By Brett Clemmer
It is a gut-wrenching time. By now, almost everyone has seen a police officer kneeling on a man’s neck for over eight minutes. A man who subsequently died. A black man. A fellow believer.
Meanwhile, three other officers stood and watched as bystanders pleaded for the officer to let the man up and put him in the police car. They stood and did nothing. Afraid, perhaps, of violating some code of brotherhood. Afraid, perhaps, of being seen as weak or soft. Afraid, perhaps, of being called out by others in their group. We may never know. But it should make each one of us think.
I may not be kneeling on anyone’s neck, but am I watching and saying nothing?
When my son got his license, I told him what to do if he got pulled over: Be polite and respectful, keep your hands where the officer can see them. It will be fine. This weekend a friend of mine who is black described the conversation he had on the same topic: “I told my son, ‘The officer has his job to do and you have yours. Your job is to get home alive.’”
Your job is to get home alive. No teenager should have that job.
I’ve worked in the juvenile justice system in New York state and at a large homeless shelter in Orlando, where many of our residents were recently released from jail with nowhere else to go. I’ve had conversations with young black men—residents and coworkers—willing to share stories of harassment and unequal treatment from people in authority who looked like me. Stories that shocked me but were obviously commonplace for them. Stories like Ahmaud Arbery are horrifying to me because they are so believable.
Racism, bigotry, and prejudice are still alive in America.
No matter your race, it’s easy to think that you can’t do anything about it. You’re one person, after all, and it’s a huge, systemic problem. It’s overwhelming!
But here’s the thing: you—and I—CAN do something about it.
In part two of this series, Pat Morley will share some simple, practical steps you can take as one person. I pray that you will take them to heart and act on them this week.
It’s not enough to “not be a racist.” We must be against racism in all of its forms. We must stand up for its victims and declare loudly, in the name of Christ, it’s not alright. When we see someone’s neck under a proverbial knee, we must stop it.
To be clear, the police officers involved in the death of George Floyd do not represent the vast majority of law enforcement. We have two former policemen on our Area Director team, and a current police officer who teaches at our weekly Bible Study. They are courageous, compassionate, righteous men who love and seek justice. A few bad actors can tarnish the reputation of an entire group, and that is a separate tragedy.
And that brings us to the protests and rioting that are happening simultaneously with the publication of this article. People absolutely have the right to protest and express their anger and grief over injustice. We’re called to this as believers. Isaiah 1:17 tells us to “plead the widow’s case.” And there are many other Scriptures that compel us to stand up for the oppressed.
Violence and looting, on the other hand, are unjustified and unproductive, as so many protesters themselves have said. Do not confuse the anguish, grief, and righteous anger of protesters with the unrighteous opportunism of rioters who care little for justice.
But we should never use those actions to justify our own lack of engagement or support in righting the wrongs that led here.
Christian men, I leave you with this: Do not withdraw into the comfort of your safe church, home, and community of friends. A righteous man always acts, speaks, and stands up to evil.
Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.
Proverbs 25:26
♦♦♦
[vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”businesslounge-free-2″]
This was a tragic event, especially when you think about how long it took, something like 8 minutes to suffocate this man. I heard also that in his final minutes he was calling out to him mother in desperation. As a watch both the protestors and the violence of the rioters continue to storm the streets of our country day after day, it made me think of the over 600,000 babies that are suffocated or dismembered each year, sadly because of the consent of their mothers and if a few dozen stand protesting in the streets, they are ignored. Tell me this, was George Floyd life or the taking of it any worse that snuffing out the life of just one of these innocent children? So if you’re going to stand up for victims, don’t be a racist and stand up for just one black child who lived to manhood, protest the taking of all black, brown, asian and white children that never saw manhood because their lives where choked out of them by a so called doctor who swore the hippocratic oath when given his certification.
My sentiment’s exactly Dan. We hear little to nothing in public outcry about the brutal murder of <3000 babies per day in this country.
The police officer who carried out the assault should have the book thrown at him once tried and if found guilty in a court of law; as should those who stood back and did nothing.
However that does not excuse the sedition taking place throughout the country.
I have to say that, despite being citizens for 26 years, my wife and I have also been subject to racial slurs and bias; my wife is from the Philippines and I am a white Scot. I'll leave it to you to surmise where the racism came from.
