FOR JESUS’ LOVE 12
Leadership Traits
By
Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (August 22, 2017)
“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.” (St. John 21:15-17, King James Version [Christ’s charge to Peter]}
Greetings in the Holy Name of Jesus,
My sisters and brothers, I see you in the storm and I am hearing you in the storm with a love that understands far more than I need to because the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident keeps prevailing in our lives---those that remain. What am I talking about? In Georgia, trial in the streets of America---tried, convicted and executed in the streets, for all to see, obviously in a FACE OFF but we want to talk about what brought an easy-going neighborhood in southwest Georgia to that murder in the streets ---again a supposedly law-abiding peace officer serving a warrant and a citizen some would say of ill-repute with 24 arrests not to his credit but that which bound him to a life of crime. Those officers serving the warrant suspected drug activity and laid the reason for the drug activity to the neighborhood man’s feet---a warrant and bond on his head. Now, the citizens of the easy-going neighborhood spoke well of their fellow citizen for he helped them when they needed help.
How does a drug dealer rise up to become a neighborhood leader? It is not a far-stretch of the imagination to see what is going on in the communities and neighborhoods around America and in the world for just as they come and put snakes in your yards---they put drugs in your communities and in your neighborhoods, for someone has to do it for the people need the drugs---the systems of the world created the drug addictions around the world---consumer need for any and all products, the appeal to those of a rational mind to accept peddling of products---drugs being one of those products---good drugs or bad drugs. Therefore, when a mother’s son grows up to be the neighborhood drug dealer even more so the neighborhood pimp---who must meet supply and demand and payroll each day with charitable works—for someone is waiting to see how much the drug dealer made before they can get the money to send their son or daughter to college; someone else is waiting to see how much the pimp made to get money to buy groceries, another person is waiting for the drug dealer, the pimp or anyone to get their car repaired—this perception shockingly might not be your reality but it is the reality of the neighborhoods---those that do not produce as they should, know how to help themselves with
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legitimate business enterprise thriving owned by them so they can strive and send their children to college or open up another family business---revive their circumstances with a capitalist mindset, they are expendable---law enforcement feels they can reduce the numbers of folks like that. The problem is community awareness, communication, education, and employment for if they were well-skilled in the ramblings of pushing and pulling, volleying to get what they want without thinking of every task as a hustle---the madness of the struggle would reduce itself to missed opportunities instead of no opportunities, a virtual and real-life wasteland with the neighborhoods feeding off of each other, scratching in the dirt, competing with what they have---their bodies for the food donations, the jobs in the nearby towns, the schools that forgot to educate but gave grades anyway.
How many folks know how to duck and dodge, return the ball, run 100-yards to win the prize keeping their eye on the prize not deferring their hope because they did not get the monies or get the jobs? However, when you try to get them to see that life is not always a hustle but to see that their awareness must accept waiting on the Lord, letting go and letting God work a miracle in their life, letting God guide them through the presence of their Holy Ghost Spirit, in their lives.---knowing to call on the Lord for their every need, knowing that Jesus saved them and whomever Jesus freed is free indeed so when the drug dealer approaches---deflect, distract, run for your life---very much similar to stop, drop, and roll or stop, drop and hold on. We talk strategy or else you will hustle and hustle in desperation---which involves manipulation not of a good movement of people to benefit your situation but because you could care less about them and you do not care what happens to them in their lives just that you need to use them for your benefit. Where in any of this denies that you still should be your brother’s keeper and love your neighbor as you love yourself helping each other before the sun sets, if possible, if not, pooling your resources together to keep abreast of the opportunities that should be for your neighborhood demanding your piece of the rock in a civil manner to the local and surrounding businesses? For the betterment of your neighborhood, sending off letters requesting support tapping into the pool of resources of the federal government, state government but firstly exhausting the pool of resources available through your local grocery stores, the local businesses not just for the neighborhoods but for your schools so that your schools educate not predicate, for if not the neighborhoods will be led like lambs going to the slaughter---the prisons of America, the graveyards of America, the mental health facilities of America—out-of-sight and out-of-mind, surplus society overflowing back to the towns that failed to establish their purpose---their place in America for even the coal miners had a place in America---they were the coal miners---a product of America, as unhealthy as the work was for the workers it still gave them a place and a purpose in America—to mine the coal.
Most importantly, do you know your purpose in God’s plan---put God first? Of course, you say, I am lost, I do not even know my purpose, here, in my neighborhood or how to become a vibrant civil community for we do not know how to tap into what God gave us---our talents, for God gave the coal miners coal mines. What do we have? Well, in dialogue I would say, what do you folks know how to do? Are you the best pie makers or cake makers for survival of the fittest to prevail in your community?
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More importantly, could your community get behind that idea---and open up a bakery growing it bigger and bigger until it gets on the stock market yielding every neighbor more money for your investment. There are towns in America that became the baking towns of America---and created jobs for their neighbors. You know because you eat the products they make, maybe now you need to bake for more than just your family and your friends to open up to the Jesus spirit in you to save your neighborhood. In closing, I say to my people---those who feel lost and disadvantaged, disenfranchised, the forgotten about folks, the uneducated folks, those without hope, sinners---those are the folks of Jesus who Jesus came to save, the drug dealers, the pimps, the murderers, the thieves, the adulterers, the fornicators---those who love to have sex with anyone and everyone all the time who say they have never been satisfied, those in the mental health facilities---all of those folks Jesus healed.
Do you hear? Jesus healed so we know we are in need of healing---let God turn your life around and your neighborhood around so you do have a community of God-fearing citizens running their course to fight the good fight in their lives. Let us get back on the straight and narrow, line-up, for the saving grace of Jesus to prevail to save us. In the Name Of Jesus. Amen.
