Rabble Rousers, Degenerates, and Thugs

Last updated on: October 26, 2016 at 12:03 pm by Adrian Crawford

Rabble Rousers, Degenerates, and Thugs 2016-10-26T12:03:37-04:00 Adrian Crawford

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Today, being a rebel is a trend. There is a bandwagon full of people riding along for the sake of hashtags and Snapchat views. I am urging people to evaluate why they are standing up for whichever cause they have chosen.

Though I am initially excited to see so many people standing up against all the issues of racial injustice, I question if some are truly doing this because they want see justice or because it’s the popular thing to do. Before we mark ourselves as part of the rebellion there are some things to consider.

First, what the reality of your decision to be a rebel means. Simply, you have chosen to go against the grain and that act has consequences. If history has shown us anything, it’s that the masses and those in places of authority don’t like when someone steps out of line. You will need to count the cost and prepare to pay dearly. You must also determine to hold fast to your moral standing because once the ball is rolling, it is easy to lose track of who you are in the process.

I have said it before and the same applies here: everyone wants to be a revolutionary, no one wants to live like one. Today I can think of few examples better than Colin Kaepernick. He chose something that he has received equal praise and persecution for. He decided that racial injustice was no longer something he could watch without using what he had to do something about it. This is a crossroad every rebel must come to, if we will ever have the courage to say anything and be willing to endure whatever opposition may arise.

What you should know from the starting point, is that the you may never see the vision you have come to fruition. Most of the pivotal historical characters marching against injustice, never saw the victories they were after in their lifetime; the fight for the new reality outlasted them whether their life came to an end due to natural means or they were assassinated for their disruption of the culture around them. If you have the gift of living to see your spark move from a radical idea to a monumental reality, you will still suffer being misunderstood by the masses your entire life, which is not a light cross to carry. Heed the warning of counting the cost, it is a shame to watch someone gain mass support and drop out. I would argue that the cause is not having a word from God to stand on.

History shows us where having a word from God made all the difference. In the writings of Jeremiah, he claimed to have a vision, a word from the Lord. When he received God’s heart for his people, something ignited. His writings went far beyond his lifetime, they were actually used to inspire greatness and freedom in the midst of captivity to many of his ancestors.

That spark is a powerful thing to harness. In order to persevere, even today, it needs to be held onto with extreme ferocity. At first, it will inspire you, but then it will become your lifeline. Just as it did for Jeremiah’s ancestors an inspired word from God will allow you to undergo hardships and endure long suffering and most importantly, it will strengthen you to walk forward when everyone around you is refusing to move.

It will be hard, and you may never see your vision actualized. If justice is never obtained in my lifetime, I hope it will be said of me that I honored God with everything I had and that I stewarded my convictions well.

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Rebellion: The Lost Art

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