Just as with the Covid epidemic, there is a very real danger of sensationalising this horrendous event.
Thank you for your writings at Man in the Mirror. This evil done by a man who should have been removed as a police officer a long time ago and those 3 that watched is gut-wrenching, awful, and pure hatred. It has created a fire hydrant of thoughts which I have had conversations around with friends, Right Left, Believer and Non Believer. My only comfort is that God is in control, working his plan for humanity to his Glory – salvation thru Christ Jesus. I comfort not in Man or Leaders that present stupid regulations/plans/policies to “fix” the problem. Racism is of the heart. Only this Fact can cure what ails the heart – pure evil whether it be racism, homosexuality, greed, malice, etc. – Kneeling and repenting to Christ and asking Him to save you and be Lord of your life. By the way, can that police office be saved? Yes he can and I pray he bows before our Lord.
So here you go with my musings: God does not call for social justice, just justice. Once we accept Christ we are against all evil, not just that which makes the news and allows us to feel good that we are “posting” or participating. The continued balkanization/hyphenization of the world does not mean Christians should as well. Christ, nor the Twelve and Paul, did not identify Christians as Greco-Christians, Jewish-Christians, etc. after conversion. They solely looked at the need of the unsaved for a Savior – not reparations, not special programs, etc. It only matters that your (Mine) identity is in Christ. Pastors need to preach on this and get race/politics/whatever out and focus on what Christ truly charged his Bride to do. Moreover, “Righteous anger”, in my studies, is Christ’s alone. None are righteous, but sinners saved by His grace. Selective anger seems to be more appropriate – Where is this “righteous” anger when the elderly couple in Delaware was murdered by an African American man within the past month while at a cemetery visiting their veteran son’s plot (look it up)? Where is the righteous anger when Police are targeted and murdered? Again, this event is evil but so are the others. But they are ignored, Why?
Evil is evil, God does not stratify – I Corintians 6:9-11. He cares that we repent of all sin and live for His Glory…”such were some of you, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”
Thank you for putting up with me. Struggling well in Christ.
when my self-proclaimed Christian brothers and sisters will step up to adopt all of the unwanted and undesirable (mirorities included) babies in America then i will agree with mr. burns
jimmee, why leave such a inflammatory reply? How did your reply further His Kingdom? This is why I no longer claim to be a Christian, just a follower of Jesus. So much hatred, judgmental attitudes and division among Christians. How can we successfully reach others when we can’t even reach our own doors without tripping over ourselves? Any video of a Christian who talks about anything in the Bible, gets automatically jumped on by other brothers and sisters. Look up any video on YouTube and look at the replies. Nothing but trashing each other. I’m surprised people don’t argue over whether or not Adam and Eve had a belly button. I expect non believers to act like that, but to see each other tear into everyone, breaks my heart. I’m reminded of that quote from Gandhi, I like Jesus but not His followers. Or something along those lines.
Thank you, Brett. I was heartened and encouraged by this article; obviously not by the events of injustice, but by your call to Christlike action. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series, as quite honestly I feel that I live in a bubble of people very much like me, and injustice towards my friends or even acquaintances isn’t something that I come across often on a personal level. I’m feeling a bit at a loss and finding that I’m not sure what to do to love God and love my neighbors in this present circumstance.
Thanks Nick. Knowing where to start is hard when your world is a bubble. I would pray specifically that God would bring some new friends into your life that don’t look like you. Sounds simplistic, but He is faithful.
@Dan Burns & Ron Hawthorne – the fact that you are taking this time out of your scheduled daily activities to pivot on the heinous reality that AMERICANS with black and brown skin continue to be marginalized by unjust, prejudicial, and often racist treatment from people who are paid by the tax dollars in their own communities to protect and serve ALL PEOPLE for the discussion of a completely unrelated and sideline conversation about abortions tells me that YOU DO NOT CARE! Let’s stay on topic for once without detracting from the truth that black people are undeniably, in many cases, treated horribly by those who are sworn to protect them. At the very least treated with less than the respect that you undoubtably both give and receive from law enforcement officials.
