Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 12 May 2000 — Page 13

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FRIDAY, MAY 12,2000 ■ PAGE B1

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INSIDE

SECTION*EDUCATI

The hand that rocks the cradle

As we take the time to remember mothers this weekend, I want to talk about the birth of a baby and the hand of a mother. The hand is an appendage of the body that is often taken for gfanted. There is great power in our hands. Power to bless or power to curse. Power to build dr power to destroy. Power to heal or power to hurt. With your hand, you can pull me up or put me down. With your hand, you can point the way or block the way. With your hands, you can give or take; mold or make, slap or shake. The butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker all use their hands... the lawyer, the doctor, the engineer, and the truck driver ... the businessman, the laborer, the scientist, the factory worker, the computer operator, and the waiter all use their hands. Hands made cotton king... hands are used to do almost everything... pick out dn a piano the latest hit tune, or assemble rockets to go to the moon, but never forget that next to the hand of God, the most important hand in the universe is the hand that rocks the cradle, because the hand that rocks the cradle in a real sense is the hand that rocks ■ the world. Yes, I am talking about the power of a parent generally, but specifically, I speak of the might of a mother. This is not a Mother's Day article or message, this is an everyday message. Parents, you ’ ve got the power to make or break your children. Mother, you’ve got the might to bless or curse your babies. Because the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world, we are the result of a mother’s love or lack thereof. We are the result of our nurturing and upbringing, and there is no influence like that of a mother. Father’s have their role as priest, provider, and protector, but there is no influence like the one who weans and nurtures, the one whose body we came through or whose arms we come to. jt may be a grandmother (as it was in my case) or an aunt, and even sometimes an older sister, but a mother’s love, a mother’s care, a mother’s influence, even in the face of a runaway husband or whatever Svould cause a single parent home ... Mothers, you’ve got the power! • Qur responsibility is to nurture and train. Proverbs 22:6 say s ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” And God will do what you can’t do. Look how God fixed it for Moses and his mother. “And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.” (Exodus 2:9) God works in mysterious ways. Mother, when you give your child to God by precept and example, he will make a way! Mothers, your hand rocks the cradle! Your hand rules the world. We cannot undo what has been done except to repent and return to Godly living and Godly example. We can do eur best, and we can

Celebration promotes hope for race relations

By RONNETTA S. SLAUGHTER Staff Writer

This week, local ministers and citizens made a vow to improve our city’s race relations. Over S00 people attended the seventh annual Celebration of Hope, which strives towards building bridges of racial understanding and Christian unity. In 1993, Bishop T. Garrott Benjamin Jr. and Dr. William Enright held the first celebration, currently attracting various religious denominations including Presbyterian, Baptist, Christian and Methodist. Gov. Frank O’Bannon praised the celebration’s message and acknowledged that Indianapolis residents must reconcile while making communities better through combined efforts. Through songs, prayer and Scripture readings the event highlighted racial similarities and allowed participants to worship together. Further interaction occurred at a dinner immediately following the program. The celebration also featured

a children’s choir and an interracial adult choir comprising more than 250 members representing churches around the city. The children’s choir, which made its debut this year, sang “Song of Peace,” and consisted of children as young as 4 years old raising their voices for improved race relations. Bishop Benjamin, pastor of Light of the World Christian Church, urged the audience to have fellowship with different races and ethnic groups. As cofounder of the Celebration of Hope, Bishop Benjamin said that the city’s racial groups exist in two different worlds, and the church must lead our communities towards reconciliation. Despite the numerous arenas, restaurants and fieldhouses within Indianapolis, “If the people don’t love each other, then we really don’t have a city,” said Bishop Benjamin. “All of us must work very hard and intentionally to build bridges of racial respect,” he added, recognizing ‘ that churches, professional companies and neighborhoods must be diversified to eliminate seg-

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A Chance to Testify

U| he Indianapolis Recorder wants to hear about your Acts of Faith.These typed two-page letters should reveal the role faith has played in helping you to overcome any trial or tribulation in your life. Please, provide your signahne along with a contact phone number where you may be reached for potential follow-up questions.

