world but one thing troubles me in regards to people of African descent. We are not unified as we need to be.

For people of African descent most of our disunity is not our fault. Consider a  "plan" that was introduced to the slaveowners within the United States during 1712. The following quote is taken from the Willie Lynch Letter.

"I guarantee every one of you that, if installed correctly, it will control the slaves for at least 300 years. My method is simple.....I have outlined a number of differences among the slaves; and I take these differences and make them bigger. I use fear, distrust and envy for control purposes......On top of my list is “AGE,” but it’s there only because it starts with an “a.” The second is “COLOR” or shade. There is intelligence, size, sex, sizes of plantations, status on plantations, attitude of owners, whether the slaves live in the valley, on a hill, East, West, North, South, have fine hair, course hair, or is tall or short...... Now that you have a list of differences, I shall give you an outline of action, but before that, I shall assure you that distrust is stronger than trust and envy stronger than adulation, respect or admiration. If used intensely for one year, the slaves themselves will remain perpetually distrustful" (The Willie Lynch Letter). 

This evil plan was not just used in the United States but also in the West Indies. This plan is a sample of what has been done. I propose not just to Africans who reside and ancestors are from America but to all Africans around the world.

Brothers and sisters directly from Africa may say "but I was not a slave". But I will suggest that you have been through slavery too. First of all, all people including myself are a slave to sin until we allow JESUS to serve as LORD and SAVIOR of our lives and then Africans around the world are slaves mentally (not all of us) but the majority of us are slaves in the mind. But in regards to sin EVERY person we are slaves to sin until JESUS becomes our SAVIOR.

JESUS says, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin". (John 8:34).
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of GOD" (Romans 3:23).

Even though we are all slaves to sin, JESUS died to free us ALL from sin.

"...just as CHRIST was raised from the dead through the glory of the FATHER, we too may live a new life" (Romans 6:4b).

JESUS came to give all of us new life. So once again, my friends, all of us are slaves to sin.

Now, people of African descent have been inflicted with mental slavery and in the past physical slavery. Our physical slavery in the West lasted for over 500 years and has ceased - but there is slavery in the Eastern world. But our mental slavery and disunity is global!

This disunity is so true and I have perpetrated it and I have felt the sting of it. Many who live in Africa and who migrate around the world say "oh I was never a slave, etc". But many of them still are.




WE are MENTAL SLAVES if we think we are better than other people.
WE are a MENTAL SLAVES if we feel our culture is better than someone else's and everyone who doesn't subscribe to our culture is inferior.
WE are a MENTAL SLAVES if we can only see others' flaws but can never see our own.  
YOU are a MENTAL SLAVE if you are from Africa and you negatively look down on your African American brothers and sisters.
YOU are a MENTAL SLAVE if as an African American you think you are better than your African brothers and sisters.
YOU are a MENTAL SLAVE if you are a Caribbean you feel you are better than others.

The list is exhaustive. These thoughts have been implanted to us by those who want to stay in power and also these thoughts can come naturally because all of us and myself are sinners and in need of the love of GOD to transform our hearts towards love and not false pride.

In GOD's eyes, these thoughts are thoughts of deception and sin. GOD wants us to respect and love one another and not control one another.

Many of us of African descent realize that we are oppressed but we do not realize that the way out of this is unity. "The LORD said, 'If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them" (Genesis 11:6).

We can see from the above statement that those who want to continue to dominate peoples' of African descent do not want us to love one another and be unified but GOD is saying that we MUST do this. We must surrender our pride, and feelings to dominate one another over to GOD.

We must encourage one another and stop hurting one another! Why do we hurt one another and then get mad at the white man! We must stop killing each other! We must stop back-biting and abusing one another! We must choose love and let go of false pride! We need to build one another up. We must help our neighbors and stop stealing from our neighbors. We must love ourselves. GOD loves you and GOD wants you to love yourself! Love yourself and your neighbor! Most of all, love GOD! The way out of domination is GOD! Turn to GOD. Allow GOD to fill you with love so you can then go out and bless your neighbor.

If Mr. Lynch listened to Satan to create a system for mental and spiritual oppression then let's listen to GOD and follow GOD's plan about how to overcome the DEVIL's lies.



GOD loves you and so do I,


Edmund W. Walton

1 comment:

  1. Edmund, I ask once more: When are you gonna write your BEST-SELLING BOOK? What is taking you so long and what in the world are you waiting for? This here was excellent. Well Done!!!

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