(IF) Not we, then Who?
The second law of thermodynamics tells us that unless there is an input of information and/or energy, all material things will deteriorate, decay and eventually fall apart. In other words, in the physical universe about us, the work of restoration and repair is absolutely essential, else deterioration, decay and death will result. In the book of Isaiah the Almighty calls certain believers ‘Builders of old waste places,’ ‘Repairers of the Breach,’ ‘Restorers of paths to dwell in.’
Elder: David B Loughran
Stewarton Bible School, Stewarton, Scotland
June 1999
Detroit Michigan of 1950 America was hailed as the wealthiest per capita city in the country and America was the envy of the world. By the next decade the American dream was becoming the American nightmare of being torn apart by the Vietnam war; protest, Hippies, Yippies, civil unrest in the streets of urban America and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
The Church in America was going trough mega changes as well, from the Jesus Movement to the Charismatic Renewal; yet in the midst of the battles for the soul of America the original sin of slavery and all associated racial division had found a deliverer in the person of Dr. Martin Luther King. He was a man that had found a way to marry the ideals of civic involvement for social justice with the empowering message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In 1968 he too was met with an assassin’s bullet.
Today Detroit is Bankrupt. Manipulated by politics and ideology, race relations have plateaued at best or maybe have taken a step back, even as America has re-elected the first non Anglo, President Barack Obama. The question of the day is “(IF) not we, then who” will bring information, energy and spirituality to restore the breach?
The Second Law of Thermodynamics describes the inevitable deterioration that is always taking place. Within social movements, awareness and information must be made available in order to spark the imaginations of people who are faced with real frustrations and empower those on all sides by providing the tools to communicate those frustrations in an articulate manner. Information is unilateral and is essential i.e. “Knowledge is Power”.
Energy is the wild card, because it is either used correctly or wasted, based in large part on the knowledge of the given issue by those involved along with the rest of the community. For instance, in the Trayvon Martin case, many people were frustrated over the verdict and wanted to cry racism. That is not to say that racism had no effect. However, a more effective use of energy is in seeking legislation to change current Stand Your Ground Laws in Florida and elsewhere, along with challenging proven ethnic disparities within the American Justice system.
In an even more proactive approach; we can take control of emotionalism, media hype, racial hypersensitivity or racial
indifference. We can find common ground upon which the foundation of the bridge of reconciliation is laid. We can network across different community organizations; places of worship, schools, in small groups, workshops and Faith Based Diversity Synergy training etc.
This use of energy will open up dialog to stem the decay of justice and harmony by Bridging the ethnic/cultural divide. This knowledge is revealed by dispensing, receiving and educating the accurate information which leads to efficient use of energy.
It necessitates that spirituality not be the last resort, but should to be involved before and throughout.
You’ll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry. You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.
Isaiah 58:9-12 (MSG)
Kevin Robinson Executive Director of Accord1
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