Deep breath.
Last week was awful. I don't think there's anybody that would disagree with me there. It. Was. Awful.
Every time I opened Facebook, there was something else. (Don't judge me...we all get our news from Facebook first, amiright?) Black men falling, police officers falling, people arguing, people in pain, people angry and confused. It was really awful, guys.
I just kind of sat and watched because I didn't know what else to do. I didn't know how to respond or what was the right response or even if what I felt was ok. I legitimately didn't and don't know what to do at this point.
I feel incredibly inadequate to say anything at all. The only two things that have been on rotation in my head have been "I'm sorry" and, in the words of the president, "we can do better." Except that last one was more of a question than a statement. Can we do better?
There's so much politics (many politics? Much or many?) involved in this, and I'll be the first to tell you that I don't get politics. I don't like them, they're not what I'm about, and quite frankly I do not feel educated enough to comment on most political things.
But what I do know is the human heart. And the other thing I do know is the heart of God.
Can I ask us to do something? Just real quick. Can we stop questioning each other's pain?
Can we look our black family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances in the eye and acknowledge their broken hearts? Can we just say "I'm sorry" and not follow it with a "but?" We need to acknowledge the deep, unfathomable for most of us pain that they are feeling. Not just pain but terror. Our family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances are scared they won't make it home. They're scared their family won't make it home. Is it enough for them to feel pain and fear for us to put our arm around them and say I'm sorry and we can do better? We don't have to qualify it. Actually, please don't qualify it. Can we try that?
Can we look our police family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances in the eye and acknowledge their broken hearts? Can we just say "I'm sorry" and not follow it with a "but?" We need to acknowledge that our family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances are scared that they won't make it home or their family won't make it home. They're hurting too, their hearts are broken too, they're terrified too. Don't qualify your I'm sorries. Please.
It all feels crazy, right?
I have a lot of emotions, thoughts, questions, opinions about this. But the one thing I'm positive of is that God would not have us question the pain. The pain that everyone feels right now is real, it is deep, and it is seen by Him.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Romans 12:14-18
Can we reflect the heart of God as we move forward and get close to our brokenhearted people, all of them, all of us? Cry with all of our people, cry out to God for change, for protection, for His sovereign hand to move our country to look more like Him in all things, and that we would treat each other as He would have us treat each other. Pray that we would reflect His character, that our lives would be evidence of the blood of Jesus.
It is more complicated than this, I know. And yet, it's not more complicated either. Which is complicated.
Come, Lord Jesus.
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