I want you to meet Johnny Lee Clary. He is a former leader and Grand Dragon with the KKK (Ku Klux Klan). He has a really interesting story of how his life was turned around by becoming born again and coming to Christ. The first video below is really interesting. In it he describes his encounters with an African American reverend.
What I love about this story is that it is a great illustration of what can happen when we make the concious decision to not speak hate. So often in situations when we are faced with confrontation we choose to retaliate by speaking inflamatory or hateful words that only make a situation worse. I know I have been guilty of this in my life and have reaped the rewards that come with it.
When I was younger and would go out on Saturday nights it was easy to let the mouth run off at people. Thankfully I never got into any serious fights but that is a great example of how speaking hate can get you into trouble. Other times it happened with my parents or even as recently with my wife. Everyone of those situations being something I end up having to apologize for.
I guess all I wanted to get across with this post is to be slow to anger and even slower to speak because its our words that are usually at the center of most of the trouble we find ourselves in because it is so often that its the little things in life that grow into the larger out of control problems. Like being in traffic for example. If someone cuts you off let it slide, yelling and making obscene gestures doesn’t accomplish anything other than fueling a road rage fight. In every situation, strive to be the bigger person. Here are a couple good verses from the Bible that teach us about the tongue.
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. James 3:7-9
He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity. Proverbs 21:23
Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. Psalm 34:12-14
Lastly, here are a couple more short videos that elaborate on Johnny Lee’s story and transformation.