GUEST POST: Kyle Butler – Racism: My Answer To It

Last updated on: May 12, 2020 at 3:58 pm by Keith Giles

GUEST POST: Kyle Butler – Racism: My Answer To It 2020-05-12T15:58:12+00:00 Keith Giles

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

NOTE: In honor of Ahmaud Arbery, I’m surrendering my blog today to someone who understands the suffering of Black Americans better than I ever could. Please listen to what my friend, and brother in Christ, Kyle Butler has to teach us about Racism in America today.

RACISM: My Answer To It by Kyle Butler

Racism, what do we know?

Well on the surface, we know it’s ugly. It is painful. It is dehumanizing. It is deadly. It is restrictive. It is harmful. It is misleading. It is stereotypical. It is bold. It is subtle. It is divisive. It is wrong. It hurts. It cripples. It separates. It is ignorant. It is learned. It is distracting. It is part of humanities past. It is in our present, but will it be our future?

Well, that is up to us. It’s up to all of us. No matter what we’ve done in the past. No matter how it has or has not affected you and me. Only you and I together, can change the trajectory of this.

How? Well the answer is as simple as the very thing we all understand on some level and that is love. Love is the one common thread or essence we all have in common. I know on one level we have heard that we all bleed the same color. Well as much as that is true, apparently, seeing the blood of our brothers and sisters of all nationalities running through every street of every segment of history because of some type of hatred isn’t enough and hasn’t worked. Blood is not the answer.

We have tried legislation. While on the surface it seems to have helped, but yet there are still laws and legal practices which do not support complete equality. We have tried to protest it. Yes, we have seen some good come out of it, but has it been enough? We have tried to fight hate and anger with more hate and anger, but all that does is end up in more division and bloodshed. We have cried together, yes, that has helped too, but tears fade away. We have spoken up and we have spoken out. However, none of these methods although somewhat helpful, has brought the overall desired effects we all really want. Believe me, no one really wants to hate. Hate is unactual to our core. No one really wants to kill. Killing is unnatural to our core. No one really wants “separate but equal” Separation is unnatural to our core.

So, we are back at love. Love, the starting place. Love, every single human being starting place. Love at our core sees only me and it sees only you. Not as a man, or a woman. Not as a boy or a girl. Not as a color. Not as a lifestyle. Not as a sexuality. Not as a label of any kind. Love is labeless.

When “love” is aggressively attached to labels, it can become very easy to dislike and even hate, the opposite of whatever the label is of that love. It is then no longer love. It becomes wicked and twisted. It believes through this distorted belief, that it must be favored or protected. It must be exulted above all others. It believes it is superior and all others that don’t fit within the category of that label are inferior and are unworthy of decency.

We’ve played this game long enough. No one has really won, and no one ever really will. I know that seems inaccurate. I know racism has benefited some and has done great harm to others. That perception has created a mindset of winners and losers, victors and victims. But in all actuality, it has torn down the very essence of the human spirit, therefore, in some ways, we are all at a loss.

Many great orators throughout history, have said the very same thing. I join my voice in with theirs and with the voice of everyone who believes in the power of love and the power of oneness. If I can help you see the true essence of who you really are, if you can help someone else see the essence of who they really are, we can – together completely eliminate the small element of racism that still runs through the ideology of a small portion of humanity.

I want to encourage you, don’t give up on love. Let love continue. Let love heal. Let love educate. Let love lead. Let love speak. Let love – love, and the rest will take care of itself.

Keith Giles is an author, blogger, podcaster and follower of Jesus who is very tired of watching black people get killed for no reason. He’s ready to try love. Are you?

Previous Post

May 11, 2020

GUEST POST: One Nation Under God by Michele Smith Lindo

Next Post

May 19, 2020 The Erastus Conundrum

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Biblicism Christian Politics Cosmic Christ Deconstruction Discipleship Dispensationalism Divine Unity Ekklesia End Time Stuff Eschatology Evergreen Following Jesus Gender General Christian Topics Gnostics God's Love Gospel of Judas Gospel of Mary Gospel of Philip Gospel of the Kingdom Gospel of Thomas Gospel of Truth Hell Historical Jesus Inner Circle Investigative Reporting Islam LGBTQ Issues Marriage Mental/Emotional Health Mystery Non-Duality Philosophy Podcast Poetry Politics Poverty Preemptive Love Prophecy Psychology Quantum Theology Racism Reconstruction Satire Sex Technology Theology Uncategorized Universalism

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How many days and nights did it rain during the flood?

Select your answer to see how you score.

7 10 12 40

Books by This Author Books by Keith Giles

See All Titles »