By Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew
The last week has been a prime example of the power of words. So many of these words have killed spirits, stolen joy, and destroyed hope. Scripture tells us that the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy.
Some of the very people who profess Christ have used their platforms to spew hate and mis-information who do not see the correlation to their behavior and how it fails to glorify God.
It has been fascinating watching the posts on social media. We live in a world where it is so easy to criticize others. People jump on a bandwagon and take no time to research but take rumors as the truth.
- Presidential candidate Kamala Harris was questioned about her “Blackness” to create doubt about her ethnicity—like what was espoused about President Obama. What’s bizarre is that some Black people are also buying into this way of thinking. The remnants of slavery are still ever present. Yaba Blay wrote, “The US Census reveals much about the country’s perspective on race. It counts people according to how the nation defines people, and historically, those people counted as Black have been those people with any known Black ancestry. Blacks are defined by the one-drop rule. No other racial or ethnic group is defined in this way, nor does any other nation rely upon this formula; the one-drop rule is definitively Black and characteristically American.”
- With limited research, social media once again moved into a fury with misinformation drawing comments from Presidential candidate Donald Trump, “Harry Potter” writer .K. Rowling and others who falsely claimed the Olympic boxer, Imane Khelif, was a man or transgender.
- Sha’Carri Richardson was criticized for not winning the gold but receiving the silver. Even the Washington Post headline stated, “Richardson settled for the silver medal…” Settled? This young woman gave it her all and, in my estimation, winning silver is still winning. Many of the people commenting have NEVER participated in track and if given the opportunity, couldn’t walk a lap around the track.
- Simone Biles came under attack for her hair and, most recently, her husband posing in her medals. On TikTok, someone even told her husband to “take her medal off” in a video that accumulated 2.1 million views. Biles responded on social media that she allows everyone in her family to wear the medals. Biles stated,” … so don’t ever make assumptions. Like y’all are so f—— miserable,” she continued. “Leave us alone.”
At the core of criticism is judgement. In Luke 6:39, Jesus says, “Don’t judge others, and God will not judge you. Don’t condemn others, and you will not be condemned. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give to others, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands—more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.” Jesus told them this story: “Can a blind man lead another blind man? No. Both of them will fall into a ditch.”
This passage reminds us that our actions create reciprocity. We can expect the same things to happen depending on our actions. If we are misinformed and misguided, we often lead others into spaces and situations that are harmful.
So many people are participating in the ditch-digging of others and not recognizing that as you build one for others, you are also burying yourself. “Therefore, you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.” (Romans 2:1 ESV)
If we took the same energy that we give to situations that have NOTHING to do with us, can you imagine what our lives could look like? Instead of trolling and trying to discredit others, that time could be dedicated to improving one’s condition in life.
“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…” (Matthew 7:1-6)
There might be something in your eye.
Dr. Froswa’ Booker Drew Founder, Reconciliation and Restoration Foundation President, Soulstice Consultancy, drfroswabooker.com email: info@drfroswa.com
