INSPIRE
by
Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (October 26, 2015)
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16-17, King James Version [Paul's charge to Timothy]).
Greetings In The Holy Name Of Jesus,
My sisters and brothers, I would like to say I speak to you today to inspire you to the greatness of God that made you. I would like to inspire you to feel the power of Christ Jesus and reach to ministries that God gifted you to bestow upon all of us, for the prophecies of your coming was not a private matter and you are called to inspire the peoples of the world in order to draw them closer to God than they ever hoped possible. I would like to think of the woman who was inspired in a new land known as the New World now a new creature who studied the sky, the stars, the galaxies, and the planets, with little regard for her time here on earth relentlessly applying her knowledge to manage her two projects for NASA to know more about Galileo's mission to Jupiter and the European-led Rosetta mission---a soror of mine. Somehow, by knowing her name---that she was in my same sorority I felt a closeness yet I never met her---this trailblazer born on May 30, 1959, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and raised in Santa Clara, California, who was the first African-American to manage projects for NASA, notably Dr. Claudia Joan Alexander (AOSS PhD '93), whose sister, also a soror, a journalist by profession---world-renown, spoke highly of her older sister inspiring the youth of today through her writings of books, travels, and works at NASA, recently died on July 11, 2015 at the age of 56..
I first learned of her works after she passed away fighting breast cancer, from another soror journalist on a local dialogue program in southwestern Georgia created to provide African-Americans with current information about the world they live in. I discovered this mindset of reflecting on the sky---the heavens and the firmament above for the first time---this passion for Galileo---her major mission in life which now brought on greater importance to my own life as I look up at my night's sky, which made me reflect on the lonely road she traveled just so she could study Galileo and the Rosetta---so much so that she did not marry nor did she have children because it was hard to become one with a man who felt that to become one was to hold a second place to her mission in life---her ministry works in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). In my lonely nights here at my family's farm, I think about this woman---one of my sorority sisters who was inspired of God to know more about the greatness of His works with Galileo and the passing down of man's work, also inspired of God with the Rosetta. For me, my night's sky at my family's farm seems so close to me---much closer than I have noticed the skies at night in other locations that made me feel so small---so far away from God's wonders but at the farm estate I almost feel I can climb up to the sky---that is how close it seems to me at night. I wish I shared my sky with my soror before she passed but I know she had the best seat in the world traveling from one space laboratory to the next throughout North America, Europe, and the world to see her Galileo but I still wish she shared this rather special view with me from the eyes of a research scientist specialized in geophysics and planetary science.
I think possibly amazement would not have escaped her at how close the night's sky appears here.
With that said, I would like to share inspiration of God to see the bigger picture while walking in your neighborhoods and communities to inspire our youth of today to God's greatness all around us, near and far. There is a man who is traveling to South Africa to speak about his mission---matching teenagers with corporations to increase the workforce (labor) of our global society and of course, his works towards helping his State of Maryland and City of Baltimore micro-manage their youth of today to achieve greatness to look to Dr. Alexander's Galileo---to see the greatness of God in South Africa---a part of our motherland, a part of the dark continent, beneath the horn of Africa and God's purpose for their own lives, how they, too must step into God's perfection through Christ Jesus to make a difference 2
in their lives, their families lives and in the lives of their neighbors, near and far. Now this man is a cousin of mine.
I personally, observed my third cousin and his interactions with his siblings growing up but not close---at a distant so that my influence was in reflection of all of what they learned through their growth and development. I am happy to see he paved a path for himself to walk in the steps of those who ministered to the youth of today before him, inspired of God to see the lamp of Christ Jesus to light their way just one step at a time as they make their way through the darkness of life. When I spoke to one of his maternal aunts(second cousin) she mentioned all the diamonds there in South Africa. I did not comment because on my journey to West Africa, interestingly enough the sufferings of the people took precedence over the wealth of the land that in times gone by for many if not all the countries of Africa, were pillaged, ransacked, robbed, and squandered by neighboring countries on the continent and outside the continent that used the resources of Africa to make their lives all the better, robbing villages, chopping off the limbs of the children, the mothers, and the fathers as they stepped over them in their huts and dug for their gold, their diamonds and other resources that are plentiful in Africa needed in other countries to make their neighborhoods and communities flourish---that changed their lives for the better than their yesterdays and their yester years.
I would like for the inspiration of God to touch my dear cousin's heart and the hearts of those who will travel with him to give him support, his family, co-workers, and friends (his people). I pray the passion I have seen in my cousin's maternal aunt's heart for her fellow man will not let her think for a moment of how the country was robbed of their diamonds and how many they still have for their land was inspired of God to keep such precious diamonds as a resource for their land not just for the taking of the world which did not let them share but took their resource and left them behind without the vision that they held inside of them for their land---just left them but God's plan of salvation through Christ Jesus saved them even those that are poor, illiterate, mentally insane from the torment of world hunger and the iron of those with greater power but this too shall pass and the passing brought in a better day---the light of Christ Jesus in spite of the wars and rumors of wars [“I have coveted no man's silver, gold, or apparel....I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (The Acts 20:33, 35, KJV). Apostle Paul also spoke to Apostle Timothy, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (II Timothy 4:2, KJV). Sometimes, it is difficult to feel comfortable to speak your mind---show the spirit within you when you are amongst strangers in a foreign land but that is exactly what you are called to do. As an African-American, in pursuit of the happiness of a capitalist, we look to the family of Christ Jesus, since we are a people of the very continent you will visit---Africa but we were stolen away---sold or bartered (traded) and our roots not remembered for we were not allowed to speak our language or practice our traditions in a land that used us to make a difference in their exploits of a New World through Christ Jesus we became new creatures in new families.
Now, we must get back in touch with our past, find out where the people are who are our family from our bloodline in Africa, however, it is wonderfully blessed just to visit all the countries in the dark continent holding all the peoples as kindred spirits of Christ Jesus, knowing the iron of doctrine of other prophets are holding those who believe in Christ Jesus captive---destroying their hope and trying to annihilate their faith in Christ Jesus, is ever present and the words of capitalists that champion the spirit of Christ Jesus might be held in contention but speak nevertheless in the faith of Christ Jesus. “Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace? For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city,” (The Acts 18:9-10, KJV [Paul reasoned and persuaded, in Corinth]). We pray, all the journeymen of Christ Jesus, in the ministry of their occupations will be touched by God [We pray God is with you and He will speak to you and the spirit of Christ Jesus will speak through you. May God bless you. Amen].
