17 JAN 09: Up With People

(BLOGGER'S NOTE: You may find this item humorous, serious, or a little of both - but we offer these thoughts from time to time, as we keep a seventh-day Sabbath.)

"I have my Social Security card, my n****r. In my pocket, my n****r. Right here, my n****r." Those were the words a man said one evening this past week, less than two blocks from the Government Center. Before you jump to conclusions -- it was on the opposite side from the Columbus NAACP office.

The young African-American man was talking loudly and firmly on a cell phone -- and yes, he was using the racial slur you probably guessed he was using. But who would he be calling "MY n****r?" Had I stumbled onto a rap star, who was negotiating with his agent about a concert?

In a moment, the answer to my question became obvious. "I'm sick of you calling it YOUR f**king child! It's MY f**king child! It's OUR f**king child!" This may have also explained why the young man was standing on the lawn outside an attorney's office....

It pained me to hear the young man talk in this sort of language. Hopefully you would be pained by it as well - but I realize many people don't really care. Even if their emotions aren't overflowing, their mouths can remind you of those sludge spills on the Tennessee River.

Some words are known to everyone as "dirty" expletives. But sometimes, people declare words or phrases offensive which you might not expect. I was reminded this week of a phrase which put H. Ross Perot in trouble when he ran for President. It was the "Y.P." phrase - and no, I don't mean the Yellow Pages.

Remember when H. Ross Perot spoke to an African-American group, and used the phrase "you people" several times in his speech? Civil rights leader Al Sharpton called the phrase offensive, and years later caught Don Imus saying it as well. Calling him "you" is one thing - but adding "people" apparently went too far.

I was reminded of this objection in an unexpected way - during a daily Bible study. The New International Version has the phrase "you people" 15 different times. Perhaps Sharpton insists on using the King James Version, where the phrase doesn't appear at all....

Amazingly, the NIV puts the phrase "you people" in Jesus's mouth twice. In John 4, Jesus scolds people in general for not believing in Him without seeing "miraculous signs and wonders." Yet many people are stopping their praise for what happened in the Hudson River at the U.S. Airways pilot.

The other time Jesus says "you people" is in John 3. He scolds critical Pharisees there, for not accepting His testimony. They apparently believed Jesus's words about as much as people today believed Circuit City could stay in business.

Don't get the wrong idea - I do NOT rush out and use the "Y.P." phrase on people. We should be sensitive to the words and actions that offend others. But we also should avoid becoming oversensitive ourselves. A King James verse in Psalm 119 says about people who love God's law, "nothing shall offend them." But somehow, that apparently means they still can march against abortion.

Before I forget: are YOU among the "you people" Jesus mentioned? Do you need to see some amazing signs, before you'll believe what He says? If you stop to look, the signs are all around us. From a newborn baby to flowers and vegetables growing in the garden - and even how the sun can warm you outside, in the middle of a January cold wave.

-> Before you overdo it this weekend, maybe you should check our other blog. Consider thoughts on poker and moderation at "On the Flop!" <--

E-MAIL UPDATE: This message was sent from overseas to a Columbus church school class, and a reader passed it along to us:

Good morning everyone,

I wanted to just take a minute out to say hello to everyone back there in Solid Rock and say Happy New Year. I want to thank each and everyone of you for the prayers you sent up to the Lord for all us over here in Iraq. I tell my wife all the time to tell you all hello for me from over here in Iraq. The times over here are changing for the better. I look forward to coming back home and getting back to studying the word with each and everyone one of you back there. We have church here and it is very powerful to see the people who are from here go out and teach about Jesus when this side of the world was considered to be all Muslim. Jesus is alive and well with us all over here. Until the next time I pray that everyone is in great spirits and I will talk with you later. Also my email address here is floyd.robinson@iraq.centcom.mil.

P.S. Tell Pastor Jay and the Family I said hello and I Love You all back there. Sorry it took me so long to write but will keep in touch with you all more.

Floyd Robinson Jr.

While Fort Benning's Third Brigade began 2009 at home, we shouldn't forget other local soldiers still serve in dangerous places. And in those places, simply teaching about Jesus can be dangerous. Many Muslims probably don't want to hear the Bible verses about Jesus coming back to "smite the nations" - and unlike Iran, He probably won't need a nuclear bomb to do it.

SCHEDULED SUNDAY: The town hall meeting that many in Columbus need to see....

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