It’s time to end racial violence once and for all

The recent Atlanta spa shootings are the pinnacle of racial hatred that has been festering in the United States for a while now. There are people who believe that Asian Americans are responsible for spreading COVID-19, which they refer to as “the Chinese virus.” 

The attacks have been ramping up across the country. Hurling insults grew to threats, threats grew to physical attacks, and ultimately, physical attacks have grown to murder. 

This needs to end. Now. 

The insults alone were enough, but hatred and racial violence has gone too far for what is sadly not the first time in recent history.

It’s time to end racial violence

People have been fighting for years to end racism. This isn’t something that will just go away overnight. But the more of us that join in the fight to end racism, the more progress we will be able to make.

• Practice tolerance — Simple intolerance is at the core of much of racial hatred. There are people who, for one reason or another, believe others of different skin tones, different faiths, different countries of origin, or different sexualities are worth less or are evil or want to destroy America and Christianity.
  
  We all need to do better at accepting diversity and the many choices others make in their lives. Learning to accept others for who they are can help reduce discrimination and violence and foster a brighter future for us all.

• Stop comparing yourself — When you’re constantly comparing yourself to others, you can easily fall into a pit of noticing your differences more than what makes you similar. Learn to be happy with yourself and to not constantly observe what is different about you and those around you.

• Take responsibility for yourself — Racial violence often occurs as a result of misplaced blame. Anti-Asian attacks are occurring because people are blaming them for the virus rather than taking personal responsibility and wearing masks. People blame immigrants for losing their jobs rather than holding the companies that create illegal labor accountable.

We all need to learn how to stop looking for others to put the blame on and learn how to take responsibility for our own actions. Make changes happen with positive action, not hatred and violence.

Centerpoint Church is ready to walk with you on your faith journey

At Centerpoint, our community believes in purpose and passion, and we would love to walk with you on your journey in finding yours. We are currently going through a new sermon series titled “To Hell With Normal.” It’s all about redefining what we consider normal in life as we seek to make our lives more like the way Jesus would have them to be. 

Do you want to grow in your faith or are you simply curious about who this Jesus guy is? You’re not alone. We encourage you to listen to our series online and welcome you to come to one of our Sunday morning services in Valrico, Florida.