Good People, Standing By...
Hi there.
My name is Mike Asem and I’m a Black American man, born and raised in middle America, and a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. These traits are primary among those that inform my views and actions as a husband, a venture capitalist and a citizen of this great country.
In recent months, these traits have placed a calling on my heart, mind and soul to pour out truth in the form of writing for all those with eyes seeking to see, ears seeking to hear, and minds seeking to understand truths around racial injustice in our country and the role(s) that good people, Christian and non-Christian, have in it.
This isn’t about sounding smart.
This isn’t about making noise.
This is about speaking truth to power.
This is about holding good people accountable to truth, in a world where truth continues to lose its relevance.
In early June I wrote “Racism won’t die in 2020,” to call out the truth that Black people like myself are so tired and numb to this conversation, and that it was hard to have hope rather than skepticism for the chance of people that were excited by the moment and calling themselves allies actually staying committed to a movement that created real change.
Two weeks later I wrote “There’s No Debate: Good People Aren’t Good Enough” as a follow up to call out the truth that throughout our nation’s history good people, both Christian and non-Christian, have let their indifference drive them to prioritize self-preservation when the opportunity was for their morality to drive them to prioritize Justice.
Two months later, when the POTUS made me look like a prophet by calling for the purging of “any training on ‘critical race theory’ or ‘white privilege’” in Federal agencies, I wrote “Receipts of Racism” to, again, call out truth by providing evidence to refute the claims that our country does not suffer from the disease of systemic racism, as well as point out specifically how men in power in the United States have fallen short of ending racism by 1) perpetuating its lies, 2) denying its existence, and 3) making space for it to thrive.
Months ago when I wrote the first piece of what will now be an “informal four part series,” I don’t know if I could have imagined this lining up as clearly as it has.
Because last night…
One candidate made a call to his good people to stand by.
And in doing so… I hope and pray… that my good people were awakened to a call to stand by as well.
My good people, both Christians and non-Christians, I understand that some of you have a hard time considering a candidate other than the one that you believe can and will execute the order to force “conservative values” on our nation. Speaking plainly, I understand that many of you see, character flaws aside, an opportunity to drive conservative values down the throat of our country, our culture, our courts.
Please hear me when I say this to you out of love and hope.
This isn’t the way.
Trust me.
To my Christian readers I step further and ask you to consider that specifically this isn’t Christ’s way, either. In fact, many Christians I know are approaching this election as collateral damage in a culture war that could be the means to an end for a “victory.”
But guess what?
We’re not called to win a culture war.
We’re not called to fight a culture war at all.
We’re called to redeem culture and this world by being Christ-like participants in it.
Familiar with John 3:16 much? Well the next sentence (John 3:17) is literally this:
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.“
Jesus didn’t condemn the world. Rather, he participated in it… submitted Himself to it… even to death. He showed us THE example of how to save the world as redemptive participants in it. We’re called to thrive in faith over fear, because we know He works all things out to His glory and the good of His people. (Romans 8:28)
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.“
We’re called to faithfully serve others, seek justice, and make space for Him to move - not fearfully grasp for the control to make our moves at the cost of our friends, our families, and others out there who are trying to see God through us, but instead see… something else.
So…
Good people, standing by…
Who are you standing by for?
My beating heart begs you to take the courage, humility and honest reflection to ask yourself this question, and own the answer to it. I hope that my writing has provided the tools and context to help you truly seek your own answer, and lends you the ability to truly take ownership of it. In the case of leveraging your vote to answer the question of whether or not racism could actually be put to rest in 2020, your options look like this.
Self-preservation ————or— Justice
Passive / Complicit ———or— Pro-active / Anti-Racist
Constant Denial ————or— Accountable
Making Space for lies ——or— Honoring Truth
“Proud boys… stand by.” —or— “There’s systemic injustice in this country…”
Please don’t sleep on this moment.
Be challenged by the truth.
And, like a true American… rise to meet it.
The equity of all people, the future of our country, and the redemption of our broken world… all depend on who good people stand by for.
Now, likely more than any other time in our lives.
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