jesus
You have hit the nail on the head here. Christ came to bring peace and not a sword, and his perfet love casts out all fear, no matter what we have suffered in the past.
You and I have had discussions before, and I think you are just trying to be contrary, altho of course, that scripture does speak for itself.
However, He will have to stand by his word and judge those who have not accepted his free gift of peace that passes understanding. To all who will come to him he will give rest, and use no sword. However, it is to those who insist on fighting Him and his precepts that he will have to judge, as he did the moneychangers in the temple.
Thank you for pointing out that scripture to me and allowing me to explain myself. God is essentially a God of love, but justice will have to reign when the time of His grace has ended and He comes back again.
In the US it takes a white man to preach about how everyone should quit obsessing over skin color and move on to the glory of Jesus. As for Obama's minister, Wright, it would help white Christians to remember that American blacks were attracted to Chrisitanity because of their identification with the captive Jews in Egypt and with their liberation as told in the "old" testament. In the books of the "old" testament, the prophets sound exactly like Rev. Wright, constantly criticizing the Jewish people, the Jewish nation, for ethical and moral failure. First in the years of American slavery and then again in the years of segregation, white American Christians never tired of urging black people to turn the other cheek, to passively endure their suffering, to love and bless their white oppressors, to obey the government and the law of the land, and to wait meekly for their reward in the next life. Jesus, too, was often angry, sometimes, as in Matt. 23:24-29, ranting like Wright and warning of hell. Racism takes many forms. This post is just one.
"Being both black and a believer found it offensive. Mom and I were speaking on the sermon and I understand what he may have attempted to say but when he deilivered it ,,,,,,,,,,it was all wrong. If we are at a time and place where people are screaming for death to the N word why bring it up in a sermon. In an election that has gone to the dogs why would you continue to divide?"
Rev. Wright can have all the slack he needs. That doesn't mean that his preaching is biblical.
Your position that African-American Christians should ignore the teachings of Jesus is, of course, contrary to the teachings of Jesus. Jesus requires those who choose to be His disciples to pick up their crosses and follow Him—to die. Race has absolutely nothing to do with this requirement. He requires this of believers, regardless of their race, gender, economic condition or social standing. Yes, that includes slaves, regardless of race. That includes prisoners. That includes people who are unjustly apprehended, unjustly tried, unjustly beaten and unjustly nailed to a cross.
No beef with Jesus, no beef with you. You'll learn. We all have warps in our understanding, you and I included.