Gibeonites

 However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy.  Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.” (Joshua 9:3-8)

          There’s an ad playing on I Heart Radio that talks about the dreams and how when we wake up, we forget parts of the dream. It goes on to say that in the American dream, what was forgotten is the Blacks, and because they were forgotten, they have to go out and make their own American dream. I was more than a little impressed with what I heard, though you now know as much as I knew. That was the end of the ad.

The second time I heard it, I turned to see what was going on, and it looks benign. Just pictures of nice, pleasant looking dark-skinned folks. And I thought, “Well, good! That’s what is supposed to happen.” Then I saw the small print. Pepsi is partnering with Black Lives Matters to help Black folks build their American dream. My impression did a 180. My “Well good! That’s what is supposed to happen,” turned into “Who’s gaming and who’s getting gamed?”

Then I thought of the Trojan Horse, and of the passage from which the text above was taken. Joshua and his army had defeated Jericho and Ai, and the Gibeonites decided to trick the Israelites. Foolishly, no one checked with God, and when they found out they’d been scammed, they made the Gibeonites slaves. That was OK with the Gibeonites, because that meant Israel had to protect them. The problem with the ad is that I’m not sure who the Gibeonites are or who the Israelites are.

I’m always a little leery when government or big business decide to make a treaty with a group of people. It just doesn’t tend to end well – consider the Cherokee, the Navajo, the Lakota, etc. I just can’t help but wonder how Pepsi is going to stab BLM in the back.

At the same time, I’m concerned by the fact that the ad doesn’t tell how the American dream is going to be built for Blacks. On one hand, that returns me to my thoughts in the previous paragraph. On the other, it makes me wonder how long before BLM stabs Pepsi in the back. BLM’s manifesto makes it clear that their interest isn’t really in America – it’s an international agenda. That suggests to me the need to be concerned about how long before BLM stabs America in the back.

As attractive as the picture is – harmless, kind-hearted people who just want to be friends or to help the underdog, who just want to see everyone getting their piece of the American dream – I just have to wonder if use of the term “American dream” is like the props the Gibeonites used to convince the Israelites of their lie. And what will be the cost to whoever the Israelites are in this scenario.