The Thirty-Second Epistle
NBA Now!
DATELINE: Sunday, June 17, 2001.
By Rev. James R. Bingham
Special to corndancer.com
Posted from Memphis, Tennessee
Exodus 14: 13-14
13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
Whatever happened to, Put it in the hands of the Lord?
I can’t say enough good about Memphis Mayor Dr. W.W. Herenton. He made a fast break, driving down the lane with financial and legislative wizardry to make a stunning 360-degree slam dunk. He maneuvered with the finesse of an Allen Iverson and with an intensity that equals a Shaquille O’Neal. With heart and talent he has all but clinched a NBA (National Basketball Association) franchise for Memphis, ending a thirty- year attempt to bring a major professional sports team to the city.
The man has never forgotten to say, "With God’s help!" I’m not discounting the efforts of the other players, but clearly, Mayor Herenton is the leader of this team. He’s getting great support from the bench in an organization called NBA Now.
After watching the NBA events unfold on the Memphis news, my heart is filled with glee, not because of netting the team, but because one of the owners of the Grizzlies, Michael Heisley, made it clear that God was a part of his life and that his wife heads a weekly Bible study class in their home.
Some legal opposition to the Grizzlies coming to Memphis lingers. The NBA Commission has yet to make its decision. Even so, to this point, the efforts of all concerned have been laudable. Kudos also go to those who are determined to avoid securing the franchise at the expense of overtaxing the citizens of Memphis. One thing for certain, Romans 8:28: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. It’s all good, if it's put in His hands.
Fail?
Not with God at the Point.
There is something to this thing about putting our concerns in the hands of God. I don’t mean this thing about, "When all else fails, try God." No, I mean keeping God at the head of all our efforts. How can we fail? If God is for you, He is more than the whole world against you.
But.... but.... but..... Are we really relying on God as an indwelling spirit, or do we only give lip service to His power?
It has become popular, again, for folks to say, "God is the head of my life." Yet, many of these same folks cling to the worldly things that speak against God's perfect order for their path through this veil of tears.
Are we really stepping out on faith?
I Fall.
He Lifts Me Up.
What does that mean anyway, to step out on faith? Is it the same as a leap of faith? I am reminded of one of Dr. Fred Price’s favorite scriptures, "We walk by faith, not by sight!" Against all odds, we are empowered by God with the unwavering conviction that success is imminent. All things are possible through Christ, who strengthens us. Even though I may fall down, I am lifted by Him to get up, again and again, and continue towards the mark.
Are you stepping out on faith? How might faith relate to a city and a major professional sports franchise?
To win a NBA franchise is quite an accomplishment, but — let me emphasize the BUT — what about other issues; for instance, the direction of the young people in the city and their drive to taste the temptations of immorality? If we are stepping out on faith, just what are we stepping out to achieve? To put it another way, we need to know exactly what we are plan to put into God’s hands. Do we seek His help in obtaining and securing treasures on earth?
Recently, State Representative Henri Brooks was ostracized for not standing to salute the American Flag at a Tennessee State House of Representatives recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. She indicated that her actions were predicated on the flag’s historical reference to America being a nation of former slave owners. The House Speaker, Jimmy Naifeh, said that Ms. Brooks should enter the House Chamber after the Pledge of Allegiance.
"All White People
Hate Black People."
I disagree. If she was not present, then her point would go unnoticed. Do I agree that the USA is a nation of former slave owners and that the flag attests to that? Yes, I do. Do I think she should have stood? Maybe she was tired, like Rosa Parks, the Matriarch of the civil rights movement. The point here is, there are not enough facts. The only side of the story reported by the mainstream press was that of the House Speaker. Knowing Ms. Brooks, I am certain there is more to the story than we've been told.
Some of my learned friends forwarded me some interesting background information to explain Ms. Brooks position. That treatise by a noted author and psychologist spoke to a related issue that said, "All white people hate black people." Well-l, that’s putting it kind of thick. I refuse to believe that hypocrisy is so dominant in our present day society that we can say all white people hate all Black people. Frankly, the premise sounds rather nationalistic.
Allegiance and political correctness tend to conflict, the same as morality and the law of the land are often in conflict. Is this a battle that we need to put before God? If it is, then close up your Bibles. Burn 'em! You don’t need 'em! If 2000 years of love thy neighbor as thyself has only led us to serve as subtle, deceitful proponents of hate and hidden agendas for annihilation of one another, then forget your Bibles and pick up a fresh version of Darwinism.
You see, let me explain something. I am an authority on the necessity of getting one's house in order. My house has been leaning for sometime. On several occasions I’ve had to prop it up with 2x4 boards from God’s word. That’s right. I’m leaning on the Everlasting Arm. I have found that there is no place I’d rather be than in the arms of Jesus.
They Said: You're a Dead Man!
He Said: I'm Alive.
