Friday, May 29, 2020

May 29

A Lament for George Floyd

May 29, 2020

"Please, Please. I can't breathe."  George Floyd

I don't often find myself at a loss for words, but this morning the words are not coming. I have no insights that can remove the pain. I have no simple steps to make this situation better. It is horrible that once again a heinous and brutal crime has happened to our brothers and sisters in the African American community. 

Still there are voices that deny we have a national problem. We live in a paradoxical world; obviously there is racism, but "I" am not a racist. What do I mean? Racial divides exist in our communities, our churches and other institutions, yet nobody owns them. Racism is always someone else's problem. 

And once again an unarmed black man died in America while we comfortably watched from our computers. It is time for the people of God to rise up and demand change. But the first step in this journey towards change is a costly one.

In the west we have an individualistic faith; it is "Jesus and me" and that is all that counts. In the east there is a communal faith. In Deuteronomy 21 we find the instructions for the "offering for the unknown murder." The elders and judges had to go to the crime scene and measure the distance to the nearest town. That town then had to offer up one of its heifers and all its leaders had to swear they knew nothing about the murder. That was costly and traumatic for the community. The truth is our western point of view is deficient. God has set us in communities, and we have responsibilities to everyone in that community. In one sense the sins of others are also our sins. In the eastern community they would have to contemplate these questions:

        Whose family does the murderer belong to? How have they failed?

        Whose brother is he? How have his siblings failed?

        Who taught him in school? How have his teachers failed?

        Who failed to teach him about godliness? How has his church failed him?

        Where would he learn such criminal activity? How have his friends failed him?

        How have "WE" failed this man? The "WE" is the key here.

It is time for us to put the "WE" in the George Floyd story. What happened to George Floyd is a communal sin of the whole United States. We all have a part in this. So, this morning include "WE" in your plea for mercy from the Lord. It is time for America to repent and humble itself before a holy God. 

 

 


--
"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

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