A Vision, a Voice, and an Adventure

By Robert C. Scott

CBN.com – In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphim: each one had six wings.… And one cried unto another.… And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke…. Also I heard the voice of the LORD saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said, Here am I; send me. (Isaiah 6:1-4,8)

In life, we face some surprises that simply lift us out of the rut of routine in which we have lived for years. Upon the blank pages of our lives, some things unfold and cause us to realize that a change needs to happen—and soon. Black men, many of us have a consistent daily routine. We get up, do our business, and go to bed.

Too many black men have come to believe that everything will just go on as it has for years, and that we and the world are going to last forever. Then, all of a sudden, as the sun is shining brightly, dark clouds of crisis gather from nowhere, and we are forced to face with startled eyes the bald, cruel facts of life.

For too many black men, those facts of life are dim, grim, and full of despair. As we look in our communities, we see that a lot of changes have taken place. Things will never be the same again. A crisis has unfolded right before our very eyes. Yet, we have not taken any steps to deal with the situation; we have not taken steps to prevent or reverse the situation.

Black men in America are in a state of crisis! As we look at the news, we see black men paraded through prisons like cattle going to an auction. We take note of how many black men are caught up in the drug trade, buying and selling dope. Our unemployment or under-employment rate is usually higher than other ethnic groups. Even when employed, we earn only 47 percent of the dollar white males earn. Unlike any other group, we are committing crimes in terrible proportions and being incarcerated in record numbers. Right now, there are more black men in the prison system than in all the predominately white and historically black colleges and universities combined. Although black males make up about 7 percent of the general population, they comprise more than 50 percent of the prison population. Given these statistics, not surprisingly, there is a shortage of eligible men for black women to marry. The reality is grimmer than we realize. This situation has a direct impact on the black family—as black men deteriorate, so do black families.

But that is not the end of the tragedy. The black man is far more likely to be a victim of murder. In fact he is seven times more susceptible to being killed by another black man. The black male’s life expectancy is much lower than the white male’s. The white woman is expected to live about 78 years; the white man is expected to live about 75.6 years; the black woman is expected to live about 71.5 years; but the black male is expected to live only 68.9 years. The black male in America is in a state of crisis, and this crisis has reached epidemic proportions!

But, brothers, crises may be lived as burdens—or transformed into blessings! We can consider the glass half empty or half full. Crises can keep us locked in dungeons of defeat—or be changed into opportunities. When misfortunes take us into the valleys of despair or cause us to lose our footing on the icy pavement of life, we often can’t see God’s divine plan. But every sorrow can be used to show forth God’s glory if it leads us to think beyond the narrow confines of our own self-interest.

The prophet Isaiah had gone through a crisis. A king named Uzziah had died. The prophet, as a young lad, had grown up under this king’s leadership. In his mind, the days of Uzziah’s reign were the “good old days.” During Uzziah’s reign, Isaiah had no troubles to worry about. Isaiah did not have a care in the world. The young prophet, with a youth’s naïve and simplistic outlook, had taken everything for granted. But, Isaiah remembered that the decisive moment of his life came in the year King Uzziah died. When the proud, successful king had been brought low by disease and passed under the shadow of death, Isaiah was called to see the eternal King.

Many of you will agree that life is full of changes. Neither rank nor worldly success can resist the attack of old age and death. How important, then, for the young man to learn that there is an unchanging Kingdom, and a King supreme in majesty and righteousness!

Death brought a change that Isaiah had to confront. This particular death was a turning point in Isaiah’s existence. One day, in the same year the king died, Isaiah was in the temple. While there, he saw a vision, heard a voice, and agreed to go on an adventure. His actions provide us some insight on what we, as black men, need to do to change our lives, to change our community, and in turn, to change our world.

Like Isaiah, the first thing black men need to do is get the right spiritual vision to see the image of God. There are two types of vision: external and internal. External vision allows us to observe physical surroundings. Sadly, if we look at our surroundings with the physical eye, we will view some terrible things. We will behold brothers hanging on the corner, drinking forties and smoking crack. We will view black men making babies, but not taking care of them. We will see grown men in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, acting like boys in their teens. We will spot black men disrespecting our Nubian sisters and mothers. We will see the difficulties of trying to survive in a racist and economically oppressive society. With the physical eye, the black man will surely come to the conclusion that there is either no hope for him or little hope—not if we concede to a Euro-Western way of thinking. This way of thinking says “white is right.”

We know that there are not enough available black men for our black women. It is getting to the point where, if a black woman wants a mate who is not on his way to jail or raising hell, she will have to look at white men. That may have to happen if black men don’t step up! However, given this dilemma, why it is that when a black brother makes it in society, he has to go and get a white female to validate his worth? I don’t have a problem with miscegenation. But, I can’t understand why our actors, entertainers, athletes, businessmen, and politicians have to turn to white women when there are so many good sisters looking for men. Michael Jackson, I don’t understand. Sidney Poitier, I don’t understand. O. J. Simpson, I don’t understand. Justice Clarence Thomas, I really don’t understand!

And some of us won’t go all the way to white women, but we are “color struck.” Colorism, like racism, is alive and well. If she ain’t light skinned, long haired, and tall, some of us don’t even want to look. That type of Euro-Western idolatry—a sign of self-hatred—is causing us to miss our blessings and is allowing our communities to further deteriorate.

