The recent tragedies in Ferguson, MO and Staten Island, NY have brought new attention to the old issue of racial unrest in our country. The deaths of two African-American men, Michael Brown and Eric Garner, following altercations with white police officers, have poured fuel on a fuse that has continued burning in our communities. These terrible events, including the riots and heightened racial tensions that have followed, have caused me to wrestle with how I feel and how I should respond as a follower of Christ. Here are some thoughts.
A life lost - especially through violence - is always tragic! Our hearts go out to the families of these two men. Their worlds are forever changed and no amount of sympathy or understanding can replace what they've lost. We pray for God's peace for them in this difficult time!
I hold law enforcement in high regard and will always honor them for what they do. They put their life on the line every shift to keep order and protect us. Every traffic stop has the potential to be their last. They are the front line in our civil society. Last Saturday NYPD officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were murdered while setting in their patrol car in Brooklyn, reportedly in retaliation for the deaths of Brown and Garner. The next day officer Charles Kondek was shot and killed while responding to a noise complaint in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Last year in the U.S. over 100 police officers were killed in the line of duty. These families have also suffered great loss and we grieve for them. They've sacrificed to help keep our communities safe. Law enforcement will always be my first call when I'm in trouble. They are not perfect people. But they deserve a high degree of respect and support for the vital job they do.
It goes without saying that it's best not to break the law. Certainly if you're approached or stopped by law enforcement, please don’t resist arrest or defy instruction. Whether you’re white or black, rich or poor, to do so will likely only escalate the encounter and rarely end well. Police have a very difficult job to do. Resisting arrest only makes that job harder and puts everyone at greater risk.
The grand juries in Ferguson and Staten Island looked at the evidence in these cases and determined no criminal charges were warranted against the officers involved. But that doesn't mean there are not significant legal, vocational, financial, emotional and personal consequences for these men. Because of these events the lives of officers Darren Wilson and Daniel Pantaleo will never be the same. Federal investigations continue for both. Civil actions seem likely. Officer Wilson has resigned from his chosen career and officer Pantaleo's actions are still under review. Our societal systems are a long way from rendering a final judgement in these matters.
I don't understand using violence against innocent people or destroying their property to make a point. Protests and demonstrations have long been the right, even the responsibility, of a free people with a grievance. But to turn those demonstrations into riots of destruction and violence makes no sense and is just plain wrong. Attacking and killing those that protect us must be considered a most grievous offense! "God, please protect those in law enforcement and surround their families with your presence during these difficult days."
Having said all that - I have to also admit that I have no context to understand the point of view of an African-American man. I have little history of being stereotyped or discriminated against. As far as I know I have no descendants that were once slaves. I wasn't raised in poverty and I've never lived in a community where the opportunity to succeed seemed almost non-existent. I've visited those communities, usually on mission trips, and my heart broke for people that seemed trapped in despair. But the fact is I've spent most of my life around people that look, talk, think and act like me. So I have no basis to understand what many in their community experience. I don't know what they know and haven't felt what they feel. I have not walked in their shoes.
There’s little doubt that racial bias still exists in our country. Surely we've made progress over the past 150 years. But just as surely, we're no where near having eliminated it. Therefore, there is more work to do, and I have an obligation as a Christ follower and a citizen to help do it!
There seem to be forces in both the white and black communities that are dead set on perpetuating racial bigotry toward the other in our culture. I hear it in music and see it in so-called entertainment. It's evident in formal speeches of leaders and casual talk in communities. There seems to be those in the black community that want to keep racial unrest alive and well. Some may even benefit from it. There are certainly those in the white community that talk shamefully of “White Pride” and encourage discrimination, bigotry and even violence. I love our first amendment right to free speech and will always defend it. But these fringe voices need to be marginalized and their messages drowned out if we are to live by the declarations of our nation that all men are created equal and that we are one nation, under God.
2 Corinthians 5:16-20 says...
"Because of [our new life in Christ] we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside... All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other." [The Message]
This is a message to all Christ followers! God's heart calls us to listen to our African-American brothers and sisters in Christ that are telling us they're hurting. We must work to understand their fears and disappointments and then address the causes of those. We must preach, teach, model and live reconciliation and continue working to heal wounds. We must speak up and stand up, while telling the voices of bias and bigotry to shut up or pack up!
And finally - the church must push back against social injustice wherever it’s seen, whatever color it displays and whatever language it uses. Whether it’s human trafficking, extreme poverty, religious persecution or racial discrimination - we must battle against oppression and work to create a culture where every life is valued. We must live out the message of Micah 6:8
"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." This is a time for the church to shine - reflecting the heart of God that sees all men and women as prized creations made in His image.
