Where the mating habits of birds dictate the racial views of southerners:

Jesus loves the little children

All the children of the world

Red, brown, yellow

Black and white

They are precious in His sight.

Until they start to date

outside their ethnicity

Years ago a young lady came up to me with tears in her eyes because she thought it was a horrible sin to date her boyfriend who happened to have dark brown skin.  Where did she get this idea from?  Her family.  This was in Georgia.

Wednesday, I had a young lady come up to me and ask if it was wrong for black people and white people to marry and have babies.  Surprise!  People are racist in Alabama.  Where was she getting this kind of information?  From her family.

Her grandfather, a pastor, felt like he needed to share this tidbit of anti-biblical knuckle-headery, "Red birds and blue birds fly together but you never see them having babies together."  That's a paraphrase.  But, the basic idea is that black people and white people are different colors and should have the good sense that birds have to stick to their own.

Let's look at some other bird mating habits we can copy!  

• Ducks are notoriously the most horrible gang rapists in existence.  At least they don't go outside their kind!
• Sometimes lady sparrows will trick sugar daddies into getting it on with them only to have their actual mate show up and poke at her nethers until that sperm pops out and then he mates with her.  This is all so two dude birds will help take care of the babies.  No big as long as it's the same color of bird.
• Lots and lots of birds exhibit homosexual tendencies and engage in same sex coupling.  How does that work to the pastor?  Cool if they are similarly complected?

Obviously, you can't draw any kind of parallel for how we should act in comparison to how birds, fish, or beasts of the land do act.  But, hey, at least be consistent racist pastor.  If we should trust the intuition of these birds we should probably follow it to the logical conclusion.  Stick to your own color and everything else is fair game.  Sarcasm.  Sarcasm born from a serious frustration.

How are people still thinking and speaking these asinine ideas into the minds of children.  Why do I still have to explain that if God made us equal then he made us equal . . . like for reals?  Why do I have to walk on egg shells when someone is filling a kids head with objective fallacy?  Why can't I be ok with telling that young girl that her grandfather is a racist fool?  

I can't help but think about the recent situation in Ferguson.  Maybe this is the mindset that exists out there.  Sure, they'd probably tell you everyone is equal.  But, if someone can't date your daughter because of the the complexion of his skin rather than the composition of his character then you do not believe that person is equal to you.  I think the systemic racism is real and it's being ignored.  I think people are making decision based on these views that they don't believe are really racist.  

Ferguson and all the other ridiculous situations that shouldn't exist will continue to persist until the people who are supposed to represent the moral fiber begin to stand up for the person they believe defined those morals.  When the fools begin to speak we have to share with them God's truth.  It has to happen on Sunday's with the person in the pew next to you.  It has to happen when you sit around and watch the big game.  It has to happen when you go to work and come back home.

If we don't go to war for the hearts and minds of the people then we will have a war of any entirely different kind.  And, let's stop taking our cues from birds.  It's ignorant.

You'll understand when you have kids:

I had that nugget dropped on me recently.  Essentially, what it means to me; a grown man in his 30's who has made his living caring for young people, who has wept over the hurts and pains of teenagers, who would love to have biological children of his own, is that I can't understand what it means to love someone.  I mean, sure, I can love someone, but I can't LOVE someone.

There is a distinction.  Biological and adoptee parents like to believe that there is a special level of care that can only occur once a child exists as some kind of deduction on the yearly taxes.  Look, you're not going to catch me saying that I love every student in my ministry like a single, devoted, loving parent cares for their kid.  I get it, your heart is walking around outside of your body.  I know.

Don't tell me I can't stir up an appropriate emotional response because I have not yet been blessed with a child of my own.  I do get, "it".  I can understand any and every motivation you have or will ever have.  If we're just being honest, having a kid doesn't unlock a special parental love.  Just ask the kids in my youth group.  You know, the ones without their birth parents.

I want to retort back, "You'll understand some day when you can't have a kid."  Unfortunately, that is impossible because they have a kid . . . so logic wins again.  But, I would want to tell them that they'll get it when they look at a world that abuses, takes advantage of, and forgets about children when all you want is one of your own.  I would gently remind him or her that you can't love something like I do because you don't long like I do.  Maybe it's a different type, but it's real and it sucks sometimes.

Don't tell me I can't understand the decisions you are making because you love your kid in some special way that isn't available to me.  Don't tell me that whatever biological or mental or spiritual thing that has kept me from having a kid excludes me from reaching into the deepest reaches of my soul to find the same kind of love you have.  Just don't do it.  I know good from bad and I want the best for every single student that comes into my ministry.  My heart walks around with hundreds of kids.  Trust me, most of them don't even see it before they crush it underfoot.

You might not ever understand how I feel.  You are limited based on the fact that you have children.  You probably can't experience what I experience.  If you did struggle, I wonder if you've forgotten what it was like?  I hope someday, if you're lucky, you'll get a glimpse of the depths of how I care.  I'm just not sure you will, and that's unfortunate, but maybe someday.

There's nothing redemptive here.  If it sounds ill-natured, it probably is.  It's just frustrating to have something like that used against me.  End Rant.  It's not intended for anyone in particular because plenty of people say it to me.  The most recent was just the tipping point.  I won't be letting anyone tell me I can't understand something because I don't have kids anymore.  It's a cop out.  I'm over it.

The Blooper Reel:

So, last week me and the other guys on staff were the house band for a women's conference at the church.  After the millionth hour of being at work, we decided to break up things by shooting some video announcements.  I was useless.  It's not so much of a blooper reel as it is a stir-crazy reel.  Some people have said it's funny, I thought both of you might like to check it out.

Set Yourself Free