Humans are made by God and originally we reflected His traits. Of course, that reflection has been smeared, to say the least.
Now, those traits show up in strange and sometimes unpredictable ways. Such is the case when we face the unknown.
Curiosity, fear, denial, assumptions...
Nowhere is this more evident to me right now than in the area of "race relations" - read the misunderstandings and enduring pressure between black and white Americans.
The diversity we find as we encounter cultures and ethnicities not our own is a revelation of God's creative genius. We are naturally curious then. This curiosity is an echo of God's creativity. This is good.
The fear that rises up within us in the same circumstance is a result of the curse. We don't know if we will suffer, or cause suffering. We don't know if we will lose something of ourselves. We are afraid of someone taking our safety, or our position or possessions. We are scared because we think we are in control. We want to maintain that illusion.
We deny that problems exist. Or, we redefine the problem. Worse, we just shift the blame.
Where is God in all of this? Oh, He is present. He is always ready, willing and able to show us Himself. He is always available. He might not give us the answers we crave. But, He is the answer to what we crave.
George Floyd.
We can't answer questions that we don't even understand. We feel impotent in addressing issues that are so hot and sticky. Will we only make matters worse by trying to intervene?
And then there are those hijackers. Some people have agendas and ideologies so extreme and dangerous that they are unapproachable. On both sides. So much posturing and opportunism. So often just a bunch of, "See, I told you so."
I'm sick. Sad. Frustrated. Defeated. Distant. Unaffected and yet inextricably connected. Am I the man in handcuffs, or the officer killing him? Or both? Am I the bystander filming and begging for mercy for a man I don't even know? Say nothing: guilty. Say something: guilty. Do something: guilty. Do nothing: guilty.
This I know. Any compassion I feel is a reflection of God's love for every one of His creations. Every person is a person, no matter how small. No matter what color. No matter what condition. No matter what position.
Should we have to say that this is an exception? Is it an exception? I respect and appreciate law enforcement. I love and admire black Americans. I understand very little of either category though. Because, I'm not either. But I am human. We are all human.
Say what you will, the gospel is the answer. Until we repent of our selfish sins and turn to God, this and worse will keep happening. Only through the presence of the Holy Spirit in every chest can we come to love God fully and our neighbor sincerely. And who is my neighbor? He is unknown to me. He is George Floyd. We was.
