the stone that you rejected.

"This is Jesus the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone." - Acts 4:11

"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or the height of his stature. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." - 1 Samuel 16:7

If we look at Jesus's triumphal entry in Matthew 21, it says that He came humble and on a donkey. He did not come draped in the finest robes or with rings on His fingers. He came with a welcoming presence so that those who saw Him knew He was love.

If the crowd saw Him and looked only at His appearance, they would not have believed Him to be anything out of the ordinary. He claimed to be the King of Kings, but yet he had no physical representation of royalty. He dressed in cloth. He dined with sinners and tax collectors. He healed those who were untouchable. Jesus was nothing like those who were considered "privileged" or "wealthy" or "royal" at this time. What set Jesus apart from society was how He treated people. He saw people as God did, with love, grace, and kindness. If Jesus had only come to save those who were acceptable in society, would we still say He loved others unconditionally? No, because He would only love those based on a certain condition. If Jesus had only come to save the Pharisees who practiced the Law, would we still say He is the Good Shepherd who guides the lost? No, because He would only focus on those who knew the Law. Until we decide to treat all people as Jesus did, unconditionally, we cannot say that Christians are "image-bearers of Christ."

Our country has been divided since the very beginning. Instead of allowing our divisions to influence our national identity positively, it has corrupted it. How can we continue to say we live in "the land of the free, home of the brave"if that doesn't reflect our behavior? Freedom is not granted in the same way to all people. Some have to be braver than others because protection is not guaranteed to them. I challenge our nation to look at what we claim our identity to be and see if it is accurate. I challenge the same thing to Christians. Does your life reflect what you live by? Do you model your life after someone who is aligned with these things?

As our country is speaking out against racial injustice, I want us to check ourselves first before we place blame on someone else. Are you living out the identity that you claim to follow, or only when it is easy to? All of our journeys to becoming more like Christ have the same beginning: "I rejected Jesus, the cornerstone." But as the Bible tells us, if we are in Christ, we do not stay in this mindset of rejection. We do not continue to reject Jesus if we choose to follow Him. We embrace Him, love Him, and seek to have communion with Him.

In the next chapter of Matthew, chapter 22, Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is. His response is this:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39).

How are these two things any different than the message of racial injustice? There is no difference. My race has rejected the black community for centuries. We have placed ourselves above them in every single aspect. If we seek hope and peace in this country, we must live as though our mindset has changed. It is through the gospel that hope and peace will come. Therefore, we must approach life with the message. Do not live in a mindset of rejection. If we follow the greatest commandment, our lives must look like this:

1) We must love like Jesus so that we can love Jesus, unconditionally, abundantly, and whole-heartedly.

2) We must look at people as Jesus did; not as how they are viewed by society, but as God's royal sons and daughters. Jesus loved those who were not immediately welcomed by society. We are to do the same so that they will be.

Our diversity is the most beautiful thing about our country. It is the cornerstone of our identity. I pray that we would not take it away or turn it into a burden. Burdens are not beautiful. That's why diversity is not a burden. Approach this season with the gospel. When you do this, it becomes clear why taking your place is so important.