I’m grateful to live in America. The over 380 million people who live here create a tapestry of interesting, fun, creative, and neighbor-caring people. You see it everywhere. From the corner market to the post office, Americans do more than just coexist together. They root for each other, strive to respect each other, care for their neighbors, and help each other.
Since the almost two weeks since Mr. George Floyd died an unnecessary death at the hands of criminally-responsible police officers, the collective of America have in unity raised their voices, sorrowed with this man’s family, and desired quick justice. No one defended the actions of these police officers. The by-standard’s video told the tale. As more information was released, it is abundantly clear the officers were criminally negligent. As Darrin Chauvin and his fellow officers face charges, as Americans we are grateful for a judicial system that, although imperfect, does seek to fulfill its biblical mandate (Rom 13:1-8). Regardless of the cause of Mr. Floyd’s apprehension, his treatment in the hands of the authorities failed to meet any standard of human decency.
The Nation’s Response
The peaceful protests for Mr. Floyd in America are both protected speech and a welcomed part of American society. Many individuals who care about him and about justice have walked, chanted, and united together in various streets all over America. For this, we are grateful. We strain our ears to hear what they seek to say to us. We desire to learn, be reminded, hear their concerns, and understand their message. They may be saying the exact same thing we are thinking. In all reality, they may also be saying more. So we gladly listen to our neighbors as they make their point known.
In the midst of all of this, some bad actors take advantage of our nation’s posture toward good, honest conversation. People are organized for less-than-honest reasons. Americans for the most part also see this and understand what is happening. However, these bad actors create confusion, take too much of the attention from a greater conversation, and produce greater ill-will and division. Instead of all Americans speaking in unity against an injustice that occurred, those among us who would act out in unlawful ways dilutes the better and greater conversation. They produce a different kind of anger which often gets compared to the righteous anger against Mr. Floyd’s treatment. Then people compare anger against anger in a way that is unhelpful and divisive. At that point, the bad actors make headway. The unity of a nation is torn more unnecessarily – which in reality is what some want.
Our Resolve
The majority of us who are not part of this very small, organized, often paid minority of people must keep our attention on what is greater and more helpful. Where there is injustice, we want to consider these things. We sorrow over the unnecessary death of a fellow American, the theme of racial injustice that this helps underscore, and the imperfections in government. The divisions in our great nation trouble us because they are real. The peaceful protests remind us graphically how some in our communities do not enjoy the same sense of freedom and opportunities as others. In fact, we sorrow that some communities struggle.
The broken families of our community, weakened by years of neglect and a casual view of sex and marriage, help produce this problem. As fathers fail to lead and teach their boys, a generation grows up without good leadership and skills. As many single moms do what they can just to get by every day, their children suffer under the burden of their own struggle just to make it. Men fail to act responsibly in light of their own ability to produce a child, much less to grow one up.
A big government stands complicit as it encourages some of this through poorly-ran and generation-harming programs. Government cannot fix the family, nor can it stand in its place. Our children suffer – some much more than others depending upon race, neighborhood, and background.
To be honest, the church must take some responsibility as well. Where we have not taught our own how to live out the Gospel message of Jesus Christ in both our words and actions complicates this. The weakness of Christian families and individual Christians may also play a part.
We sorrow as we are reminded of these things.
The Bible Provides the Answer
Jesus and His half-brother James both point us toward the right answer: love for God and love for people (Matthew 5:1-10; Matthew 22:38-40; James 2:1-13). They remind us of our own personal responsibility to act on behalf of others. They challenge us to love God supremely and others sincerely as we do our own selves. We listen and seek to ascertain what that looks like in practice. How do we do better? What should we do?
In each instance that answer may be a bit different with a variety of looks. There is no one answer. The answer certainly is not in more and greater government programs. However, just to simply acknowledge the complexity of the problem is not enough either.
Our Responsibilities
As followers of Christ, we must do our own part. Our own part comes from hearts full of the love of Christ and recognizes that love takes responsibility for those around us. What is that responsibility?
- Seek authentic Christianity that serves those who need it.
James writes, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). This means that we seek to serve. Look around and see what part you can play in the lives of those around you in your own personal neighborhood and community. This relates to individual Christians simply seeking to love carefully those in their world.
The goal: do something. The failure to act to help those in the community who may be struggling in one way or another is a failure to act responsibly as a Christian. For each person this will look different. Look down your street, pay attention at the grocery store, listen for volunteer opportunities in your community, and seek to do something. It is not for me to judge your response nor you mine; this is a personal evaluation which seeks to determine whether or not you do enough as you are practically able.
The reality is that although we all could do more, many are doing so much already. Christians all over our great nation love each other and others around them every day. For this, we are grateful. This is not meant as a guilt trip on anyone. We just need to evaluate how and what we do personally.
- Pay close attention to how you view and see others.
James also writes, “My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality” (James 2:1).
This passage speaks to the heart of how we see others. Do you see them? Do you notice their problems, cares, and concerns? How do you see them if you do? Do you listen to them? Do you love others?
James says that faith in Jesus Christ impacts the way we see others. If we hold prejudice in our hearts, then we fail in our authenticity as a believer. Much more will need to be written about this in the future to help develop these ideas for us.
Attitude and Action
I encourage you not to miss this moment. Prayerfully embrace this moment as an opportunity to check your own heart and your actions to see if you are part of the greater problem or are you, by God’s grace, helping resolve it. Loving God and others is where it begins. A commitment to living the Gospel out daily in love is what it looks like.
As individual Christians, we cannot fix the culture or alleviate suffering. However, we can do our part to love our neighbor, demonstrate grace to those with whom we come into contact, and seek to be light in dark places.
By extension, individuals not doing their part produces churches who in a limited way do their part.
In total, this means that the life-changing message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ gets lost. The ultimate solution is the Gospel – not cultural change. As the Gospel impacts individuals, those people should change. As those individuals change, the culture changes. Therefore, in a world full of unrest, we are reminded of the necessity of the Gospel as it changes us and we live consistently with the Gospel in our own respective communities.
KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together
