Over the past couple weeks since the death of George Floyd, I (Adam) have been processing through so many thoughts, but finding it hard to put into words. I’ve also been asking the Lord what is my role in all of this and what my family can do to make a difference. This morning, while listening to my Pastor speak, I felt like I knew what I was supposed to say. I’ve been open with many of my close friends, but many people probably don’t know the journey that I’ve walked through over the past few years, especially as it relates to how God has opened up my eyes to see people who are different than me.
About 3 years or so ago I was at a work conference and heard a speech by Bryan Stevenson (author of Just Mercy) that changed my life. He spoke on proximity and how many of us are taught to go around the tough areas of our city, but the only way to affect change is to be proximate to where the problems are. He also told heartbreaking stories about African American kids that he has represented as a civil rights lawyer in the south. I remember thinking there is no way this stuff is still happening in our country, but unfortunately it is. He made a statement that said, “People are more than their worst mistake.” This statement marked me and brought me to tears as I thought about the father of one of my foster children that I had at the time. I had labeled him, but in that moment, I realized that I had labeled him without even knowing him, as many of us do to others all. the. time.
Not long after, Amanda and I were at children’s court and we found ourselves sitting next to him in the waiting room. I asked him if he wanted to grab lunch afterward so that we could get to know each other, and that lunch I will never forget. We talked and asked him questions about his background, and I couldn’t believe what I heard. I won't go into detail out of respect for this person, but my heart broke hearing about things that happened from such an early age. I began to understand what lead him to make the choices in life that he did and that he was not at all how I had labeled him. He was a person with an amazing heart that most people brush off because of his background or the way the looks. This was the beginning of a friendship and catalyst for change in my life that I am so grateful for. As I started to see him through a different lens, I started to see other people the same way too, the way Jesus sees them and my love for them started to grow. I began to have a greater revelation of Jesus because I knew that the lens I was seeing through was His.
Since then I’ve had many more opportunities to meet great people with similar backgrounds and if you are reading this I want you to know that I’m grateful for you and what you have taught me. I know it doesn’t make the hurt and pain that you may have experienced go away, but your stories have opened my eyes to things that I otherwise would have never seen. Your story is important, and it matters, and I truly believe that God wants to use everything that you have gone through to expand His kingdom. It’s the enemy who attempts to steal, kill and destroy, but we know that what the devil uses for harm God will use for the good.
What can I do you might be asking yourself? Ask the Holy Spirit to see people through His lens and then get to know people that are different than you. Truly get to know them and their stories. Listen and learn because people have so much to offer and so much to share. As you take these steps I believe what the Lord did in me He will also to do in you. It’s not just about knowledge, we have the power (Holy Sprit power) to take the steps needed to truly make a change in our city and our country. Jesus is KING!
AdamKas
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