VETERANS DAY MUSINGS ON PEACEMAKING AND PATRIOTISM

We recently had dinner in a charming Connecticut village. Walking out of the restaurant I saw this worn flag behind glass. As a lover of American history, I paused to take a pic.

God is speaking to me about being a peacemaker. When this flag was created America was intertwined with the institution of slavery. Those who wanted peace on earth knew it couldn’t come while Africans were treated as subhuman.

My husband is a veteran with a high capacity for stressful situations. He’s shared that when his team went on rescue missions they couldn’t worry about small things. They’d ask themselves, “Are babies burning?” He explained that if babies were burning or people were caught in life or death situations, that was worth getting worked up about. Even now when I ask him if he’s freaking out over something he’ll say, “Are babies burning”?

Often I’ve wonder how one best conducts themselves when they know babies are burning every day.

The prophet Jeremiah said, “They have treated superficially the [bloody] broken wound of My people, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ When there is no peace.” Jeremiah 6:14 Romans 12:8, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

I am a peacemaker at heart. I want to see our nation prosper as “one nation under God”.

At the same time I don’t want to settle for a false peace. The Civil war is an example of the truth that sometimes you make war to bring peace. I’ve seen people seek to diminish the death of the unborn and belittle those who fight for their lives. They demand we focus our attention elsewhere. Their version of peace is us being quiet and looking the other way.

As long as America sees the destruction of unborn lives as a “right”, I will war for lives to be saved. I will wage spiritual war through prayer and fasting for the people in the abortion industry to be set free. I will cry out against a false peace that lulls us into complacency while the reality of “babies burning” should compel us to action. I don’t want to keep a false peace. I want to be a peacemaker.
"To contend for liberty and to deny that blessing to others involves an inconsistency not to be excused.” John Jay, a founding father

Pawns and Merchandise: Black Women and Abortion by Alyssa McMahon

As a Black, female, Pro-life activist, I have observed that both sides of the abortion debate have made a priority of appealing to Black women.

Abortion supporters argue that poor, Black women need abortions to graduate from high school or go to college; and Black publications make the claim that abortion saves Black women’s lives. Pro-abortion rhetoric asserts that rich, old, white men want to control poor, young, Black women’s bodies. These ideas are false, but abortion supporters use these narratives to convince Black women that abortion is a Black woman’s cause. They believe that by assigning the Black Woman to an intersectional victimhood group, She can be manipulated on mass.

On the other hand, the pro-life movement is exposing the truth: the abortion industry is in large part fueled by racist motivations that serve to disenfranchise Black communities. Websites like BlackGenocide.com demonstrate that Black women are targeted for abortions in a scheme to reduce the Black population. BlackGenocide.com and other Pro-life websites reveal that eugenics has been at the heart of the abortion movement; long before Roe v. Wade, and still continuing today.

How the abortion movement uniquely affects Black women and the Black community is a worthwhile issue for study and discussion. While there are racists facets of the abortion movement in America, the core evil of abortion is not that it disproportionally targets Black women and babies.

We need to be mindful that even if abortion did not decimate the Black population, abortion is still a vicious, colorblind evil that props up other corruptions like adultery, human trafficking, incest, rape, and other sexually deviant behaviors among all racial communities. Abortion has a gross negative output in society, regardless of race, and ought to be abolished. Still, Black women have been a direct target of the abortion agenda through deceptive posturing which cloaks the “Peculiar Institution” of abortion as “charity” for minorities, hiding its true colors: a for-profit killing enterprise which targets the most vulnerable amongst us.

Planned Parenthood and NARAL love to plaster Black women across their campaigns like war paint. They release Black-women like chess pawns as if displaying that Black women are on their side means that they are doing something good. All the while, they are using us for the harvest in their trade market of infant pieces, and the image of a smiling Black woman masks the fact that her children are still being bought and sold in America.

Do not fall for their trap. When you see imagery of Black women shouting their abortion, know that the abortion industry is selling a lie. This deceptive propaganda machine conceals the practice of eugenics, the reaping of baby organs, the repeat customer base of pimps and underage girls, and the billion-dollar empire that profiteers off of women’s crises.

 “Be not afraid of their faces.” Jeremiah 1:8a“For man looketh upon the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” 1 Sam. 16:7b

It’s time to look past the war paint and take stock of arms. Truly, the abortion debate is not about race, but about humanity. When two haploid cells come together to form a unique, distinct, and unrepeatable sequence of 46 chromosomes with all attributable signs of human life—whether red, yellow, black, or white—this new being is a person. And if all people are equally protected under the law, the unborn individual ought to be as well. It’s important that we keep this fact in the forefront of our mission. How abortion affects a particular ethnic group is a peripheral matter.

