Frank and to the Point
On a recent Sunday morning I shared an illustration based on the events that took place in Jena, Louisiana, this past year where racial tensions erupted after an African-American student sat under the shade of a tree in the center of the public school’s courtyard. The problem with his sitting under the tree was that it was considered by the majority of the students a “Whites Only” tree. The following day two or three hangmans’ nooses were placed on the tree. That’s when the racial tensions got stirred just a bit more. A clear reference to the lynching days of old, these nooses were intended to intimidate and marginalize. One thing led to another until six students were charged with beating a classmate. He suffered a concussion but was released from the hospital later the same day.
Arrests were made, followed by demonstrations, a riotous summer, an attempted arson attack, and nationwide publicity. On July 31, the tree in the center of the controversy was cut down. And remember, the only thing it did was provide shade to students in a hot little Louisiana town. It neither caused the racial tensions nor hung the nooses. It simply attracted students who were drawn to the shade it provided, students of all races. You can hear the entire sermon at (pod-cast address).
What I failed to stress in that illustration is that today there is a hopeless looking stump in the courtyard of a high school in Jena, Louisiana (much like the stump of Jesse in Isaiah 11:1). Maybe in another ten years there will be a tender shoot that emerges and grows to a height of fifteen or twenty feet. Maybe in another five or ten years that shoot will spread out its limbs enough to provide shade again. The big question is, will we learn to sit under the shade with others who are different from us when and if that day rolls around? The lion may not be ready to lie down with the lamb just yet, but every time we learn to sit beside a stranger, we have the opportunity to make a new friend. And when that happens, a candle is lit somewhere making the world just a little less dark.
I hope you will take time to light such a candle this Advent!
The peace of Christ be with you!
Also in the December 18, 2007 Issue of The Evangel
» Frank and to the Point
» Christmas Eve Communion Services
» Our Holiday Schedule
» Reserve Sanctuary Flowers for 2008
» Moving Them Toward Independence
» Craft Your Christmas! Wrap-Up
» Living FREE
» January Staff
» 2007 Contribution Deadlines
» Wedding Invitation
» Crow's Corner
» Parents Night Out
» January Bible Study
» This Week in Worship
