God's Letter

I felt so disgusted after reading this post; it reminded me again that this world is a broken one and needs active Christians to bring God’s justice. Thought I should repost and raise awareness.

I’m not sure how many of you have heard about the events that took place early this morning, but you all need to be informed. There was an off-campus end of the year party going on that was hosted by and attended by primarily black students. A little before 3am, LAPD stormed the party with 79 officers in full riot gear. There had been no violence, weapons, or any threatening situations going on to invoke such thing. Students were harassed, tasered, and some even arrested. Meanwhile across the street another party was taking place that was primarily white students and they were told by LAPD to stay inside and try to be quiet. This is an example of the blatant and disgusting racism that has been happening at and around USC. These are your friends, your peers, your hardworking classmates being treated like second-class citizens and it’s not okay. 

There will be a silent protest on Tuesday at 5pm followed by a discussion with LAPD and DPS to discuss the events. I encourage all of you to participate and stand in solidarity with your friends and peers. This is not something that will blow over quickly as so many USC students were directly affected and are already taking steps to seek change.

You may not feel connected to this at all, but as Christians we are called to seek justice alongside our brothers and sisters. Let’s not be a fellowship who watches the brokenness of our own campus and does nothing about it. Let’s join the fight for justice and cover this situation in prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit! Tragedies like this have the potential to make lasting change, and it is my prayer that through this that can happen.

Isaiah 1:17

learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause.

I was thinking about the meaning of Easter, the resurrection of Jesus after 3 days and then my mind settled on those 3 days.

Jesus was dead for 3 days. What were those 3 days like for him? He must have been in hell since he died for our sins. What did he do in hell? Was there an epic battle between Jesus and Satan? Or did he have to endure and overcome the eternal fire and anguish we would have had to face because of our sins? 

I’ve always focused on the resurrection that I didn’t think about the 3 days of death. I guess it’ll be another question I ask Jesus when I finally meet him in heaven. 

In 1 Samuel, the Israelites ask Samuel for a king because they feel threatened by their neighbors and want to follow the other nations in having a physical king. After anointing Saul as king, Samuel addresses the sin they have committed by wanting a king other than God despite His provision throughout their history. When the Israelites show fear in response to the thunderstorm God sends to confirm Samuel, 

… Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself… Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”

I’ve been replacing God with a different king this semester. I felt threatened by the other students that plan to apply to pharmacy school and tried to get myself a resume that would at least look like theirs. I had trouble just trusting God with my future career even though I know He’s been providing for me my entire life. 

It hasn’t been good for me. I’m constantly anxious, stressed out, and frustrated that I’m not an extrovert, that I don’t have a shadowing job, that the research that I volunteer at doesn’t give me experience or a close relationship with the professor, that I’m not as smart as other people in my classes and that my grades are suffering, that I’m competing with pre-med students who have near-to-perfect resumes when I apply for a volunteering opportunity in the health field, and so on… 

I’ve lost that freedom and joy of knowing God will easily get me into pharmacy school. And I think God has been trying to give me relief and comfort through sermons, passages and the people around me. It’s finally starting to sink in with this passage. 

What king has replaced God in your life? Reflect and see how this king can become a tool instead to faithfully serve God.
Whether or not it’s useful for God’s plan, it’s time to dethrone it. 

Luke 7:39-47

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is- that she is a sinner.”

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

“Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred dinarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I supposed the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” 

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven- for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

This passage made me think about my BC (before crisis) and AC (after crisis) years. I had many reflections on why God had let me go through this one relationship (the crisis), and this confirmed my thoughts.  Before that relationship, I was the Pharisee; I judged others easily and had trouble understanding that God loved “sinners.” I didn’t love God as much either because I didn’t understand the full depth of His grace. After that relationship, I became the sinful woman who understood the importance of grace and loved God more for that forgiveness. I thank God for that experience now because without it, my pride would’ve kept me from understanding God’s love and wanting to share that love with others.