Author: Dr. Michael Johnson

I have always known this. My mother instructed me a long time ago. There is really no safe position for a black man who is confronted by a policeman. Even when running away I cannot be safe. My best chance is to stand still, with my hands up. That way the officer can discharge his weapon fewer times, possibly less frustrated trying to hit a moving target.

Hands up, stand still is the best chant. Either that or roll up in a ball and play dead. It makes it easier to put on the handcuffs.

I am my brother’s keeper. I just want to keep him far away from me! The present furor and panic over a deadly disease that is poorly misunderstood has made it very easy to popularize a call for keeping those who come from epidemic zones as far away as possible from ‘the rest of us’.

This makes for great political debate and when coupled with righteous anger can make or break a career. We are hopefully turning the corner on this and can become Christian again. We are our brother’s keeper. We need to keep him close.

After all, Jesus touched and healed the unclean by using spit and mud.

Genesis 4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

Matthew 9:20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:

I am my brother’s keeper. I must keep him close to win him to Christ.

A friend of mine told me about his frugal uncle’s approach to eating apples. Given a barrel of apples, his uncle was determined not to let one of them be wasted, so he would eat the over-ripe and rotten ones first and save the best for last. As you can imagine, he said, he never ate a good apple. He was always eating what should have been long ago discarded.

I have looked at my own life this way. I could concentrate on the rotten, overripe, wrongs and failure of my past, or focus on and rejoice in the present joy that God has allowed.

A strong word of advice is to let go of the past. No matter that it may be wasted years, months, weeks or days…, reliving them trying to undo, re-digest them serves no purpose other than to make you miss out on what is good and present and sweet about today.

Life in Christ is filled with sweet fruit. Eat and enjoy.

Oh taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man that trusts in Him Psalm 34:8

She stood in pain. Arthritis in cold wet weather does that. That pain can make you stand still and sure enough, she was not moving, just standing. It was obvious that the wait for the next bus would be uncomfortable to her mind and her body. She watched with longing eyes the previous bus pull away. She had missed it by seconds. I was fortunate, or you might say, unfortunate enough to have witnessed the unfolding scenario from the comfort of my car.

A cold wet Sunday morning in Philadelphia found me heading to church and as usual, I was in a hurry. I am a deacon. The pastor depends on me. The people expect me to be in place. My fellow deacons await my arrival. I have a reserved seat up front, next to the pulpit. I can’t stop for this woman. She can wait for the next bus. She should not get too wet, after all, it is only drizzling not a heavy rain. And of course, I am good enough already. I don’t have to prove to anybody that I am good by stopping and giving this woman a ride to church. I am good enough.

The Holy Spirit speaks. Good enough never is. I slowed to stop. I turned the corner and hopped out of my car.

“Would you like a ride to church dear sister?” I said this as I was opening the passenger door, correctly assuming could she not say no.

Why of course Deacon Johnson, came her smiling reply. And less than two minutes later, with her cane and multiple small bags, she was seated comfortably, warm and dry in the back seat, secured with a seat belt. We arrived with time to spare. That is, Christ had not returned yet. No earth shattering events had occurred, and most importantly, my special seat was untouched.

My good enough never is. It is always based upon what I feel I can hold back because it is my right to preserve something for myself. Why should I give all to Christ? Why should I be inconvenienced? Why should I take concern over the wickedness in our world? Hungry children have always been hungry and naked unhealthy people are too numerous to count. I need to give just enough to say I gave, not necessarily enough to make a difference. That is good enough. To be seen given suffices. God counts that as filthy rags. It is self-serving and self-satisfying. I feel good by convincing myself I did good enough. Good enough never is. It accepts mediocrity, not excellence. Then of course there is mediocre mediocrity and mediocre, mediocre mediocrity and…, well it goes downhill from there. Good enough accepts what is allowed, not what is best. Good enough is not what God wants from me. He wants my best. He gave His best and only that is good enough. We can never give God what is good enough, unless we give Him our best. Anything less is filthy rags. Isaiah 64:6 New Living Translation We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.

He Is Out To Get Me

‘We want to play here comes the giant!’ Then they run, giggle and scream and hide as I hoist one of the smallest grandchildren on my shoulders and pretend to be a giant looking for those in hiding. Practically everyone gets in on the game. Grandmom, aunts, uncle, dads and moms are participants as well as any guest who happens to show up. Hide and seek is played with a twist, everyone hoping they will get caught as they don’t really want to stay cramped up in a closet, under a table or in the basement too long. They are paranoid they will be found, but it is a peaceful paranoia. They know and trust the one who is seeking will do them no harm.

Eventually, He will find me. He is out to get me, and I am glad about it. I don’t want to stay hidden in these dark, cramped places. These places of self-reliance, self-importance, selfishness, and a general lack of interest in what He wants to do in my life and through my life.

I would rather be paranoid. It is a paranoia that gives me great assurance about today and tomorrow. I no longer have to worry about what I will eat, or wear, or do in the morning, or how I will sleep in the night. He will find me and provide (Matthew 6:25-33). He rejoices that I am safe in His arms. I find peace with Him. Let the gentle giant find you.

Luke 15: 4-7 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

I hear them before I see them. Snickering, giggling and whispering sounds coming through, around and under the door. No matter that I had closed the bedroom door, locked the bathroom door, and made sure the curtain was pulled tightly, they pursued me. I thank God the lock is reliable. I had turned the fan on, and the light off just to throw them off the ‘scent’.

That is right. Having the youngest grandchildren follow you around the house can be embarrassing. It is those private moments that get disturbed by their incessant curiosity. I have learned to not dare let myself be absent for more than 3 unexplained minutes, often reserving these necessary moments for their nap times by which time I am dozing anyway. Another reprieve is their bed times, by which time I am walking in a stupor (don’t they ever go to sleep?).

My life as a grandfather is under constant inspection, scrutiny, questioning and every move, word, form of entertainment, type of food, drink, every game, every conversation is examined and reexamined.

“Why, How, When, What, Where” questions abound, and no rhetorical answers such as; “that is for adults only” suffices. I am being watched closely, and whether I want to admit it or not, it causes me to be even more careful of how I live.

God sent a second wave of detectives in my life. The first ones I did not pay much attention to, and I did things that did not please Him, and without a doubt distracted them. This second wave is just as diligent and now being wiser I hope, I will be much more attentive and responsive to their watchful eyes. He is using them to make me more like Him. Maybe I should have had the grandchildren first.

Isaiah 11:6 “…a little child shall lead them”