by Rev. CARROLL C. CARTER
Contributing Advisor to Radio Melrose 96.9 FM
Isaiah 43:19 says, “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it”? This powerful scripture speaks directly to people who have been pushed down, overlooked, or forgotten. It speaks especially to the marginalized and the oppressed who long for change, dignity, and a brighter future. God’s message is clear: a new season is coming, and we are called to rise, create, and become more than what our hardships have tried to make us.
When God says, “do a new thing,” it is both a promise and a command. It is a promise because God is already opening doors, breaking chains, and clearing paths. But it is also a command because we must take ACTION. A new thing cannot grow in old habits, old fears, or old beliefs about Ourselves. It grows when we see ourselves as God sees us, full of value, full of possibility, and full of purpose.
For the marginalized, doing a new thing starts with Loving Ourselves. Many of us have been taught, directly or indirectly, that our lives are worth less. But God rejects that lie. God calls us to treat ourselves with respect, care, and hope. When a community learns to love itself, it stops shrinking. It stands taller. It imagines bigger and broader. Self-love is the soil where new blessings grow.
Doing a new thing also means prospering ourselves. This does not mean greed or selfishness. It means understanding that God wants us to live with stability, joy, and enough resources to thrive. Prosperity can look like learning new skills, starting community businesses, supporting youth, or sharing knowledge. Prosperity is not something we wait for others to give us, it is something we build together, step by step.
Another part of this command is collaborating with our neighbors. No community rises alone. God designed people to work together, share ideas, and lift each other up. Collaboration means seeing neighbors not as competitors, nor commodities, but as partners. It means listening to each other’s stories, respecting each other’s differences, and solving problems as a team. When we combine our strengths, we create something far greater than any one person could achieve.
Respect is also essential. Isaiah’s “new thing” cannot grow in a community that tears itself apart. Respect builds trust. Trust builds unity. Unity brings power. When we honor humanity in each person, we become the kind of community that can stand strong against injustice and build something lasting.
This is also the season to think boldly about creating a nation within a nation. This does not mean separating ourselves or rejecting others. It means building a strong, conscious, empowered community with its own systems of support, its own culture of love, its own centers of learning, its own circle of safety, and its own path to prosperity. It is a community awakening, a revival of purpose and identity.
God’s “new thing” is not just an event; it is a movement. It springs forth when the oppressed decide they will no longer live small. It grows when neighbors unite. It becomes powerful when we believe that better is not only possible but promised. This is the season. The door is open. The path is clearing. Behold, God is doing a new thing. And so must we.
