I Didn't Know

I didn’t know, that when they excavated us from out of the cold ground, and plucked us from the steel, as they put us into the fire and we were shaped into fine finished nails, that we would soon be exploited and driven into the hands and feet of an innocent man. They struck us, blow by blow with no mercy given. We watched as the blood from his hands and feet gushed out upon us…I didn’t know...

I didn’t know, that when the soldiers marched into the forest that they would cut me down, chop me into beams and use me as a cross to hang an innocent man. We watch as he carried us up a hill, he dropped us so many times and we couldn’t understand why he just didn’t give up. They laid us down on the cold ground and laid him upon us, we felt the nails enter his flesh as his blood came streaming down our post and soon they lifted us from that ground and with a thump we soon heard him say “It is finished”. I didn’t know...

I didn’t know, that when they came to our garden that night that they would pluck from our thorn bushes and twist us together as some worn to shreds piece of nothing. We gasped as they pressed us down on the head of this innocence man. We felt the flesh of his scalp give way to our pointy thorns. We watched as he shivered and shook for the pain was unbearable. We wondered, "What kind of man is this?". They beat him all night, plucked out his beard, and spat in his face. We asked the question, "What could he have done to deserve such cruelty?". I didn’t know…

I didn’t know that when I was born, I would grow up in a world that oppressed people just because they were different from us. I wanted to make a difference, make a name for myself, to help my Roman Government, to purge the world of traitors and rebellion. So I joined the Roman Legion to serve my country. But I didn’t know that on that dark and dreadful day that my life would be changed forever. They assigned me to crucifixion duties. It was I that drove the spear into the side of an innocent man. As I pushed that spear into his body, blood and water gushed from his side as if someone had open up a fountain. His blood splattered all over me and something happened that never happen to me before; for you see, I watched many people die on the cross before but never like this man that they called Jesus. I felt heat all over my body as if someone put a hot coal upon my head then I knew that He had to be the Son of God. I didn’t know...

I didn’t know that before we were born that someone would love us enough to die for our sins and pay the price by giving his own life. I didn’t know that his blood could wash us from all past, present and future sins. I didn’t know that He had forgiven us before we even knew Him. He paid the price so we didn’t have to; He died so we could live, and He went to hell, took the keys and freed those who were captive. Now we can live and worship him in spirit and in truth. We don’t have to be ashamed; we are forgiven, healed and set free. I didn’t know that I could live a life free from sin. I didn’t know that I could have power over my flesh, the world and the Devil. Now that I know...I can say “Thank you Lord”!!!

It's not supposed to be this way: In memory of Trayvon Martin

For every step, and accomplishment that we make as a people it seems that we still have a long way to go. Just a few years ago we elected a black man for the first time as President of the United States of America. But for some he wasn’t black enough: as if he was supposed to have a javelin in his hand and a bone in his nose. It's not supposed to be this way. They said to have a home is to have a piece of the American Dream, but before you can enjoy your dream, the housing market flipped the script and now your dream has become a nightmare. It's not supposed to be this way.

When is it a crime to walk in a neighborhood wearing a hoodie with a bag of Skittles in one hand and an Arizona Tea in the other? Trayvon Martin and his family are not the only victims, but every young black boy who live in a society that still judges them according to their appearance. For example, if it was a white male wearing a hoodie, he wound have been perceived as a jogger, not a thug, robber, thief, or rapist. Where is the justice? Yes we are black and proud to be, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t bleed, grieve, love, enjoy our family as other do. Therefore I ask the question, why isn't Trayvon’s murderer arrested? I wonder at times, is this the fault of the racist society or was it self-afflicted by the hip-hop culture in which we live? It's not supposed to be this way.

I’m tired of seeing mothers and fathers crying as they bury their sons; watching black men as they walk the streets in hopelessness; watching black athletes getting in front of the camera on television shouting “hi mom” as I ask the question, where’s the father? As I look at our people, especially my black brothers, I wonder, where is the passion to live, to dream, and to reach for a better life? I would like to speak to every Trayvon Martin, our black youth, and black father and to all my black brothers. I would like to say, it doesn’t have to be this way. Let us turn our hats around on our head, pull up our pants, tie our shoes, finish school, reach for a better life, love our family, embrace our wives, lead them to Church, pray with them and for them. It doesn’t have to be this way. I would like to speak to all my black sisters; love your black man, encourage him, support him, and pray for him. It doesn’t have to be this way. I would strongly state to the society in which we live; we are here, you can’t stop us, you will not overlook us, not forget us, nor will we be ignored. We are not a dream or the figment of someone’s imagination. We are reality and not reality T.V. It will not be this way! I would like to speak to the Churches; teach us, equip us, empower us and pray for us. Don’t be ashamed of us or abandon us. Christ gave His life for us that it will not, shall not, ever have to be this way….

Pastor Daniel R. Grandberry,

G.M you know!!!