I'm not concerned with color. I'm concerned with culture. Many people need to learn the difference. Hebrews married whoever they wanted to marry. There was a process in the Scriptures but whoever wanted to convert was allowed to convert. That's because their goal was to be a nation, not a purebred bloodline. No one inherits Jah consciousness or Christ consciousness by blood. The only time blood should matter is when it comes to the line of kings. Otherwise, Hebrews only saw Jew and Gentile; Israelite and non-Israelite.
Nations can be composed of any and all ethnicities. However, the king had to be in the line of David because that was part of the promise made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and later Judah.
So if we want to be accurate only individuals who descend from Judah can be king while only those from the line of Levi can be priests. Any other position, including rabbi, has no such requirements.
The sentiment expressed in the OT shouldn't be condemned. It should be understood. I love people regardless of color. And I understand that you cannot control what other people, of the same color, do. Black people are also seen as if we should be responsible for the problems in our community as if we can control members of our same race.
This is foolish, but often people try to use that to blame an entire race for how they are treated, collectively. That's called racial prejudice. And yes, black people can be very prejudiced. However, that prejudice is not racism and that prejudice only exists as a reaction to racism and racial prejudice.
Within the interactions between our cultures certain white individuals, too numerous to be "a few bad apples", have adopted aspects of other cultures for their own profit. Liking another culture and adopting aspects of it as your own isn't wrong at all. Netflix has an anime series called Yasuke which is actually based on a real black Samurai. There's nothing wrong with that. Because that, in itself, is not "cultural appropriation".
Cultural appropriation happens when an individual takes something from another culture and then seeks to exploit it as if it is his own; thus competing with the culture being borrowed. It's like if I borrow your lawnmower and instead of giving it back, I rent it out to the rest of the neighborhood, not giving you a dime. This breaks an unwritten social contract that breeds distrust.
And on top of that we have to deal with the potential of being shot for being black because even if we don't want to prejudge anyone, for our own protection, it would be wise not to wait for that racist cop to show you that he's a racist cop. When the "terrorists" are hiding among other people the US still sends in the troops, don't they? Therefore, the troops go in without having a clear determination of friend vs foe.
So if you're not wearing a military uniform you cannot be assumed to be a friend. And that is the harsh reality of race. It is not black people making it this way. It is the terrorists (agents of white supremacy) hiding among the general white population that forces us to keep some distance collectively and really has to get to know you individually.
I don't like it. But it would be foolish to deny this reality.
And we cannot, as a minority, change this reality. It can only be changed by the majority who must turn against the terrorists among them and stop them from using them as cover. If we all know who the racists are because white people join us and turn them in because they are loyal to the greater good of nations, not color, then color wouldn't matter and everyone could strictly be seen as an individual.
That's what we want. That's equality. That's a level playing field. That's being judged by the content of one's own character.
Racism has not yet been canceled. And we are still branded as thugs and considered a threat or a menace to society.
Balance must be restored. Prejudice suggests, from observation of history, that whites cannot be trusted to lead because they constantly do and constantly let us down by putting themselves and those who look like them, talk like them, dress like them, act like them, and have names like them, first. And because they consistently put their own culture first they are more likely to appropriate and not simply appreciate.
And that's the danger. Something can easily end up in the wrong hands and then what? Next thing you know your African religion is somehow ruled over by a white god with blond hair and blue eyes. Many of us went to churches where these pictures were. And many of us grew up with them in our homes. And that can be a thing that reinforces the psychological torture and enslavement of black people.
If I were you I wouldn't trust white leadership either. But it's safer not to trust any leadership if you don't know that individual and their motivations.
Even David fell to corruption.
|
|
