On the Confederate Flag

My ancestors fought for the confederacy; one served in the Georgia 53rd Infantry Regiment throughout the Civil War. Prior to the Civil War he was an overseer on a Georgia plantation; after the war he moved his destitute family to Cass County, Texas.

I grew up in east Texas with a confederate flag in my bedroom. I was taught that that symbol represented the regional pride of the South.

I was proud of my Southern heritage ... until I became a Christian in high school. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, I then understood that ALL of us are equally loved and adored by God. God favors NO race. Indeed, my Savior, Jesus, was the brown-skinned Messiah of the Jews!

Every culture has its strengths; every culture has it sins. A love for the South is part of my heritage and I embrace that. But the South also has its sins. I am especially moved by the Christian forgiveness encapsulated in a speech of Dr. King:

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 

'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal'. 

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood."

God has allowed me to sit at the table of brotherhood -- amongst the red hills of Georgia! -- with sons and daughters of former slaves. It was a joyful experience for me.

As a follower of the Messiah, I repudiate the symbolism of the confederate flag. It is today a symbol of racism and race hatred. I react to it with nausea. I have no respect for that flag and I pray for those who see anything positive, in this day, in displaying that flag.