Brother, thank you for writing this with honesty, humility, and clarity.
What stood out most was not merely the willingness to confront cultural dysfunction, but the willingness to examine the posture of your own heart while doing it. That kind of self-awareness and repentance is rare, especially in a time where outrage is often rewarded more than shepherding.
Your statement that “the indictment has never once saved anyone” is deeply needed right now. The watchman must warn, but as you said, he must also weep. That balance of truth, grief, and gospel hope is what makes this piece powerful.
I also deeply appreciated your emphasis on fatherlessness, discipleship, and the absence of the fear of God as root issues rather than reducing everything to skin color. “The chain runs from the empty chair at the table to the ruin in the street” is a sobering line because it captures what so many are living through in silence.
What encouraged me most, however, was the reminder that what was adopted can be repented of, and what is wounded can be healed. That is where the gospel shines brightest — not merely exposing darkness, but making dead men new.
Thank you for modeling what it looks like to slow down, examine yourself honestly, and aim truth toward redemption rather than merely firing it into the crowd. Grateful for your voice, brother.
This is so rich in understanding. I believe we have all experienced similar seasons because of the hypocrisy and self-righteous behavior of so many in our society (and sadly, our families) driving us to “scream” truth. Once we step back it’s always a place to go deeper. Thank you for standing for ALL truth and allowing the truth of the Word to hone the targets.
This could not have been easy to write. It was even harder to admit. Yet here is a man, a pastor, a black pastor who loves his people deeply and loves God even more.
He’s right. Only the Gospel can make a real, lasting difference in the human spirit.
America’s problems are not racial, nor economic. America is dying spiritually and the hate, the violence, the social structures can only be addressed and solved by the word of God.
Thank you Virgil. The rage is indeed contagious. I see the rage in these young people and I feel enraged and respond with rage. I believe it’s the enemy’s tactic—the destruction of everything including our remembering these too are made in God’s image. The boy who takes a trophy from a girl, the DA who releases a repeat offender, the rapist, the murderer, the kuyfiya wearing protestor—God help me to pray for them and the conditions that fail to restrain them.
What a beautiful testimony in how the Lord is renewing the way you should rethink areas that need to be addressed. The mission field is wide! How we respond to it matters!
I would often get very concerned when I see other brothers and sisters on their YouTube channels stating the facts and legitimate concerns, but barely giving more attention on what God has already said concerning fatherlessness, sin, etc.
We can’t get too caught in the ugliness and sound bites we see in the culture. Especially the name calling towards other image bearers. We have to be all in with what we know the culture needs! The Word of God which is the only way anyone will live free forever!There is lots of work to be done. As our beloved brother once said we need sharpe minds, warm hearts, and still spines!
May you and other strong men continue to led that way. As you do it sharpens us as well.
I thank GOD for you. We've never met, but I thank the Lord for bringing you into my home. Be blessed Virgil, there are many brothers remembering you in prayer.
Very thoughtful. Fatherlessness has been known as a problem for years, but it does feel like only now are we starting to address some of these causes more directly. We are starting to see statistics about marriage rates and divorce rates. We are also seeing the difficulty people seem to be having in the dating world and starting to discuss it more, but this information is coming from the online social media spaces than pulpits.
"It is not good for man to be alone" should imply that men actively pursue marriage and family formation, but the divorce stats create a fear that deters men from that activity but does not deter them from engaging in sexual activity.
This is probably not going to sound good, but women sin too. It has to be addressed. Churches either address sin generically or address the sin of men directly from the pulpit. It is almost a "third rail" for good solidly teaching churches. The ones that try to do it layer on so many qualifiers, like "men are also guilty of this as well" that it loses its convicting power. Men are usually educated on the consequences their sin (Achan and his family destroyed because of his sin". Where are those sermons that make these same connections when the woman's sin has just as many dire consequences?
