CHICAGO – Dr. Eric Wallace, who pastors a church in Chicago's south suburbs, makes a public plea to President Donald Trump and football player Colin Kaepernick to meet face-to-face:
Dear Mr. President & Mr Kaepernick,
I believe that when you became president that you aspired to be one who unites people, and not one that divides. You recently reached out to Democrats on healthcare and now, taxes. Is it possible that we can unite people behind the flag once again and not continue the rancor that has now become no more than a spectacle, which has lost any relevant meaning?
You are the leader of the free world and regardless of whether we voted for you or not, you represent us all. As that leader, you can either stoke the flames of allegiance to the flag protest alone, or redirect and encourage dialogue, which advances unity among all people. Colin Kaepernick was attempting to draw attention to what he saw as an injustice to Black people, especially Black youth across the country. Clearly his heart was in the right place, although his choice of venue was ill-advised and hopes of immediate resolution a bit naïve.
Having said that, Kaepernick’s concerns about violence against Blacks should not be ignored. Even though the narrative surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown was proved to be false. And even though Black Lives Matter is more about the Black LGBTQ community gaining political power; there are still legitimate claims of bad behavior stemming from our police departments (I say this as a former police officer who has great respect for those who “protect and serve”).
At the same time, there are those political leaders who hide such wrong doings to get reelected. Case in point, as a resident of the Chicago suburbs and a pastor in the city of Chicago we witnessed the illegal shooting of Laquan McDonald gunned down by a rouge police officer. This took place a few months after the riots in Ferguson. Mayor Rahm Emanuel decided to cover up the incident so it would not affect his reelection bid at the time. This is a travesty of justice, not to mention all the Black youth shot in the streets of Chicago due to gang violence, or the number of unborn Black babies who are killed through abortion.
I think it’s time for us to stand for those ideas that the flag truly represents, and then collectively sit down and discuss how together we stop the carnage in our cities like Chicago. Kneeling at the NFL games accomplishes nothing and becomes a major distraction to finding viable solutions. You might win the argument, but what have any of us gained if the outcome is that we lose a generation of young people who really need a leader who is not just trying to score points with his base.
In addition, Mr. Kaepernick your website (www.Kaepernick7.com) asserts that your mission is “to fight oppression of all kinds globally, through education and social activism.” Unfortunately, you may want to amend that mission. Some things need to be oppressed such as gang violence, police brutality, overt racism, or crime in general. Some of the very things you openly protest. More importantly, I believe you are referring to the “oppression” of the less fortunate, especially those who can’t defend themselves. Those who Jesus mentioned in Luke 4:18-19 when He quoted Isaiah 61:1-2,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (ESV)
Jesus mentions that he has come to “proclaim the good news to the poor” and to “set at liberty the captives and the oppressed”. This ministry of release and restoration is at the heart of Jesus’ work of redemption, and is one that must continuously be carried out by His disciples to all people, regardless of ethnicity, race or social status.
To you Mr. President, my suggestion is that you start with inviting Mr. Kaepernick to the White House to discuss his concern about the Black community, which you yourself have alluded to in your own statements. Have lunch and even invite others who hold many of these same concerns. And, let’s really begin to talk about viable ways to address these issues, which have systemically plagued lower income communities, both Black and White. Find a point where you can agree; and then the energy that has torn our nation asunder will be less about us vs. them, and more about how we fix the problems. This approach would turn adversaries into allies working toward the same goal, and consequently begin to unite our country in the process. So, when we all stand and salute our flag, we know by our own example what exactly we say we are standing for.
Mr. President, what do you have to lose?!? I say nothing. Unifying the country behind something we can all be proud of—including a legacy, which ultimately alleviates oppression and untimely deaths.
Sincerely and humbly submitted,
Rev. Dr. Eric M. Wallace,
Pastor of Hope Christian Fellowship
President of Freedom’s Journal Institute
More at www.FreedomsJournalInstitute.org
While this might be a good idea for some, the “beer summit” from our last president ended up being an embarrassment.,
This former football should just be ignored. Don’t give him a platform.
Watch the opening ceremony of last nights hockey game in Vegas with the Golden Knights to see how we should honor the true hero’s of our great country.,
Did you bother to read the article?
I read it twice.
I don’t think the former football player’s heart is in the right place.
I’m not sure you have a good understanding of the verses you quoted.
Mark is correct. This is a horrible idea.
Wow chase, I didn’t know that you can know a person’s heart without speaking to them. I would suggest that nothing is lost by asking him. If he turns it down that’s his problem. Accepting an invitation to the White House may help him get a job back in the NFL. For Trump it would make him look like the commander and chief who also cares about the wayward football player. As far as the use of scripture please tell me where I went wrong?
Both you and Mark are wrong. The reaction of the President has done nothing but divide our country more. How is your response to Kaepernick any different than the ugly reaction of progressives to conservatives who take a stand? We are better than that. It’s time we act like it.
I’m also waiting for you to tell me about the verses I quoted, which we happen to use as a foundational verse for our organization and I’ve been preaching on for the past few weeks.
The football player does not deserve an audience with the president. There are plenty of more useful, productive, non-divisive people in the country more deserving of a meeting with President Trump than this agitator who couldn’t even be bothered to vote in the last election.
As far as the use of Scripture you are horribly wrong if you think Jesus mission was about political freedom that his flock must continue. Horribly mistaken. Jesus is talking about freeing people from sin and slavery to the devil. He is not talking about politics.
This is a perfect example why politics and religion don’t mix. I sure hope you are not preaching politics from the pulpit.
Actually most Americans agree with the President. It was his divisive predecessor that insisted on tearing the country apart that got us to where we are now. President Trump is just cleaning up his predecessor’s (intentional) mess.
Politics and faith do mix. The only problem is that to0 many people believe they are biblical scholars. God created law and government so of course we should be involved. Clearly you’ve missed the point where Luke has mentioned that Israel is under duress being occupied by Rome. King Herod is mentioned in 1:5; Caesar Augustus in 2:1 and Quirinius the Governor of Syria and the movement of people because of a degree of Caesar. Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilot, Herod of Galilee, His brother Philip, Trachonitis and Lysanias are political rulers who hold power because of Rome. It is with the this milieu that God sends his Son, Jesus–the messiah, son of David (both connote Jesus as the heir to the throne of Israel). Luke begins his Gospel laying out that the kingdom of God invades the kingdom of men and calls Israel to align with the kingdom of God. In chapter 4 during the temptation of Jesus we find that Satan controls the political world that Jesus will one day rule over. The Devil offers him a short cut which he refuses.
So Yes, there is a political under girding of the Gospel. And part of the problem is that the people that Jesus has come to set free, the poor, are poor because of the political system that oppresses and holds them captive. In essence Jesus frees people from the power of Satan to the power of God (Act 26:18) which includes personal sin, demonic activity and governments manipulated by the evil one himself.
But what do I know. I’m only a PhD in Biblical studies with an emphasis in New Testament.
I forgot to mention that none of us “deserve” a second chance. That’s why its called grace or mercy. And if you read the sermon on the plain you’d see that Jesus teaches his disciples “Love, do good and lend to those who hate us. We are commanded to give forgiveness in abundance and show mercy because or Father (God) is merciful to those who don’t deserve it.