The Council Speaks

Q: How should a Christian handle discrimination? With the "Black Lives Matter" movement, should First Nations expect or demand more respect? What does God's Word say about this?

A: How should a Christian handle discrimination?

The original Greek word for "whosoever" found in John 3:16, is "πᾶς" (pas). Its definition and usage is: all; every; the whole; every kind of. πᾶς (pas) is also the exact Greek word used in Romans 10:13. "'Whosoever' calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. "

A holy God's prescription on how we should conduct our actions, and our thoughts, is based upon these two foundational Christian verses. In all our prayers, all our interactions, and all our heart, we are to live up to His standard of all; every; the whole; every kind of. To fail to do so is to fail in His great commission!

Maybe you're feeling convicted for not meeting His standard. But you are not a company of one. Throughout His word, His children have failed to live up to that standard.

"Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.' But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord." (Jonah 1:1-3, ESV)

Just like Jonah experienced, God will send us to those people we may be at difference with. This is where discrimination sets in. That's the place of difference between "us and them"! It is the place where we create distances between other people, especially between them whom are not of our culture and tradition. But God is love! No room for discrimination!

Jonah was being asked by his God to do something that he utterly refused to do. He refused God's command because of his disdain for the people of Nineveh-the Assyrians. The Assyrians were the enemy of God's people. And Jonah knew it!

But God would not allow Jonah's discrimination to interfere with His salvation plan. Yes, Jonah fled. But do you remember the whale? The whale spit him up at Nineveh!

Jonah's discrimination was intact when God saved Nineveh: "When God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it" (Jonah 3:10).

"But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord, and said, 'O, Lord, was not this what I said when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster" (Jonah 3:10–4:2, ESV).

God's plan is to save all people: "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17).

Now, to the question of: With the "Black Lives Matter" movement, should First Nations expect or demand more respect? What does God's Word say about this?

"In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him." Acts 10:34(b), 35

God, throughout His word, demonstrates His love for all men! No one should expect less, no one should expect more! In actuality, God respects no one more than another!

This is where we stumble! We give in to the temptation of wanting to get more than what God allows and provides!

We fail to recognize the way of the thief! His way, first of all, is very secretive. Being secretive is the doorway to impartiality, to expecting more! More has always been His way. God, on the other hand, encourages us to be content (Philippians 4:11). Being content leads to love, patience, and long suffering! These are the fruit of the Holy Spirit! It's the Holy Spirit who leads you to be loving and caring for all men-regardless of your position or your possession!

God wants us to wait on Him, and when we do wait on Him, He is good to us! (Lamentations 3:25) But how do you know what God wants for you? How do you know what you should be waiting for? You need God to help you know!

"Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore. For great is Your mercy toward me, and You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol." (Psalms 86:11-13)

GOD is holy! He wants you to be holy! If you look at all the other nations, you will fall like Israel: "Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations."

1 Samuel 8:5. You can choose to be content in God or you can focus on the nations. "Like all the nations" is a by-product of the "Black Lives Matter" movement and it has become a distraction to the "Be holy as I am holy" message!

- Ernie McDougall is Oji-Cree. He and his wife Mary make their home in Kistiganwacheeng, MB. He is a High School Principal and an elder in the local NEFC church

A: A recent CNN 2020 election exit poll labeled Native Americans in the six percent "Something Else" category while other minorities were named specifically. Native America hit Facebook with all kinds of responses, some serious and some humorous.

We often are overlooked-not even on the radar screen-when it comes to the critical challenges we face. Our statistics of violence and death are right up there with the Black population, not only as victims of police violence but also brutality against one another in our communities. Our hearts break for every form of violence and loss of life.

We hear much that "Black Lives Matter." Of course Black lives matter, but so does every life! That God would make us in His image, give us life and an eternal soul says a lot of how much He values all lives! He knew us while we were being made in our mother's womb.

But we also see that we were born into a fallen world of sin. All the bloodshed, deception, hatred, and lies are Satan's schemes to destroy what God has made. That's why God made it known that all lives matter when He sent His only begotten Son to us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us of our sins and make us right with God.

The big contrast: The world has its definition of rights, including BLM. It was demonstrated in more loss of life, vandalism and the burning down of the minority section of Minneapolis, which also included Native American businesses. A believer in Christ asked me why I didn't support BLM. I told her to look at their Manifesto. She tried to access it on the web, but it was taken down after the violence.

I can support the sentiment that Black lives matter, but biblically, I cannot support the Movement. I would encourage believers in Christ to know what God's Word has to say about such matters. Does it support life, truth and integrity, or does it kill, steal, and destroy?

I thank God for the laws of the land that encourage justice for all. And I thank God for those who protect our communities. Where there has been injustice we must remember that God sees all things.

And how should a believer in Christ get respect? Through reading the Word of God, gleaning His wisdom, knowledge, and letting Him live through us.

Proverbs 24:1–5 (ESV): Do not be envious of evil men, or desire to be with them; For their minds devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble. By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might.

-Craig and LaDonna Smith are Native American Christian ministers from the Ojibwe and Navajo tribes. Their organization, Tribal Rescue Ministries, is a ministry in close affiliation with The Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). Craig is licensed as an Alliance official worker, serving as a C&MA national evangelist while serving as president of Tribal Rescue Ministries. LaDonna has served faithfully along Craig's side in music, teaching, and equipping many next-generation rescuers for more than 40 years.