Fatherlessness exists for a myriad of reasons, and to address it will require some truth-telling that demands an audience from all contributing factors.
Men really enjoy sex. We understand it and admonish the men that lack the ability to rule their flesh according to scripture. There's been a lot said about it and there is definitely more to say about it.
We have discussed fatherlessness in a way that has only held the men responsible, and I believe we men ARE primarily responsible, but we have been addressing Feminism's bad ideas in general terms.
Does the fact that women initiate almost 70 percent of the divorces means that these are just sinful men?
Where is the sermon on how Hypergamy cloaks envy and covetousness? (There might be some, but they are few and far between)
Some of these issues prevent the families from even forming in the first place and then a few of these issues breaks up a destabilize families in a way that contributes to the fatherlessness issue.
When it comes to "our people" (I'm a black man too), our marriage rates do not seem to be improving. Black women are actually bearing the brunt of this as well. "I can do bad by myself" has left our women vulnerable and unprotected in ways that really matter.
The prescription should definitely begin with rejecting bad ideas.
Thanks for proving yourself once again a wise man, Pastor Virgil. It is difficult to discern sin at times, but it is even more challenging to confess and repent of it when confronted in your own sin! Thank you for modeling the way of obedience by living it out before a watching world.
I follow you both here and on X. Please forgive me if I overstep here. Tbh I was a bit surprised by some of your recent X posts. Not the observations but the tone of the posts. And not because I thought you were in any way wrong in what you said but because they did indeed lack the thoughtful words I have known you to speak over the past year here on Substack.
I don’t envy you, nor any sincere pastor, your “job” in this generation. As any believer can see Evil is running rampant through our streets. To be the one who is called to point out such evil in public forums must be a heavy load to shoulder. We can see how the prophets of old suffered in the hands of those they were called to instruct. There were times when those prophets themselves doubted, rebelled, or needed to eat and take a nap to reset, from their responsibilities. But in the end they once again picked up their mantles and continued just as you have done and will no doubt need to do again on this journey.
Please do not beat yourself up too much. The evil in all its forms that we see all around us can be overwhelming. It is easy to get caught up in frustration. I have been there many times myself. Blessedly I have a godly husband who calls me back from the brink and points me towards our heavenly father and His truths. Keep speaking the truth even when it’s unpopular and those out here with no audience of our own will keep praying for you.
The eye is the lamp of our bodies, Virgil. What we look at matters. How we look at it matters too. Praise God that He is opening your eyes to this! I'm not on X to see your posts there, I only read your Substacks. And what I see from those posts is a man who has a great heart to serve the Lord, who really wants to make a difference in people's lives, but also a man who is so consumed with fighting the culture of the world around us that he is often blinded to things that the Bible clearly says. For example, in your post attacking the NAACP for asking black athletes to consider not attending colleges in the South, all that I could think of was 1) if any athlete is good enough to get an offer from Georgia or Bama, he probably has a number of offers from other schools as well, and 2) the NAACP is not the church, but rather is part of the world. And, as Paul said, "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside." (1 Cor. 5:12-13). So is it really any of our business to judge and condemn the NAACP if it is not proclaiming itself to be the church? Brother Virgil, you spend a lot of time and energy judging those outside of the church. That's God's job, not ours. Our job is to call out those within the church who are sinning, but to do it as Jesus described in Matthew 18, and with the goal of seeing that brother or sister restored to a right relationship. As your friend did for you. May God continue to bless you in your walk with Him!
Brother, thank you for writing this with honesty, humility, and clarity.
What stood out most was not merely the willingness to confront cultural dysfunction, but the willingness to examine the posture of your own heart while doing it. That kind of self-awareness and repentance is rare, especially in a time where outrage is often rewarded more than shepherding.
Your statement that “the indictment has never once saved anyone” is deeply needed right now. The watchman must warn, but as you said, he must also weep. That balance of truth, grief, and gospel hope is what makes this piece powerful.