“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.” Proverbs 26:4-5

Understand that although the intersectional game is a tactic, it is a tactic that Pro-life activists need to selectively engage in to stay relevant. I encourage my Black sisters to recognize our unique ability to dismantle and undo the vile narratives of the abortion industry. The enemy tribe responds to war paint, so I stand on the front lines, as a Black, Pro-life woman fighting for a godly cause.

Author and Pro-Life advocate Alyssa McMahon

Mama: A Lament for George

Mama!

When a grown man cries out mama

It reminds us he’s still a child 

A child of God 

A child of his mother 

A child of a nation that never knew him 

What do you see in the man on the street, America?

What do you see, Oh land of the free?

A criminal?

A thug?

A stranger?

A statistic?

A color? 

A human?

A son?

A child is screaming in pain

Is he yours?

Does he belong to you?

Will you pick him up?

America is a neglectful mother 

Refusing to cradle in your arms

Unwilling to calm his fears

Reluctant to dry his tears

Are the dark ones your sons, America? 

Can the dark ones sit upon your lap? Drink from your breast? Be cradled in your arms? Rest upon your strength?

Will you rock them to sleep with the lullaby of your land?

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Can the dark ones call this nation home?

Will they die on the streets alone?

The sons of Africa are crying out

The blood of the sons of Africa demands an answer

America, are you my mother? 

Comforter. Nurturer. Confidant. Healer. Friend

America, are you our mother?

Mama. Mama. Mama.

May God bring justice to the family of George Floyd 🙏🏾

Stardom and Service

I just finished a Netflix documentary, ‘Five Foot Two’ about the life of singer, writer, actress, Lady Gaga. It was a fascinating look into the inner workings of her experiences on the road, before the crowds and home with her family. I found her to be authentic and vulnerable with her chronic physical pain, fears and the longings of her heart to be loved. There’s a part where she admits, “ "It's a sad day when I'm doing the Super Bowl, and I'm so excited to do it, but I can't help but realize that when I sold 10 million records, I lost Matt. I sell 30 million, I lose Luc. You know? I get the movie, I lose Taylor. It's like a turnover. This is the third time I've had my heart broken like this. I'm alone, Brandon, every night. And all these people will leave. Right? They will leave. And then I'll be alone. And then I go from everyone touching me all day and talking at me all day to total silence."

It’s interesting that she shares that about silence because in another scene you see her going in and out of a limo with fans clamoring for her attention outside the car doors. She sits inside the limo and expresses her gratitude for the thing she mentions fearing later on - silence.

I understand this and I imagine most of us can relate to the feelings she shared. Most of us will never experience the level of success Stephanie (Lady Gaga) has. Even without the fame, we still experience relief for moments of calm and silence when our schedules are packed and the demands are high. Though we’re grateful for moments of stillness in times of chaos, we still fear the silence that comes from being lonely. I’m 37 which to me feels old, but I tell myself it’s not. I’ve found myself worrying about the future as Lady Gaga expressed. There is this verse that I find comforting,

Isaiah 46:4 (NIV)

. Even to your old age and gray hairs
    I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
    I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

God will always be with me and take care of me. That’s a truth I come back to when I get afraid of the unknown.

Watching the documentary also caused me to realize that even fame is all about service to others. Lady Gaga is a hard worker. She is constantly serving others by offering her hard work to them as a means of entertainment. It’s a service when you sign autographs. It’s a service when you practice for hours to get your choreography right. It’s a service when airports become your second home and you travel all year round. Granted, she loves what she does and it pays extremely well. But even with the perks and glamour of fame, it’s still service. It’s something she is doing for the benefit of others, her fans around the globe. Service is exhausting. It takes so much of you. It’s demanding to meet the needs of others. Not to mention the fact that in serving fans you always have to be open to their criticism, opinions, and dislike of what you do. The scrutiny of living your life before the public must be overwhelming at times. Yet she does it because it seems that is what she loves to do.

I admire her work ethic. I think her devotion to her fans is a beautiful thing. In one scene a fan is crying after meeting her. This young woman talked about the way in which Gaga’s songs filled her with hope. That reminded me that there are so many people out there looking for hope, love, and comfort. They connect with musicians and artists because these are the ones that give them songs and poems and films that take the edge off their aches. Lady Gaga’s service to this woman and millions of others is to put a smile on their face and hope in their heart.

