For Such a Time as This: Thoughts and Reflections on Ferguson

It has now been two days since the Grand Jury in Ferguson decided not to indict Darren Wilson. If one thing has been made apparent, we have a lot of work to do in this country to bridge the gap that divides the races. I in know way claim to have all the answers, but to be quite frank I am disgusted and dare I say angry at the response of many white Christians who claim the name of Christ. If you are not a believer, please know this article is not written toward you, but I believe you can benefit as well. So, let me dive right in and share my thoughts on situation. What is happening in Ferguson is merely a symptom of a much deeper disease that has imbedded itself in this country for the last 500 years. As much as we want to look back on our history, it’s time for White America to face the fact that Blacks in this country have not been granted equality and continue to suffer from systemic injustice that stems from a history of enslavement and injustice. It’s not as if the injustice stopped after the Civil War. From the Jim Crow era up until Civil Rights movement with Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, African Americans endured lynching and countless acts of injustice suffered at the hands of those who were supposed to protect them. We cannot isolate events such as Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner from this past. It all takes place within a greater context that many in White America have chosen intentionally or unintentionally not to see. This is the first failure that I have seen in the response of many. They choose to isolate this event and act as if Michael Brown got what he deserved. He was a criminal and a thug who disrespected a police officer and was responsible for taking his own life. I don’t claim to have all the facts, but it’s not simply about due process and having the facts. The bottom line is that all life is sacred. As Dr. King once said, “If black lives don’t matter, no lives matter.” We must engage this as a tragic situation in which a young life was taken. Right or wrong, criminal or not, we must mourn with those who mourn and not simply say justice was served because of due process. There is a human element and we must respond on all levels and be sensitive to both sides. Moving forward, I want to challenge everyone to do their homework. Study our history in this country. Read widely about civil rights and the slave era. We cannot move forward until we come to terms with our past. It’s readily available, but are you willing to do the work and accept the truth? Second, I believe we as a country and people are losing the ability to listen. I’m not talking about hearing each other, I’m referring to the art of truly listening and processing what is being said before speaking. I fear that many times we talk at each other rather than to each other. I challenge White America to seek out Black America and just hear their stories. Listen for once and let them speak from a heart level. As they share their stories and experiences, don’t write it off as an over reaction. Just because you don’t think you’re racist, realize that all things are not equal in this country. As a white male, I have had opportunities afforded to me that black males have not. Third, as a Church we must do better. If reconciliation cannot happen in the Church, where can it happen? It’s time we face the racial divide head on and seek to reconcile our differences through the redemptive power of the Cross. We have no excuse for being divided on racial lines as the living Body of Christ. How does this look? I have the privilege of attending a multi-ethnic congregation in Charlotte, NC. The church is still largely divided along racial lines in the South. I can attest that when the Church is intentional about becoming a multi-ethnic community, it is beautiful. It creates a safe environment to dialogue about racial issues. We are united under the Cross and our bond is much deeper than race and thicker than blood. There is a unity within diversity that is powerful. As we start to communicate, listen, and understand each other, you will find that stereotypes will fade away. Engaging those of another race becomes natural. I can attest that my Black brothers and sisters have taught me much more than I have taught them. There is solidarity that exists within the Black community that has been forged through centuries of suffering and oppression that White America does not have. In many ways we speak different languages, but that doesn’t mean we have an excuse not to learn. It takes hard work, humility, and transparency, but we must treat the disease and not the symptoms. This can only be done through the Gospel and begins with reconciliation within the Church. We can’t merely treat the pain. We must open those wounds and scrub them with the Truth of the Gospel. Is it painful? Absolutely. But this is the only way true healing can begin. God made all people and all people deserve to have a voice. To my Black brothers and sisters, I hear you. I stand in solidarity with you. I mourn with you. I pray with you that we can stand together and be a voice in this community at such a time as this. To my white brothers and sisters, I challenge you. Seek to listen and learn. Pray that justice will rain down in righteousness. Engage your Black brothers and sisters. Don’t be afraid to take a stand and speak up. We have been passive for too long and its time we speak and stand with our brothers and sisters. I love you all and pray that the Gospel begins to take root and we can be a light within our communities. Pray for peace and reconciliation! It’s our time!