I also deeply appreciated your emphasis on fatherlessness, discipleship, and the absence of the fear of God as root issues rather than reducing everything to skin color. “The chain runs from the empty chair at the table to the ruin in the street” is a sobering line because it captures what so many are living through in silence.
What encouraged me most, however, was the reminder that what was adopted can be repented of, and what is wounded can be healed. That is where the gospel shines brightest — not merely exposing darkness, but making dead men new.
Thank you for modeling what it looks like to slow down, examine yourself honestly, and aim truth toward redemption rather than merely firing it into the crowd. Grateful for your voice, brother.
This is so rich in understanding. I believe we have all experienced similar seasons because of the hypocrisy and self-righteous behavior of so many in our society (and sadly, our families) driving us to “scream” truth. Once we step back it’s always a place to go deeper. Thank you for standing for ALL truth and allowing the truth of the Word to hone the targets.
This could not have been easy to write. It was even harder to admit. Yet here is a man, a pastor, a black pastor who loves his people deeply and loves God even more.
He’s right. Only the Gospel can make a real, lasting difference in the human spirit.
America’s problems are not racial, nor economic. America is dying spiritually and the hate, the violence, the social structures can only be addressed and solved by the word of God.
Thank you Virgil. The rage is indeed contagious. I see the rage in these young people and I feel enraged and respond with rage. I believe it’s the enemy’s tactic—the destruction of everything including our remembering these too are made in God’s image. The boy who takes a trophy from a girl, the DA who releases a repeat offender, the rapist, the murderer, the kuyfiya wearing protestor—God help me to pray for them and the conditions that fail to restrain them.
What a beautiful testimony in how the Lord is renewing the way you should rethink areas that need to be addressed. The mission field is wide! How we respond to it matters!
I would often get very concerned when I see other brothers and sisters on their YouTube channels stating the facts and legitimate concerns, but barely giving more attention on what God has already said concerning fatherlessness, sin, etc.
We can’t get too caught in the ugliness and sound bites we see in the culture. Especially the name calling towards other image bearers. We have to be all in with what we know the culture needs! The Word of God which is the only way anyone will live free forever!There is lots of work to be done. As our beloved brother once said we need sharpe minds, warm hearts, and still spines!
May you and other strong men continue to led that way. As you do it sharpens us as well.
Sin. And the only antidote, ever, is the gospel.
Brother,
I thank GOD for you. We've never met, but I thank the Lord for bringing you into my home. Be blessed Virgil, there are many brothers remembering you in prayer.
When we treat repentance as a beautiful gift from a God who loves us, it's draws others into the joy of repentance.
Thank you for you beautiful, personal & honest repentance. May we all be so humble
Very thoughtful. Fatherlessness has been known as a problem for years, but it does feel like only now are we starting to address some of these causes more directly. We are starting to see statistics about marriage rates and divorce rates. We are also seeing the difficulty people seem to be having in the dating world and starting to discuss it more, but this information is coming from the online social media spaces than pulpits.
"It is not good for man to be alone" should imply that men actively pursue marriage and family formation, but the divorce stats create a fear that deters men from that activity but does not deter them from engaging in sexual activity.
This is probably not going to sound good, but women sin too. It has to be addressed. Churches either address sin generically or address the sin of men directly from the pulpit. It is almost a "third rail" for good solidly teaching churches. The ones that try to do it layer on so many qualifiers, like "men are also guilty of this as well" that it loses its convicting power. Men are usually educated on the consequences their sin (Achan and his family destroyed because of his sin". Where are those sermons that make these same connections when the woman's sin has just as many dire consequences?
Fatherlessness exists for a myriad of reasons, and to address it will require some truth-telling that demands an audience from all contributing factors.
Men really enjoy sex. We understand it and admonish the men that lack the ability to rule their flesh according to scripture. There's been a lot said about it and there is definitely more to say about it.
