From the pulpit to the ballot box: ‘Ramblings of an Issuecrat’ takes a closer look at the intersection of politics and religion in our world today
As many voters are deliberating whom to cast their ballot for, the media is bombarded with messages from candidates aimed at convincing you of their vote-worthiness. At the same time within the many churches that dot nearly every block, pastors deliver their weekly messages of faith and salvation as parishioners remit their tithes in hopes they’re brought nearer to God.
Between the paths of politicking and the pulpit, the people and the service to them and their interests are lost amidst hollow promises and emotional pleas. Pastors will walk out from the heights of their prized pulpits and into their luxury vehicles to drive past the rows of dilapidated buildings that line many of distressed areas. In all fairness and objectivity, it must also be noted that they’re many good, well-intended, progressive (not standard political definition), engaged pastors, Imams and community servants that speak with conviction, courage and strength with their platforms to the conditions and sufferings of the human family and Black community in particular.
To those, I salute you and may you be rewarded for the favor of your true and sincere service and strength added to your voice and platform. There’s a verse in Quran Surah 66:6 that says, ‘Save yourself and family from a fire, whose fuel is men and stones…’ I deduce from that in part a need to sequence the order of our interest to ensure survival. The onus is on people to demand, advocate and do for self. No one is coming to save our community. No one person, party, politician, pastor.
We have to lose the savior mentality that has been shrewdly beaten upon the backs and embedded in the minds from the imagery of God reflected in whiteness and the proverbial “Powers That Be” that we give fear, respect and credence than to the God we say we serve. Sonya Massey, the Black woman from Springfield that called upon Jesus to rebuke the Sheriff deputy, Sean Grayson several weeks ago, only to be shot in the head, none has spoken with the degree of anger, disdain for the unjustified murder of Black men and women by police officers and a will to utilize their respective platforms to bring about institutional change. The days of trying to change and sensitize the hearts of people to the suffering and injustice of others are gone. You’re either a decent human being with a heart for all or not.
We play footsies with too many people who are ok with matters and issues that pain us. The blue got a line with you…what’s your line with the blue. Any person who continues to blindly align and justify the continuous taxpayer funded, legally licensed callous disregard of life is an enemy to humanity. There’s no hardline position or litmus test from our community, thus our ability to extract real support for matters of specific interest are lost and people will continue to do their business ON us and not WITH us. That’s why it’s become even more fashionable to attack those in the Black community, and its strongest and most potent leaders.
Whether in politics, entertainment, sports or anyone who holds sway through a platform are attacked, and often with the support and collusion of Black people. So I say if you can’t feel our pain enough to speak to it, the Sonya Masseys, the Palestinians, and all those suffering in the human family, then your right to call yourself a leader whether in the pulpit or politics should be invalidated in the eyes of the people and may your tithing plates ring hollow and ballot boxes lay bare.
#politics #opinion #society
