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Pastor’s Voice Brings Healing to a Divided America

ZERO VICTIM MINDSET

James grew up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He went to a black church and a black school until the third grade. He lived on the south side of town where black people lived. In 1983, the school system began to integrate and he was transferred to a school located on the north (white) side of town. The school was considerably nicer than his previous school with fresh paint and new carpet. His teacher was an African American woman named Mrs. Pitts. She was one of the most elegant women James had ever seen. Mrs. Pitts had perfect posture, she was articulate and professional and a good friend of James’ grandmother.

“She encouraged me as a student, but seemed to hold me to a higher standard than my white peers,” recalls James. She would write the names of kids on the board each week who were doing well in their school work and behavior. One day he had the realization, “I am as smart as any other student in the classroom, boy or girl, black or white.” His mentality changed instantly. He realized the color of his skin or growing up on the black side of town held no connection with his ability to succeed in school or in life. He controlled his own destiny. “I was able to process what it meant to succeed among white students who were obviously more privileged than me, and had access to more resources than I did.” As a result of his experiences in the third grade his Zero Victim mentality seed was planted in his heart and mind.

A REFINING MOMENT

He is the pastor of Insight Church in the north Chicago suburb of Skokie. His Zero Victim/Biblical perspective on racial and sociopolitical issues makes him a sought-after speaker. During the summer of 2020, he came to national prominence after Jacob Blake, Jr. was shot seven times in the back in an incident involving the Kenosha, Wisconsin police. For more than thirty years, James has been the family pastor to Miss Julia Jackson, the mother of Jacob Blake and also her mother, Janie Johnson. Julia asked James to open the family press conference with a word of faith. He shared the Zero Victim message that he had been sharing for years, the same message he began to develop in the third grade. Below is an excerpt from James’ speech:

"Three kinds of law that govern a nation: spiritual law, moral law, and civil law. Most are only familiar with civil law and unfamiliar with the ramifications of spiritual and moral law. “When these spiritual and moral foundations are destroyed, societies implode, people hurt each other. So, we’re calling our nation back to faith in God. Despite our differences, every citizen of America can agree that we indeed have a monumental problem in our nation, a problem that people created but people are incapable of solving. And often, as we tell our church, we have a sin problem and not just a skin problem.”

After he finished his words James shares, “I looked at my wife Sharon, and we both knew something was about to change in our lives and in our ministry. God was about to do a work through us that would impact the nation.” A few days later, he would receive a call from the President of the United States of America asking to speak with him. He and Sharon were invited to participate in the Presidential Roundtable discussion in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Since then, they have been featured on national and international media proclaiming their message of prayer, racial healing, reconciliation, and transformative revival in America.

Update: Jacob survived the shooting and is doing well. He rededicated his life to the Lord. 

OVERCOME VICTIM THINKING

“By learning to successfully control your mentality, the way you see and experience life will change,” reveals James. You sit in the driver’s seat. It is time to realize your life will not change until you decide to change it. As a black man, James agrees there are important lessons to be learned from the past, but rehearsing the pain of the past will never help you step into the purpose of your glorious future. It is time to recalibrate your emotional compass. 

James offers the following steps to help you defend against developing a victim mindset no matter what your circumstances are:

•    Know Your Environment – Each person must wrestle with issues in their environment over which you have little or no control. To avoid developing a victim mindset, assess and know your environment or use the SWOT analysis to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats around you. 
•    Know Yourself –In a hostile world, a critical step is knowing who you are and who you are not. Knowing yourself gives you the greatest chance to avoid becoming a victim. Take the time to analyze your pre-existing conditions (religious beliefs, ethnic culture, family’s financial position) and examine your past experiences.
•    Secure the Necessary Assistance You Need – Defeating a victim mentality requires the support from other individuals who understand the importance of eliminating negative thinking. Make yourself accountable to individuals who support you.
•    Precondition Your Mind – Rise above offense and injustice with a new attitude. “I have discovered that attitude in life determines altitude in life. People can only go as high as their attitude will take them,” says James. 
•    Envision Your Victory – You must envision yourself as a victor and not a victim through the eyes of faith. When you face a challenging situation picture the desired outcome of your success in its entirety. Adopt a can-do, will-do, and must-do attitude.

A graduate of Regent University’s School of Divinity, James is thankful to Pat for providing a university where students become leaders to change the world.

 

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