We have discussed fatherlessness in a way that has only held the men responsible, and I believe we men ARE primarily responsible, but we have been addressing Feminism's bad ideas in general terms.
Does the fact that women initiate almost 70 percent of the divorces means that these are just sinful men?
Where is the sermon on how Hypergamy cloaks envy and covetousness? (There might be some, but they are few and far between)
Some of these issues prevent the families from even forming in the first place and then a few of these issues breaks up a destabilize families in a way that contributes to the fatherlessness issue.
When it comes to "our people" (I'm a black man too), our marriage rates do not seem to be improving. Black women are actually bearing the brunt of this as well. "I can do bad by myself" has left our women vulnerable and unprotected in ways that really matter.
The prescription should definitely begin with rejecting bad ideas.
“Rebuke is more effective for a wise man
Than a hundred blows on a fool.” Prov. 17:10 NKJV
Thanks for proving yourself once again a wise man, Pastor Virgil. It is difficult to discern sin at times, but it is even more challenging to confess and repent of it when confronted in your own sin! Thank you for modeling the way of obedience by living it out before a watching world.
Thank you for your vulnerability and honesty. So thankful our God is at work in all our Shepherd's lives.
"...what was adopted within living memory can be repented of within living memory."
"... culture tells a man the wound is who he is. The truth tells him it is a wound, recently inflicted, and wounds can heal."
Two truth bombs. They deserve to be framed, or written into song lyrics.
I follow you both here and on X. Please forgive me if I overstep here. Tbh I was a bit surprised by some of your recent X posts. Not the observations but the tone of the posts. And not because I thought you were in any way wrong in what you said but because they did indeed lack the thoughtful words I have known you to speak over the past year here on Substack.
I don’t envy you, nor any sincere pastor, your “job” in this generation. As any believer can see Evil is running rampant through our streets. To be the one who is called to point out such evil in public forums must be a heavy load to shoulder. We can see how the prophets of old suffered in the hands of those they were called to instruct. There were times when those prophets themselves doubted, rebelled, or needed to eat and take a nap to reset, from their responsibilities. But in the end they once again picked up their mantles and continued just as you have done and will no doubt need to do again on this journey.
Please do not beat yourself up too much. The evil in all its forms that we see all around us can be overwhelming. It is easy to get caught up in frustration. I have been there many times myself. Blessedly I have a godly husband who calls me back from the brink and points me towards our heavenly father and His truths. Keep speaking the truth even when it’s unpopular and those out here with no audience of our own will keep praying for you.
Amen brother.
And conviction of me as well. May God grant you His grace and all of us who struggle with this.
The eye is the lamp of our bodies, Virgil. What we look at matters. How we look at it matters too. Praise God that He is opening your eyes to this! I'm not on X to see your posts there, I only read your Substacks. And what I see from those posts is a man who has a great heart to serve the Lord, who really wants to make a difference in people's lives, but also a man who is so consumed with fighting the culture of the world around us that he is often blinded to things that the Bible clearly says. For example, in your post attacking the NAACP for asking black athletes to consider not attending colleges in the South, all that I could think of was 1) if any athlete is good enough to get an offer from Georgia or Bama, he probably has a number of offers from other schools as well, and 2) the NAACP is not the church, but rather is part of the world. And, as Paul said, "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside." (1 Cor. 5:12-13). So is it really any of our business to judge and condemn the NAACP if it is not proclaiming itself to be the church? Brother Virgil, you spend a lot of time and energy judging those outside of the church. That's God's job, not ours. Our job is to call out those within the church who are sinning, but to do it as Jesus described in Matthew 18, and with the goal of seeing that brother or sister restored to a right relationship. As your friend did for you. May God continue to bless you in your walk with Him!
Wow this may be your best
As we say on the range, “slow is fast, remember the fastest miss never wins”.
Here is a comparable truth, “There is no improving the future, without disturbing the present “.
Write on Pastor