Friday, June 26, 2020

LP MUA Black Lives Matter


Black Lives Matter                Thoughts for Friday           26, June, 2020

From the Gospel less this coming Sunday Matthew 10:40- 42 “Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple-- truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

Yesterday, I got a Facebook Post from friends of mine, It shows a picture of Louis Patrick Mua putting a Black Lives Matter Sign in their yard in Davie County. Louis Patrick, likes to be called “LP” now, and his family were members of my parish in Georgia. LP is well over 6 feet tall, muscular, recent college graduate where he played on Varsity Basketball team, and will be starting seminary in the fall to prepare the the Priesthood in the Episcopal Church. He and his family have a deep faith and they have been good friends to Pat and I all of LP's life. The post from his mother said:
My children wanted me to place this sign in a visible part of our yard. We did, and unfortunately we were met with strong pushback from two families who see us daily and make a point to never acknowledge us. They both live a few houses away from me. The father of one family rode his bike in our yard and commented loudly, while the other family made gestures to let us know that this wasn’t wanted. It was the children who said, “but dad, they are our neighbors!” Perhaps their children will teach the adults about love.

Lp, that behemoth of a Black Man, I cannot look at without remembering him as a small baby I held in my arms, changed his diapers, held him when he cried, fed him while he was sitting in my lap, and even held him in my arms as he came up for a blessing at communion and the n held him in my armsas I gave out bread to others to whom he smiled.

I remember Louis Patrick being deeply spiritual. On a family visit to his father's native country, Cameroon, as a three year old, his parents told me how he sat on the tomb of his grandfather and had a conversation with the grandfather's spirit. I remember listening to him talk about the God he knew and asking questions. I remember him growing up and taking care of his little sister, Izoma, now a college student. I remember the family coming to visit us on the Outer Banks several times over the years. I remember our staying several times over the years as their guests in the house where the sign was to be posted. I remember attending LP's High School graduation and the casual bigotry of display of confederate flags on his fellow students cars. I remember the stuggle they had at that school when the administration realized that Rebel with a Confederate Flag was not the best Mascot for ALL the students and after a long process the mascot was changed to “War Eagle”. I remember how he refused to rise to the bait when he played on the High School basketball team when he was a recipient of physical fouling by white opposing players, but he calmly gave as good as he got until they wised up that he was no pushover. I remember deciding I did not need to give him a lecture, but we did have a moment of prayers for those who need to be healed of hatred.

This is a family I love and THESE BLACK LIVES MATTER. But we don't live in a vacuum, we live in a time when casual bigotry is excused, open racial hatred is given a nod and a wink, and violent oppression is too often excused. This has to stop and we all need to speak and stand against it!

I consider the sigh in their yard as the work of a prophet, and a heralding of righteousness, As Jesus suggests to those who would follow him, and at the very least “ whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple” receives the one who sent them out to do God's work of doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly with our God



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