What's "SBW" you may be wondering? Saved, Black, and Woke. This is a question I've been meaning to ask the masses, because I believe it would be helpful to many, both young and old in the faith. Most of you, know what I mean when I say black. My skin is a dark brown hue, my parents are dark brown. I identify as a black woman. What do I mean by saved & woke? Let me break it down a little bit. To be saved: to be a born again Christian. A believer of the bible, beyond that an understanding that we are all in need a of saviour and his name is Yeshua (Jesus Christ!). So when I reference the faith, or being saved that is what I'm referring to. To be woke: Being Woke means being aware.. Knowing whats going on in the community.
Now add all three together and what do you get? You get someone that is SBW aka me! How do we cope with the things happening around us?
At the forefront of my identity is the fact that I am saved. It changes my worldview, and how I choose to navigate my time here on earth. As a Christian woman, I believe the bible teaches us that God is a God of justice. To really understand that, you have to believe that sin is as bad as the bible makes it seem. The saved part of my identity reminds me to pray. And I'm not talking about casual, lighthearted prayers. I mean prayers that will move the heart of God, prayers birthed in anguish. I don't foolishly dismiss and ignore the things I see happening around me. I try to engage in conversations, and see how I could remind people (specifically young black people) that our hope has a name, and that precious name is Jesus.
To be black & woke seem relatively synonymous these days. If you're active on popular forms of social media, you better believe you will get "dragged" if you "sleeping". If you lack basic awareness about what is going on in the world you're living in, the internet folks don't take to well to that. A lot of POC (people of colour) are simply tired of having to teach nonPOC about oppression, and how to recognize their privilege, and how microaggressions are indeed offensive. To be black and ignore the conversations that are prevalent today, you might find yourself on the wrong side of history again. Nobody wants to be the grandma who is in a textbook protesting at a black lives matter event proudly holding up her "all lives matter" poster.
Catch my heart in this y'all. I'm not here to talk politics, or to stir up divisive rhetoric amongst my Christian brothers and sisters. I'm here to ask the questions, that many are afraid to ask. I'm here because even though I am Canadian what happens south of the border effects me. I'm here writing this blog post because I work with young black teenagers that think Christians disagree with the simple statement that black lives matter. I'm here because I feel awkward discussing race relations with people that refuse to acknowledge white privilege. I'm here because I'm saved, black, and woke. I'm here because sometimes I have to scroll past another news story about another black life that was taken...because sometimes it feels like I've cried all the tears and my heart couldn't survive another crack. I'm here for many reasons, my question is why are you here? Are you also SBW? Have you asked yourselves these questions? Only to end up with them unanswered? Discussions like these on online communities don't have to end poorly.
If you're willing to talk, so am I. Be blessed y'all.
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