The movement
continues and shows no sign of letting up soon.
Across the nation there is an awakening to the need for peace and
justice. Black Lives Matter has re-ignited
the conscience of millions of Americans.
One of the
impressive things about this current wave is how it is lasting well beyond the
initial enthusiasm. If anything, it
appears to be gaining strength. I pray
we are witnessing a true revival of the soul of our United States.
Today I
attended the Black Lives Matter protest in my hometown of Ephrata,
Pennsylvania. It was a very peaceful,
respectful event. I would estimate there
were about 180-200 people attending. It
was intergenerational, inter-racial (though primarily white) and most
inspiring. In addition to the crowd that
gathered, an abundance of the cars that passed by showed their support by
blowing their horns and giving us the thumbs up. Some even displayed signs of their own.
To be sure not everyone was fully
supportive. A few who passed by voiced
some disagreement. But I was impressed
how reserved they were. No one tried to
confront anyone with the intent of escalating tensions. Across the street from where I stood, I could
hear one man speaking with a group of protesters. He was emphatically making the point that “All
lives matter”. One protester countered
by saying exactly what I was thinking: that “All Lives Matter” includes black
lives, and so, in a sense, he was agreeing with them. The difference is that people of color are
the ones experiencing the abuse and the loss of rights. The man did not really come around to agree
with them, but neither did he appear upset.
When today’s event began there was one police officer in sight. After about twenty minutes a second officer
arrived. They both remained
relaxed. I made a point of going up to
them to speak briefly with them, to encourage them, and to thank them for their
faithful – and respectful – service.
There are bad cops out there.
These two guys are not among them and if we are going to criticize the bad
guys, we should also show appreciation for the good guys. It’s a simple concept known as “bridge
building”.
Perhaps
there is hope for this country yet. We
have a very long way to go and many obstacles to overcome, but this feels
different to me. One speaker today said
she had never heard a pastor speak about racial injustice. I felt like telling her she has been going to
the wrong church! I have been preaching
since 1983. I did my internship in
Birmingham, Alabama, where racial prejudice and discrimination was very real
and the “N”-word was heard from the mouths of my church members. Racial injustice has been one of my core concerns
through the years, along with peace and radical discipleship. But the words of today’s speaker helped me
understand that far too many people have not been challenged to expand their
thinking. Looking back over my career I
must admit that most of the members of my congregations were looking for
messages of comfort, not challenge. I
could sense the tension when I hit a nerve by taking them out of their comfort
zone.
But now
there is no escaping the message. Its on
the news every day. Its heard on neighborhood
street corners and in city squares.
Black Lives Matter! Its about
time we get the message. No Justice – No
Peace! What is so hard to understand
here?
We are
seeing things that are blowing me away.
Police kneeling with protesters.
The officers who killed George Floyd not only fired from the Minneapolis
Police Department, but charged with murder.
Police reform given serious consideration. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
formally admitting he was wrong to appear dressed in battle fatigues for a
photo op with the President immediately after armed troops opened fire on
peaceful, lawful demonstrators in order to make the photo op possible. The former Secretary of Defense criticizing
the use of American troops against American citizens. Confederate Statues coming down throughout
the South. And perhaps the biggest
shocker of all: NASCAR banning the presence of the Confederate Flag at all
their events.
I hope we
can maintain the momentum. It will not
be easy – change never is. But this is a
movement that seemingly has a destiny.
There is something prophetic about this, which may be just the thing
that gives it life.
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