I've Got the Power of God.
Now having qualified myself, allow me to explain something. America, as a whole, is no different today than were the children of Israel when faced with the awesome, vast, and foreboding waves of the Red Sea. Pharaoh’s army was not far behind them. They just knew, given the history of Rameses’ lack of compassion, that they would all be slaughtered once his army caught up with them. They said, "Moses, you don’ got us out here with no defense, no shelter, and no weapons, except yo’ rod. Now we are blocked by this mighty sea. Pharaoh is on his way. You’re a dead man, Moses! We’re all dead!"
I paraphrased a little bit, but I didn’t stray from the spirit of the text. The children of Israel had no insight. They had no visible means of escape and no sustenance for continuing. Above all, they had no faith.
Remember the story of the Ten Commandments as portrayed in the Hollywood movie starring Charleton Heston? Edward G. Robinson was sort of a secondary antagonist. He urged the people to revolt against Moses. He called to their mind the limited but certain security they had back in Egypt. Others in the cast of thousands didn’t want Moses’ leadership, as it proved out in scripture, and some just had no idea about the meaning of it all.
Stone the Leader,
Or Stand Together?
Moses was close to being stoned. To the "children," slaying their leader was one of two logical options. They could wait on Pharaoh and beg for his mercy. By ridding themselves of Moses, Pharaoh would see that they had come to their senses.
The other option was to rush forward and drown in the unforgiving Red Sea. Waiting on Pharaoh meant death no matter what. He was intent on crushing them. Remember, the very reason they were in the shape they were in was because the census takers had shown that the Jews were outnumbering the Egyptians.
Exodus 1:9-10
9. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
10. Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
As far on the gloomy horizon as the Children of Israel could see, they were doomed, doomed, doomed! They couldn’t kill Moses because, let’s face it, no one else had a plan. They needed a way out. Their only recourse was to submit to wise leadership. Enter, again, the figure of Moses. He assumed a position in front of the people and rose to the occasion.
Exodus 14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
The Plan:
Put It in His Hand.
Moses, indeed, had a plan. His inspired solution was motivational, comforting, and conclusive. Moses told the Children of Israel to "Put it in God’s hands!"
You see, we have risen as an American people, united in this society despite the deep problems we face daily. White people, Red people, Black people, so on and so on. We have been led by a righteous consciousness. The progress in civil rights, political rights, and employee rights is providentially stirred by a people who ultimately want to do the right thing. Do we always do the right thing? No! But that is our aim, to do right and be right in the sight of God.
We are not all prophets and sages. We don’t know the future. Most of us are not political strategists. Our financial acumen would pale against the likes of various noted economists. Though many of us are downright brilliant, we can’t all be President of the United States at the same time.
Sooner or later, we as a people of whatever color are destined to come to the banks of the Red Sea, or the Mighty Muddy Mississippi (just another metaphorical substitution), and stand together to make a decision and determine the direction of our future.
As a result, we should and must rely on gifted and anointed leadership to go forward. We are taught in Psalms 37:34: Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. Scripture in the Old Testament goes on to say in Isaiah 40:31: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
The Hole Is Deep Enough
To Mandate Escape.
Racism, sexism, bipartisanism, and denominationalism are waves in our Red Sea. We have categorized, rationalized, ostracized, politicized, and polarized ourselves so much that we’ve dug a deep enough hole to mandate the solution: Find a way out!
By drudging on past mistakes as a people, by feeding the rich in spite of the needs of the poor, by doing good for all the wrong reasons, we have created a hypocritical lifestyle — and it is catching up with us. Like the Children of Israel standing upon the shore of the Red Sea, we face certain death if we try to go back. We must forge ahead across the ominous sea of the unknown. We won’t drown! We can put it in God’s hands.
He will see us through. He will part this sea so we can travel across the barrier to dry land. Stand still and see the power of the Lord!!
Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and Green Party partisans: Don’t we all want to have a country that allows us to live out the stated creed of this land? Don’t we all want to exercise our inalienable rights to the pursuit of life, liberty and prosperity? Which party is right? Put it in God’s hands.
What's Next?
Praise God in the highest! The change we’ve been praying for is now at hand. For two hundred years, America has prayed for the clear-cut autonomy and unabated ability to write its own future. Well, here we are.
We fought for racial integration, but were we really seeking segregation in disguise? Our past is about to catch up with us. We can’t go back. The future, however, looks much like the Red Sea must have looked to the Children of Israel: a formidable barrier filled with anger and frustration. Stand back and see the power of the Lord work for us to save the day!
Children of God, hold fast to your profession in God as our leader. Victory over immorality is imminent. If you can’t see it, fear not and walk by faith, not by sight!!
Give God Some Praise!!!
EDITOR'S NOTE: Rev. Bingham
can be reached by E-mail at
jamesrbingham@juno.com.
His phone number in Memphis is
901.785.5691.