the people with whom He has placed us on this earth. Here is what Jesus says:
29 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.
31 And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
Proper love for other people follows from a right understanding and practice of the love of God. He desires that we take His Word seriously and seek to build right relationships with people, relationships based on His love and truth. A love for others means telling the truth and living out the Scriptures, the source of teaching that can guide us as we navigate the difficulties that we may face. We are called to love and can be confident that He can show us how to do that.
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In Leviticus 19, we see the heart of God regarding life and love, recognizing that He is pleased as we
value one another. We can read:
16 You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
17 'You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.
18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Coverage of George Floyd protests were put on pause by another event on Saturday afternoon, the launch of the SpaceX rocket, sending two astronauts into space to dock with the International Space Station. That time period of about one or two hours comprised a welcome respite to the discouraging news coverage of the response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. And, those who attended the launch were looking to the skies for encouragement and inspiration, hearkening back to the days of the Apollo missions to the moon, in which humanity, in a real sense, was looking for something greater, especially after the turbulent decade of the 60's.
Over the weekend, people were looking up - for a moment; and I think that's important.
But, people were also looking around - senseless violence, fueled by anger over the death of someone who did not deserve to die. Those watching at home were looking at the protests, certainly, but also at the damage to property. But, people digesting the news saw, unfortunately, what the news media wanted them to see - that is something that we can keep in mind.
But, we can look beyond and look around - there was more to the story.
Saturday was a cleanup day in Minneapolis, where days of rioting had resulted in the destruction of area businesses. The local newspaper, the Star Tribune, reported that "Twin Cities nonprofits, community organizations and churches are gathering donations and coordinating cleanup efforts in areas damaged by the rioting that has followed the death of George Floyd in police custody on Memorial Day." That article featured a listing of area organizations stepping in to help.
There was also prayer that occurred in the Twin Cities. I mentioned several instances of that in yesterday's news segment on The Meeting House. Baptist Press reported on the actions of a local pastor, W. Seth Martin, a pastor who founded The Brook Community Church in Minneapolis. He and church members had been participating in the protests; the pastor said: "We've been down at the protests, and we were protesting peacefully, praying, engaging in conversations with one another and with some other pastors who joined us," adding, "It was especially meaningful for us to get together and talk through some of these issues, together." Martin also teamed up with Chris Reinertson, director of missions for the Twin Cities Baptist Association in Bloomington, to organize a prayer event in a local park. The article states:
"We're praying that God answers our prayers, God brings us peace, God brings His love, God brings His justice," said Reinertson, adding they would pray that "God brings His Kingdom, God rescues people from their selfishness and sin, God brings people to the reality of who they are in their situation," that God would bring "massive healing to that Floyd family," and for "racial healing."Martin noted that around 90 percent of the protestors are peaceful. Unfortunately, the violent protestors, reported to be from outside the Twin Cities, have hijacked the protests and deflected from the meaning of them. Media willingly have covered the deflection.
But, there are instances of protestors who have actually put their lives on the line to protect police officers; and we can recognize that the majority of those called to protect and to serve were and are doing just that.
So, we can look around to see acts of charity and clarity in the midst of these turbulent situations in American cities. Burning neighborhoods and destroying businesses undercut the message, but Biblical responses of compassion and unity will produce long-lasting change and healing in our communities. And, the SpaceX launch juxtaposed with images of the weekend protests can remind us to look up - not to God's creation but to the Creator Himself, to find answers in the midst of the confusion.
There are a number of things we can agree on, and the first thing is that George Floyd's death was brutal and unnecessary. I think you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who would disagree. And, this has presented an unprecedented chance for unity. Unfortunately, in the midst of unity the enemy will try to bring division. I have been disappointed with some so-called Christian "leaders" who have taken to social media, not attempting to bring unity and peace, but to foment division. Finger-pointing, blaming, and virtue signaling have no part in society and certainly not in the Church. The Church has to lead the way, but we can't do that if we are allowing Satan to drive a wedge between us.
There is division and chaos that is being promoted, which overrides the deeper messages that can be taken from this event. Outside "agitators" are likely whipping the crowds into a frenzy - so, we can ask the question, are you an agitator or a peacemaker? George Floyd was a "man of peace" in his Houston neighborhood. Are you known as a man or woman of peace?
We can consider what each of us can do to promote racial harmony. We can pursue Biblical justice, not by embracing the ways of the world, such as Critical Race Theory, which perpetuates division. We find that blacks blame whites and whites misunderstand blacks, and we can be called to greater understanding of one another.
The image of a white police officer, a representation of authority, with his foot on the neck of a black man, activated a sense of real anger, fueled by the unjust treatment of African-Americans throughout the years. Now, through prayer and positive interaction, we can do better. It was encouraging to see the footage of Mayor Reed's press conference on Monday night, where there was a call for the community to come together for the sake of the city.
So what can you do? I would encourage you to ask, "What do you have?" I have a voice; I have a microphone. What has God given you? You have a heart to serve Him and to be His representative - we can each pray how we can contribute to living out the commandment to love our God and to love our neighbor. Remember, in the midst of the turmoil, we can look up, then look around to see what God would have you to do.
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