However, when we use our spiritual or internal sight, we will discover even more disturbing news. As black men, we have been tricked, fooled, and deceived into thinking that we are nothing, have nothing, and will be nothing. We have been taught that our potential is limited because we are black men. This thinking has lead many of our black men into a state of nihilism or sheer hopelessness. Our potential has been measured or calculated by how much money we make or the material possessions we have. And there are many sisters who perpetuate this notion. There’s nothing wrong with having nice things, but when material possessions control you, trouble is right around the corner! When we use our internal sight, we will discover that we have sold our souls for the almighty dollar. This has caused quite a few brothers to start selling drugs, because of the profit margin and instant gratification. They do not care if they are killing other black men, women, and children, as long as they get the money to sustain their pleasures. Pleasure is the antithesis or opposite of pain! Unfortunately, too many black men use crack or alcohol in a futile effort to escape the pain of their reality.

But (the divine conjunction but) in the bleakness of this reality, there is hope—if we can keep looking until we see the vision of God! Isaiah did not realize his potential until the year King Uzziah died, and then he saw God for himself. Isaiah was in the temple, and he saw a vision of God and God’s train filled the temple. Isaiah did not realize his potential until he had come into contact with God, until God became real to him! This vision was so clear and strong that it changed Isaiah’s conviction to withstand the storms and stresses of life. It came forth to shine light on the soul of this potential prophet. It gave him the power to face the people and the right to speak with rulers!

Also, this vision allowed Isaiah to look at himself and others around him differently. When Isaiah had his encounter in the temple, all he could say was, “Woe is me! for I am undone: because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have see the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). In other words, Isaiah realized his own sins and the sins of others. Sin prevents us from being all God wants us to be. It deters us from our God-ordained destiny!

One of the problems with black men in America is that we have used the sins of racism, colorism, and classism as excuses to justify the wrong we do against ourselves, our women, our children, and our community. I know it’s the truth. What we need is to gain some spiritual vision to correct our blurred or distorted external vision. Help me, Holy Ghost!

The next thing we as black men need to do is hear the voice of God. This means that we need to listen, not only with our ears but also with our hearts! Communication is critical in relationships. A human being communicates with his or her voice and body. In this vision, Isaiah noticed two types of communication from God—body language and voice. Isaiah saw God sitting on the throne, high and exalted. The body language of God demonstrated the sovereignty, righteousness, and power of the Almighty. This regal exhibition of power that was beyond human comprehension compelled Isaiah to confess his sins.

When the holy God confronts us, personal sinfulness suddenly weighs heavily on our minds. The prophet saw that we are sinners, individually and collectively; we are sinners as individuals and as communities. As I survey the congregation, I see a shortage of brothers present. Those who are not here do not hear the voice of God! If they did, they would realize that God’s house is where they belong, giving thanks to God while getting power from God. However, some black men are afraid to be in the house of God and to listen to God. Why? Because God may be calling them to do some things they are not accustomed to doing.

Isaiah saw God’s body language, and then he heard God’s voice and was confronted with the call: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” The voice of God calls us from blindness into the light. It calls us out of the abyss of hopelessness onto the trail of confidence. It calls us out of the canyon of calamity onto the road of restoration!

Isaiah saw the vision and heard the voice, and he decided to answer the call by going on an adventure with God. Brothers, when we go on an adventure with God, we are still going to have ups and down. It will not all be a bed of roses! The journey will not always be easy. Like Isaiah, you will have to confront some things. But the time has come to stand up and move in the power of God! We, as black men, need to find our strength—not in material possessions, not in our sexual prowess, not in our financial portfolio, not in our political affiliations, but rather in our spiritual life and in our relationship with God. We need to put our hope in God, our trust in Jesus, and our confidence in the Holy Spirit. We, as black men, need to abide under the shadow of the Almighty. We do not need to rely on false stimulants or trust in cunning devices. We, as black men, need to have a sense of God’s companionship and helpfulness so that we will not be dependent on popularity, prominence, prestige, or power.

Today, God is still asking, “Who will go for me? Who will go on a divine adventure?” We need black men who will go for God. Brothers in Christ, we need men like . . .
• Enoch, who didn’t mind walking with God;
• Abraham, who moved when the Lord said move;
• Joseph, who couldn’t be persuaded by women with evil intentions;
• Moses, who told old Pharaoh to let God’s people go;
• Joshua, who declared, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”;
• Samuel, who was dedicated to the Lord;
• Isaiah, who stood in the gap;
• Jeremiah, who didn’t mind crying sometimes;
• Ezekiel, who preached to dead, dry bones;
• Daniel, who didn’t mind praying;
• Amos, who told it like it is;
• John the Baptist, who cried, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”;
• Peter, who was changed from a cussing sailor to a pillar of the church;
• Stephen, who didn’t mind dying for the Lord;
• Paul, who was transformed from a church fighter to a church builder;
• Booker T. Washington, who was practical yet intelligent;
• W. E. B. Du Bois, who was intelligent, yet practical;
• Marcus Garvey, who died standing up for his people;
• Adam Clayton Powell Jr., who was political, yet spiritual;
• Malcolm X, who stood up for the downtrodden;
• Martin Luther King Jr., who wasn’t afraid to dream in the midst of hell;
• Samuel D. Proctor, who was erudite, yet reachable;
• Gardner C. Taylor, who is sermonic and poetic;
• Wyatt T. Walker, who is a renaissance man; and
• Nelson Mandela, who persevered with hope in the midst of it all.

Black man, have you positioned yourself to hear the voice of God? Have you designed your life so that you can see the vision? Are you ready to go on your divine adventure? My brothers, are your bags packed? God beseeches us to get on board. My black brothers, get on board! Do you have your ticket to board the Ship of Zion? Will you be ready when Jesus asks for your ticket?

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