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Tom Thumb Wedding

regation. • The event welcomed keynote speaker Dr. Alvin Jackson, senior pastor of National City Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Washington, D.C. According to Dr. Jackson, racial division exists in various cities across the country, and the Celebration

of Hope represents a model for * ' ' irriers. A

destroying such bat similar program was ij| by Dr. Jackson in

Tenn., and consisted of 1 shops and fellowship b^Dirtunities. ./'/*'. Bishop T. Garrott Bsnjsmin, Dr. Alvin Jackson i Throughout the year, the Enright encouraged improvad racial i

Celebration of Hope hosts numerous events and activities including a monthly race relations focus group, prayer teak force and a youth ministry which provides community ser-

vice projects.

“We have a lot of barriers in our city," said Dr. Enright, pastor of Second Presbyterian Church and vice president of Celebration of Hope. “We need to build bridges, create friendships and bring diverse people together. As this city becomes more multi-cultural, we need events to celebrate our one-

ness.

Local residents participate in Celebration of Hope actlvMsE. . pil ls '

Let’s check our: anger at the bedroom dodf

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Claiming Your Victory

By Rev. Mkhasl (.Corson

is mixing in with the rest of us human beings, anger will knock on your door at least, and at worst anger will raise up in us almost without our knowing it. It can come up in us when we are driving down the street, standing in the check out line, or even watching some news item. Oh, how it would be so great if we did not have to deal with

‘Be ye angry and sin not: let anger. Anger reminds that no not the sun go down upon your matter how holy we might have

wrath.” (Ephesians 4:26)

thought we were, there still is

• • • • • some way to go. In fact if we let Now if you never get upset, if it, anger can even be our friend, nothing ever gets caught in your “Brother Mike how in the

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we respond to our anger is "the tale of the tape” as to how much we are striving to be more Christian in our walk as well as our talk. The manner in which we handle our anger is one of the most crucial issues in our lives. It is not easy to maintain one’scool, but with God we can. Sometimes we even have to humble ourselves in order to strike the peace. Our passage of Scripture is one that I always use in pre-mari-tal counseling sessions. It is very important for husband and wife

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craw, if you are able to endure world can anger be my friend?” that which is not pleasant and Because it is not the anger that

to recognize that there will bp times when they disagree—well

let’s tell the truth — they will become angry with each other.

always smile, let me get one thing we should be ultimately con-

straight today. This entry might cemed with. More so it is how we Now this is not the time toj not be for you, however it might respond to our anger that makes oneself to lose control. This

the difference.

be for your friend.

On the other hand, if you

wrestle with anger just like the be very concerned with our an-

the time when we look for

Don’t get me wrong, we should strength to as I say “Be sweet.**

rest of us, then this will help you. ger. Just because we cannot -alAnger is that which comes out ways get our way or because

It is one thing to be arigry; it(s i Another thing to sin as the direct or indirect result of what took!

of us whenever we feel as if we someone has done us very wrong, place. It’s OK to admit that some- • have been done wrong, taken ad- this does not give us license to thing or someone has made you vantage of, mistreated and used, run amok. It is through “running angry, but what you do with youT Anger arises whenever two or amok" that will serve as a flag for anger is so very important. I more parties just cannot get it us that we need to do some work would imagine that if some had

together and get along. A person with our anger.

A situation can arise that trig-

can be angry at their own per-

sonal performance or how they gers something in us, establish-

handled a given situation.

ing some very favorable condi-

the opportunity to revisit an actioif that they took out of anger,

they would, but cannot.

Unless you are an angel who tions for us to be angry. But how

S«« CLAIMING, Paga B3 <

See SALT, Page B3

Phillips Temple AME Church recently held Its Tom Thumb Wedding. Pictured from the left are winners Justin Campbell, Emayha Let!more and Simeon Johnson. (Photo/Curtla Guynn)

Blood for Jesus

Scott United Methodist Church members served as good Samaritans < a recent Mood drive. Scott United church member Janet Crowe and Tina Myers of the Indianapolis Blood Center take part In the actlvHlaa. (Photo/ Curtis Guynn)