Sometimes “amazing” has to travel through “appalled.”

I have a short list of rules in life.

More than some, fewer than others.

One of my rules is that there is no such thing as words that “must be said.”

In almost 100% of the times I’ve heard, “this needs to be said,” (or some variation) it was an excuse on the part of the speaker to unbridle his or her tongue as a weapon.

Let me repeat my rule: There is no such things as words that must be said.

And yet I find myself compelled to speak (or write) today.

So, here’s the truth: these words do not need to be said; I need to say them. I am taking the initiative and the responsibility for saying something that I cannot—in good conscience—keep to myself.

To my faithful readers, I do not apologize, but just give a head-up that this week’s post will take a different tone than usual. It should not be interpreted as a trend, but simply a moment in time.

Ok, I’m going to stop beating around the bush and say it: Sometimes amazing has to travel through appalled.

Almost every day I write something that ends with, “Be amazing today, my friend.”

I try never to sugarcoat life, but to focus on the choice to travel the journey with an eye prepared to be amazed by God and join Him in His amazing activity in the world.

I’m a joyful traveler.

But I am appalled.

I am appalled at the racism that still exists in our country. I am appalled at the excuses that are made. I am appalled at how quickly we dodge the real issue and point to other things. I’m appalled at how quickly we move to blame everyone but the perpetrators. I’m appalled that we so quickly excuse ourselves and offer empty and uninformed commentary.

Yes, the brutal killing of Ahmaud Arbery was the inciting incident that brought me to appalled, but it runs so much deeper than one incident.

I heard a story several years ago that changed me.  A church was growing rapidly and had run out of parking space. They purchased a lot a few blocks away and ran a shuttle to the main building. After a few weeks, people began to complain about the inconvenience. The pastor said, “I don’t know why they are complaining. We run a shuttle.” Another person wisely said, “I don’t know why you are commenting. You have a reserved parking space.”

At that moment, I realized that there has never been one time that I have been detained or denied access simply because of the color of my skin.

In other words, I’ve spent my life with a reserved parking space.

Now, to be clear, I don’t think I should feel guilty about having a reserved space. Or spend my life apologizing for having a reserved space. Or spend my life trying to make up for having a reserved space.

But, here’s what I never, ever get to do: Give advice to someone without a reserved space about how they ought to feel about it.

I read a post from a white pastor yesterday. He said it is not enough for us, as white folks, to avoid being racist; we have to be intentionally anti-racist.

That was what put these words in my head today.  They did not have to be written. I had to write them.

I believe that amazing is possible for every human being, but we cannot find it by trying to bypass the appalling.  Sometimes amazing will only be found as we walk right through the middle of the appalling ugliness so that we can realign ourselves to God’s intended beauty.

No excuses.

Be amazing today, my friend.