I’d never listened to Gaga’s music before Shallow and the soundtrack to a Star is Born came out. Those songs drew me in, even though I haven’t seen the movie. We live in a strange, divided time where people think they must agree with someone’s political views, beliefs and lifestyle in order to enjoy their music. I am conservative when it comes to politics and follow people online with similar views. During the Grammys, Oscars or other popular shows I often see people declare how they won’t watch this year because the people involved don’t agree with their politics. I understand refusing to watch people make fun of those you like or mock a political leader you admire. Though I understand why people don’t want to watch, I think differently. I like to watch and listen to people who think differently than I do. I love people who think differently. Yes, I can get annoyed by certain statements like anyone else. However, I try to remember that at the end of the day we’re all humans and none of us has it all right.

Watching Lady Gaga or any celebrity or Hollywood Star is watching someone made in the image of God and loved by Him. None of us are perfect but we can all learn from each other.

Taking off the bandages.

November 3, 2017

"You are gentle," the soft-spoken Korean nail tech said. We'd chatted earlier during a pedicure as she told me about her handmade greeting cards. As soon as I went to the dryer I began sorting through the intricate, bright cards with great care. "The others just pull them out. They are rough and damage them,'' she bemoaned. "I would never do that," I told her. I wouldn't even think of being quick and careless with her precious artwork. 

Going to the nail salon was a treat for my 36th birthday. That morning as I readied myself for the day I paused to remove my bandages. As gently as I sorted though those colorful cards, I removed the bandages covering an incision on my waist. My surgeon said I could take them off weeks prior but I just wasn't ready. With birthdays come eager anticipation and a fresh start for the future. It seemed like the right time to take off the old and step into the new. 

I'd never been 'under the knife' before. I was hoping for a minimally invasive laparoscopy to check for endometriosis and take out a fibroid. When I awoke my husband and mother informed me that a fibroid almost the size of my uterus was removed. In addition the doctor found polyps and the endometriosis I suspected was hiding there. Even in my utter exhaustion I was happy to finally have some answers. In over twenty years of doctor visits, ER trips and debililating cramps, I received little advice on my condition.  It was the words of a compelling friend and sonographer that finally persuaded me to see a specialist. Endometriosis wasn't found during the initial ultrasound but the fibroids they discovered indicated a potential cause for my pain and infertility. 

"Pray for me to get pregnant before Christmas!", I laughingly told my friend Ryan. I was two weeks into recovery and felt strong enough to venture off my couch to visit his church's worship night. It felt good to leave my home and soak in the presence of God. It was a sweet emotional salve after weeks of weariness and being distraught with the news of yet another mass shooting the day before. The room was crowded with people of different races and ages, a welcome sight in a time of increased national tension. We'd all come together to declare through praise that God is bigger than the darkness.  I caught Ryan on my way out and he promised to pray. Hundreds have prayed for me throughout the past three years as I've tried to get pregnant. At times I've struggled with disbelief and bitterness over prophetic words that hadn't come to pass. Yet with the success of my surgery came hope that the season of celebrating Christ's birth could be a time to rejoice in a birth of my own. 

I wasn't excited to turn 36. I rounded up and felt uncomfortably close to 40. Many of my friends have 2-3 kids already and I hadn't even started the journey. I begin the day intentionally practicing gratitude, yet I was pensive. The words of the surgeon during my post-op appt. came back to me, "I'm sorry but you can't try to have a baby now. You can't try before the end of the year. Your uterus needs time to heal." He wanted to put me on birth control but I politely refused. I told him I held personal convictions about it. It was the only 'solution' offered to me over the years and as a teen it brought little relief. I was frustrated that multiple doctors offered a 'quick-fix' instead of helping me get to the root of the issue. He understood and didn't ask questions. He was matter of fact as surgeons tend to be. His assisting student stayed with me after he left the room. She was a young black woman with a kind face. "You won't die. Don't worry about that. He's just letting you know if you did get pregnant before your uterus heals you could be in danger of rupturing your uterus which could possibly lead to death. You'll be okay. I can tell by your shirt that you believe." How ironic that I wore my 'Jesus is God' shirt to witness to someone, yet it was being used by a stranger to speak truth back to me. 

"You're just at the beginning of your journey," my boss told me. "You have answers. You may have to wait a little longer to try, but when you do, there's a chance. There's hope now that you can get pregnant." 

"Happy Birthday Christina!" My friends gathered around, eager to prayer over me and proclaim blessings for the year ahead. My husband arranged an intimate prayer meeting before a dinner with my close friends and family. I sat in a chair in the middle of our church's prayer room and listened attentively to the earnest petitions that went up to God. I closed my eyes, soaked in the love that filled the room and thanked my Heavenly Father. Thank you Papa for giving me the gift of life. 36 is going to be great.