The Only Way to Change the World

1 John 1:8–9 (ESV)

⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I have been very frustrated the past couple of weeks – angered by the terrible acts of racism and violence and looting we have seen, as well as upset by the way the press and the politicians exploit all of this.  I have wondered, “What’s wrong with all these other people?  Has everyone gone crazy?”  Its been easy to point fingers of blame and judgment at others. Its been easy to throw up my hands in exasperation, wondering, asking, “What after all can I do about all of this?”

Then yesterday someone showed me an article about the names of some of the streets in the neighborhood where I live.  There are  streets in my neighborhood with names like  “Plantation Drive” and “Confederate Drive.”  The point of the article was that these street names should be changed because they were an example of systemic racism.  I am sharing this with you, not in order to advocate one way or the other for changing or keeping those names, but rather because of the thoughts this article raised in my mind.  I began to wonder, “How come I never noticed that some of the streets in our neighborhood had names related to the old confederacy?  Why did it never occur to me that such names might be offensive to those who have been victim of racism?  For that matter, why did I never think that naming a team “the Redskins” might be offensive to native Americans?”

Those thoughts brought me back to one point that I have shared before in this blog.  There is only one way to change the world – that is if God fist changes me.  It’s the same with you.  While it may or may not be a good idea to tear down statutes in Richmond, Virginia or to change street names in Richmond, TX – such actions will not erase racism or end violence or stop injustice in the world.  That kind of change can’t happen in the world, until God first works that change in me (and in you.)  Pointing fingers, blaming, judging others, pointing out faults in others, means nothing until I recognize, confess, repent of my own sin and with God’s help daily become a new man in Christ.  Jesus tells us this in the sermon on the Mount, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Until I recognize the logs that I have in my own eye, I do more harm than good trying to pick out the specks in the other person’s eyes. Apart  from that confession, I am being arrogant and hypocritical in judging others.  I am simply lying to myself, to others and to God.  That’s the point of 1 John 1.  “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

You have heard of the “Serenity Prayer” – “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”  Let me share with you a little different version of that prayer that illustrates what I am writing about here – “God grant me the serenity to accept the person I cannot change, the courage to change the person I can and the wisdom to recognize that I am the only person I can change.”  Changing the world starts and is only possible if God first changes me.  Changing the world starts with this – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Before we start pointing fingers of blame at statues or at other people, stop first and ask God to remove the log from our own eyes.  He will.  Indeed that is why Jesus was born.  Amen.