by Darnell Whitfield

From the onset, let me make this emphatically clear, “the words that you will read are from my heart and do not reflect The Tidewater News newspaper. So if these words stir you up, please don’t blame them, because these are the thoughts of Darnell E. Whitfield.

With that out of the way I want to talk about the mindset of the United States of America.

The population of this country is 325 million people, covering 3.8 million square miles of land mass. That is a lot of people!

In this great mix of many races, religions, genders, political affiliations we have a problem with unity.

The disunity of America has been going on for too long, and those of us that know better need to stand up and speak out against the ignorance that is permeating our country.

The evangelicals love to tout about the United States being a country that based its beliefs in the Holy Bible, yet when you put the Bible up against the actions of this country one can clearly see that we may have started with Christian principles, however, this country is as far from Christian principles as the Milky Way is from Alpha Centauri (approximately 4.37 light-years.) Let’s take a look at the differences.

The POTUS believes that we should put up a wall so that we can keep out what he deems as undesirables. Also, he believes that people who have lived in this country, worked hard, had families, even served this country militarily should be deported, being labeled as criminals and rapists. This is the same thing that Adolf Hitler did to arouse the anger of the German people against the Jewish people in the 1930s, by labeling them thieves and rapists, going even further to say that they should be exterminated like rats!

Deuteronomy 10:19, says, “Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt,” and Hebrews 13:1-25, “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

God says, “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

We are to take care of the stranger in the land. We are to make sure that they have food to eat, a place to lay their weary head and they are to be shown love throughout their stay.

Yet this country falsely accuses those looking to escape the evils of their land for a better place by labeling them criminals.

This country, without conscience, will tear apart families, sending parents and guardians to one place and the children to another, and causing heartbreak to the parents and great distress to the child.

America is not following the command of God to ‘LOVE’ not only the ones you feel connected to, but also love the stranger.

The test that is before us is to love unconditionally, if you are a Christian, and I know that it is hard to do, but it is not impossible.

In 1969 I was attending an all African-American school in Newport News, Virginia, I lived in an area of Newport News that was approximately 98 percent African-American.

Our neighborhood was self-sufficient, and then forced busing came into play to attempt desegregation. In 1971, I was forced to be bused all the way across town, to be forced to sit with a race of people that I was not connected to.

After getting over my uneasiness, I began to talk to them, and then I began to laugh with them and then I began to love them. Sure, there were some that did not accept my gestures of peace, but that didn’t stop me from going on to have some of the best days of my life, just by opening my heart and mind to strangers.

Today, I have many friends of all persuasions. Do we agree all of the time? No! But I have learned that we all have our own goals and mindsets and I must allow others to be themselves, in other words love them as they are.

In Hebrews 13, one line of Scripture reads, “for thereby some have entertained angels unawares,” the true test of our Christianity comes from what God allows in our life, so that we can understand where we stand with God.

I firmly believe that Christians are being tested in the United States to see if we stand for hatred, evil and ignorance, which are from Satan, or will we stand in love, peace and compassion, which I believe, are the hallmarks of Godly people.

I hope that I have gotten you to at least think about your treatment of those not familiar to you that you may change, because a change of heart is what this country needs toward its own people and those who are alien to us, so that this country can be blessed by God!

Live your life in truth, because the truth shall set you free!

May God richly bless you, by the movement of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ!

DARNELL WHITFIELD is senior pastor of Diamond Grove Baptist Church in Franklin. Contact him at 742-1343 or revwhitfield@me.com.