Genuine Love: Rejoicing in the Imago Dei

Introduction

John 17:20–23 ESV

20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Colossians 3:9–11 ESV

9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

COL3.

EPH1.7-9

Ephesians 1:7–9 ESV

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ

Ephesians 3:14–19 ESV

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

EPH3.14-19

Romans 12:9–21 ESV

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

1989 the number another summer Sound of the funky drummer Music hitting your heart 'cause I know you got soul (Brothers and sisters!)

Y’all know where those lyrics come from?

The year was 1989. Public Enemy was a regular rhythm on my radio. The movie that was grabbing my affection was Do The Right Thing. I loved me some Radio Raheem! The particular day and place I want to tell you about is September 1 in Brooklyn, NY. It was the day before my 21st birthday, and I was mad as hell. I gathered with some of the brothers from my organization, the Sons of Africa, at Grand Army Plaza where we were to join in the Day of Outrage protest march.

A common description of NYC at the time was as “a melting pot.” But think that Mayor David Dinkins was right in his corrective word when he said that NYC wasn’t a melting pot, it was quilt. It was a patchwork of different neighborhoods with different racial and socio-economic dynamics. And on August 23, 1989, 16-year old black teenager was in the wrong patch of the quilt. He and three of his friends traveled from his Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood to Bensonhurst, a predominately Italian neighborhood. He was going there that night to inquire about a used car for sale. Little did he know that an angry mob of white men were on the lookout for Black and Latino youth who they suspected were trying to date a girl in their neighborhood.

Ignorant of this situation, Yusef found himself on the block where this mob had set up for their ambush. Not only did they bring bats to execute their devilish desires. They had guns too. They attacked Yusef Hawkins and they shot him dead.

We were tired of Black men being killed at the hands of whites in NYC. There had been too many incidents of racial violence in the 1980’s. In 1986 three Black men were attacked by a group of white men in Howard Beach, Queens after their car broke down in the neighborhood. “Kill the niggers,” the mob yelled. One of the Black men, 23-year old Jean Griffith, in his attempt to escape the mob ran onto the Belt Parkway, and was struck by a car and died. It was dangerous to be Black and traverse certain neighborhoods in NYC.

And the murder of Yusef Hawkins was a tipping point. Sonny Carson, Al Sharpton, the New Black Panther Party called for a protest march. I was all too ready to join in. We assembled at Grand Army Plaza in the late afternoon, began our march down Flatbush Ave. As we marched, the numbers swelled to about 7,500 people. Flatbush Ave leads straight to the Manhattan Bridge. Police formed a barrier to direct us towards Tillary Street and away from the Manhattan Bridge. However, following Tillary Street will lead you to the Brooklyn Bridge. However, the police formed a line to block our marching across the bridge. The crowd began to shout, “Take the bridge!”

Now the Brooklyn Bridge has a walkway for pedestrians, but the shout, “Take the bridge!” was a call to take the roadway and shut down the bridge. That’s when the march turned violent. The police were not going to let us shut down the bridge. Objects began to be hurled at the police. The police responded by swinging billy clubs in our direction. I remember grabbing the rail to climb the wall from the roadway to the walkway to avoid being being struck by a bottle or a billy club.

Dirty and dusty, pants ripped from getting caught on that rail as I climbed, I was full of exuberance as the march dispersed. I remember saying to an elder in our group, “Things are going to be different now. There’s real energy for change.” In my naivety I believed that event would be a demarcation point in the ending of racial violence against Black people in NYC. We were on our way.

And let me tell you something else about myself on that day. I hated the Christian faith. I was hostile towards Jesus. I liked Dr. King, but I didn’t like his God.