My father had passed away the previous week. My brother and I were busy with memorial service preparations. During this time, my focus was limited to the service preparations and holding down my day job.
My father’s memorial service was held on Thursday, 28 May. It wasn’t until the next day, I learned the tragic details of George Floyd’s death. It was difficult for me to watch the video; in fact, I had to turn it off before it completed.
Later that day, my son challenged me, asking me what I was going to do to make a difference. I wanted to share with you my ideas and thoughts in that regard.
- Pray. If you believe God is real and believe prayer is effective then when circumstances and are outside of our control the most powerful thing we can do is pray. These events are within God’s control. Pray changes culture and it changes us. Ask God not just to change the external circumstances but also to examine you to learn what dark places may be in your heart. Ask Him to touch those places. Ask yourself these questions:
- Do I ever make judgments or assumptions based on skin color?
- Do my friendship circles include people different than me?
- Do I ever contribute to stereotypes and division?
- Have I been active in reconciliation?
- Be Present to the Pain. If you’re white, place yourself in an African American shoes to gain and understand their perspective. For blacks, the murder of George Floyd is not just an isolated event; a victim of a corrupt cop on his worst day. Instead, it’s another painful link in a long chain of events dating back to slavery. The senseless murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and Trayvon Martin. The violence in the towns of Charlottesville, Baltimore, and Ferguson. The racist Jim Crow laws, unjust lynchings, the terror of the Ku Klux Klan, and the institution of slavery.
- God’s Image. We are created in God’s image. All lives matter and matter equally in the eyes of God. To hate someone because of the color of their skin and appearance is like hating God.
- Protesting. Protest lawfully and peacefully with the goal of honoring God. Throwing bricks, blocking streets, looting stores, destroying property, and damaging the lives of innocent people is reprehensible and criminal. Criminal acts don’t solve any problem but instead serve to reinforce existing negative stereotypes.
- Friendship Building. Find one person different from you and build a relationship with them. Listen really well. Listen to understand what their experiences are with the goal of understanding not to refute them.
- Speak Up. Talk with your friends about these issues of injustice, racism, and prejudice and speak the truth. If you feel the murder of George Floyd is wrong don’t be afraid to be bold and say so.
Finally, remember who the real enemy is not white or black, civilian or police, Republican or Democrat. Our real enemy is not even human. Satan the father of lies is the enemy.
Martin Luther King said 11 am on Sunday was the most segregated hour in America. The enemy uses the false beliefs we have about each other to thwart the spread of the gospel and the love of Jesus Christ.
Please share with us any ideas you may have on how we can make a difference in our culture. Thank you.
