There are those that believe that all lives matter and there are those who say all lives matter but don’t really mean it. Do all lives really matter to you?
Black Lives Matter
Did you cringe a little bit at that headline? When I say “Black lives matter” does it bother you? There are a lot of people who don’t like that phrase and many have come up with narratives to make people uncomfortable with the phrase.
I’m not going to get off topic here and talk about why we say Black lives matter. I’ve already covered it. What I am going to say is which are you more bothered by: the phrase or the people who have died needlessly because of the color of their skin? Do all lives really matter to you or is it more important to stick with what the pundits you watch on TV say?
I hope everyone does matter to you. If you think you care more about human life than your particular political views, that’s fantastic. Let’s do a quick check.
Which Lives Matter
So you say all lives matter to you. Awesome. Then let’s take a look at just some of the lives that matter to you.
Do you fight for the rights of everyone or just those who are like you? Does everyone deserve to live or just those who have never done anything wrong?
Do these lives matter to you?
- Do the people who have died from COVID matter to you or are you too busy saying the numbers are inflated? People have definitely died. Are you more concerned about all the lives that can be saved or about the numbers?
- Do the Black people who have died from police brutality matter to you or are you excusing it pointing to some non-violent crime they committed or saying white people die from police brutality too? Is it more important to stop the dying or to try to excuse it?
- Does the 1% of the population that is in jail, the highest incarceration rate in the world matter to you or are you more concerned that your stuff is safe? (and the high incarceration rate doesn’t make your stuff safer)
- Do the LGBTQ people who die at a much higher rate of suicide matter to you or are you more concerned about their sex life, dress, or lifestyle?
There are a ton more examples I could give, but the question remains the same: do these lives matter to you, or do they only matter if they fall in line with your view of the world?
Do all lives really matter to you or is that something you just say to avoid how you truly feel: some lives matter more because they act in a way that makes your life easier.
Focus Brings Fixes
When it comes to thinking about people and how much human life matters to you, it really boils down to what you’re willing to trade for it.
The fact is that we can fix a wide variety of problems when we care about human life. For instance, it’s hard for police to do a job well when all of our problems are placed on them.
When people are starving, they steal to eat. When people are addicted, they break laws to get a fix. When people are unable to afford mental health medications, they make poor decisions.
If we funded ways to address these issues, not with people that carry guns, but with people that bring hope, we can make a positive difference in our world.
We have more guns than people in this country. When people have more access to guns than they have access to health care, decent housing, and a living wage, what’s the best scenario that can happen? Do all lives really matter to you, but only to the extent you can carry an AR-15 into your local Starbucks any time you want? What matters more to you: human life or stuff?
Is your definition of freedom about what you can own, protect, and control or about how much opportunity everyone has to be free?
Do All Lives Really Matter to You?
Most people want to do what’s right. Most people want to be healthy, happy, and provide for their families. Is your focus on helping those who want a good life or on putting in roadblock after roadblock for those people just to stop the few that make bad choices? Or do you simply not even care beyond your life or your stuff?
Do all lives really matter to you? Then what will your focus be today that proves it?
3 Responses
Yes! Yes! Yes!
I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross because ALL LIVES MATTER! Which also includes police officers LIVES MATTER. Unborn babies lives matter. Which drastically increased numbers of black unborn babies lives matter. Old men walking down the street during a BLM protest march lives matter. Trump supporters lives matter. Bidens supporters lives matter. ALL LIVES MATTER. But when Jesus comes back from heaven for his second coming the only thing that will matter is if you know Jesus and if you have accepted him as your Lord and Savior. Nothing else MATTERS
Amber, thanks so much for your thoughts. I agree that all lives matter. The issue is not all lives are in danger. In a school classroom if one child hadn’t eaten for days and, in the middle of class, they finally couldn’t stand it anymore and said “I’m starving”, if the teacher simply said “Bobby, all children need food. We want to think of everyone,” that’s not being helpful. Yes, all children need to eat, but saying that only takes away attention from the real problem. Bobby needs food. Why is Bobby starving? What needs to be done to make sure Bobby is getting the food he needs?
All lives matter. All people matter. That is what Jesus taught. He also taught us about the 99 sheep that were left to find the one that was lost or the celebration over the lost coin or the prodigal son. These are all stories of focus on those that need help most not a blanket statement of help for everyone. Not everyone faces the same level of injustice.
Don’t forget, the message of salvation includes the message of accountability. Don’t forget the parable of the talents or the story of the sheep and the goats. There will be an accounting. Salvation may get you in the door, but don’t forget the the story in Matthew 25 “For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.” When asked when that happened he would say “whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”
Who are those who most need our help? Who are those we are being killed? Who are those we are begging to be heard?