Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

Living in a world where you are not recognised or affirmed can lead to a position of confusion about yourself. This inability to know who you are and to be able to participate in your community effectively can leave the individual isolated and living in a hedonistic manner. This was the situation the Negro found himself in, during the twentieth century. He was liberated from slavery, but lived in a world where in one community he was affirmed and had status and in the other he was vilified. Were he to be in the wrong place at the right time, would lose his life [refer to the unarmed 17 year old young Black man, Trayvon Martin, killed in Florida on 27^th February 2012 whilst coming from a 7-11 shop]. This dichotomy is called Double Consciousness and was coined by W.E.B. Dubois who was a 20^th Century scholar. Although chattel slavery was abolished in the previous century (1834) the dehumanising effects were and are to a great extent still affecting the descendants of former slaves. This living in two worlds is typified by those who were given authority in their community and particularly in the church. For example; take someone who occupies the position of pastor in his church. This position carries authority, prestige and respect among his peers. However, because he has to work, in his secular job he works in a factory or does a labour intensive job. At his job he is ordered around and has little influence over the direction that the company is going in or the decision management take. In this world he has no authority; no influence; no say and is just another worker. So from Monday to Friday and on some Saturdays he is told what to do and how to do it.  On Sunday however, the boot is on the other foot. He is in the driving seat and can tell people what to do and how to do it. His hearers hang on his every word and seek his advice on a wide variety of topics. He has to navigate a path between these two worlds or else how he operates in one will spill over into the other. And more often than not it does spill over. The person who has little authority in one sphere can and does abuse the authority he has in the other and can cause major confusion and chaos. Many of us have witnessed this as people who are defined by others as a menial worker in the ‘world’ abuses their authority in the church.

How then do we overcome this problem of Double Consciousness?

Firstly we need to be delivered, and this deliverance only occurs by starting with our minds. Since we are saved [our spirits and consciences are connected to the eternal Spirit] and we look after our bodies, it is our minds that need to be renewed. This can only occur by the imbibing and by the impartation of knowledge.

This is how the apostle Paul puts it: “do not be conformed to this world. You must [this is an imperative] be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what the perfect, good and acceptable will of the Lord is for your life.” My prayer is that we become so conscientised that we can move beyond the barrier of Double Consciousness and be totally Christ conscious, starting from today. Read Romans 12 and start the deliverance process.