Disheartening watching Twitter tonight. It seems there are few topics that enflame and divide the citizenry more than the topics of racism and privilege. We claim we have moved past it. We certainly want to. But the streets of Ferguson tonight show that we haven’t. And we don’t even seem to know how to voice our frustrations.
I have always been fascinated by the terms “Pro-Life and Pro-Choice.” It’s never Anti-Life and Anti-Choice. Neither side even acknowledges the claims of the other. So it seems with the racism.
Dear 99% of my Facebook friends…by in large, white people have easier paths to the pursuit of happiness than most black people. The problem is, white people usually don’t see it. And we often refuse to try.
Read the twitter feed of #FergusonDecision. Something is broken. Nearly every Tweet from a white person refers to how justice was realized through the judicial system. How others should be more mindful of the law. This Tweet suggests that racial reconciliation can finally be realized if people just stop committing crimes and stop attacking police. Seriously? Is it really that easy? Does anyone really believe this?
The entitlements that most white people are afforded are simply not available to others. We believe that the benefits and exceptions that we have are assumed experiences for everyone. This is entirely not true. If I walk into a Lexus dealership a sales person hopeful to meet his year-end quota approaches me quickly. Ask yourself honestly, what is the response if I am a young African American in a hoodie? If the same man walks up to Nordstrom as they are locking the door at closing…is the assumption he is buying a gift card for his mom’s birthday?
What an amazing perspective from Dr. Beauchman. Can we not stop a moment and consider the truth behind his post? This has to be more than group hysterics. The experiences are real.
I have no basis to judge how the Ferguson community views this verdict. I have no idea what it feels like to be watched when I walk through Neimans. But I do know that true complete justice will never be found in this world but through the lens of the Gospel. This is a heart problem for both sides of the Ferguson streets. We are to be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave us (Ephesians 4:32). We are to pursue healing and reconciliation just as Christ reconciled us to himself even to the point of His death on the cross. Christ gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2Corinthians 5:18).
We will not find healing, peace, and justice in the laws of man. These will only be found in and through the Author of them.
Lord, protect the streets of Ferguson and this nation tonight. Heal us. And let the healing start as every race reaches out humbly to acknowledge the imbalances in our broken world and finds balance at the level ground of the cross of Christ.
How do we profile without even realizing it as we walk through our lives each day?
How should Christians respond?
Divine Tension 