Stop to ask yourself why are black people being treated this way? If a black person is alleged to have committed a crime are they treated with the same care as a white citizen with the same infraction? Is it possible that these many, many incidents with white police officers or white citizens killing black people point blank in cold blood are not merely accidents of mistaken identity, an occasional inappropriate use of excessive force, etc, or could there be truth behind the fact that some people in uniform take advantage of their authority by issuing out violence in the name of enforcing the laws? Have you ever been held at gunpoint by an officer who assumes you did something wrong with no legitimate proof of such infraction? Have you been stoooed simply because your car is too nice in a neighborhood where someone “feel” that you do not belong. Black people live here too. Its time people stop acting like its amendments about freedoms only partly apply to those who are not the majority.
Lastly, then ask yourself if you too are apart of the problem? Have you watched without comment of the wrongful treatment of a black or brown person in a store, on the street, in a classroom, at your workplace and said too bad for them. As Christian people we have a responsibility to speak up for the oppressed I have not seen many white Brothers and sister take a stand for equitable housing, employment, policing of communities in a way that communicates that these black people are somebody too; they (blk & brn ppl) are also made “in the image of God” and we should ensure the law of our community and those who wield the authority of the law through enforcement – from judges, prosecutors, and officers – are maintaining the fair and equitable treatment of these people just as equally as they would to you a white man.
Daniel, so good, my friend. This conversation (right here and now, in society and in this article) is about the dignity of black and brown people. When something makes you uncomfortable it’s a defense mechanism to redirect the conversation to a place you feel more comfortable discussing. I know for me, when something makes me uncomfortable it’s often the Holy Spirit’s prodding to examine my heart. More and more white people like me are responding to that prodding. I am encouraged by that. Others will take a longer time to overcome their defense mechanisms so they can discuss something that makes them uncomfortable. So we just need to keep having the conversations. I look forward to seeing you to talk about this even more!
Greetings Daniel. As per the usual we have a you a brother in Christ Jesus, blasting another brother in Christ. You praise God one minute and then with the same tongue and blast a child of the same God the next. This should not be! Could it be that God has put on his heart the murders of 63+ Million innocent babies since 1973 and he was simply reminding the author ,while this is a tragedy, let’s not forget the tragedy that occurs over 3000 times a day? Or could it be he simply doesn’t care? I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know that I always try to error on the side of good when it comes to fellow brothers in Christ. Instead of asking him what his feelings are about this situation, you have assumed what he thinks and then went on a tirade of explanations that could simply not even exist in his mind only yours. Now onto your opinions on how a certain race is treated more badly than another. Well being killed is the highest definition of being treated badly. With that in mind, let’s look at what the numbers say and see if what you claim is in fact true.
Number of people shot to death by police in the U.S. by race.
2017 2018 2019 2020*
White 457 399 370 42
Black 223 209 235 31
Hispanic 179 148 158 13
Other 44 36 39 3
Unknown 84 204 202 139
So according to the actual facts, not opinions, not wishes but actual facts, the numbers speak for themselves. The white race are killed drastically higher than any other race in America. Now you can skew the numbers by breaking it down to percentages, cities, economics etc… But the fact remains that the total number of whites killed by police are drastically higher. So given these facts, would it be ok to assume you don’t care about white people being killed more than any other race and then for me to go on a tirade about you not caring about any race except black and Hispanic? Of course not! That would not be Christ like nor I assume would be the truth. I pray this comes across with my true intentions of maybe opening your eyes and to try and act accordingly to fellow brothers in Christ.
@S Baker this is not a tirade as you claim it to be. Obviously I’m a bit upset, and I’ll give you that in some instances I have made unjust assumptions about my other brothers here. However, this is a call to action and deep thought personally, not a bashing session. We each need to contribute to the cause of humanity through justice, equity, charity, and above all love. I see your facts, and yes we will give fair numbers by talking about %. Based on your statistics since 2017, in proportion to each ethnic group in the country black ppl have been killed 2, 2.5, and this year 3x more than their fellow white citizens proportionately. Do you still want to justify what the numbers mean?
You know in your heart that minority people, particularly blacks, have not been treated justly, fairly, or even humanely in large part because of the trappings of slavery and how people have been conditioned to think of skin color in this nation. To not acknowledge that, would be a tragedy in and of itself. What happens when someone starts talking about a different parrallel tragic situation (abortions in the US) is that it completely moves the topic at hand to the margin so that people can say “oh yes, that is wrong too”. The problem that I, and other minority people have, is that as a result of this sidebar conversation you are also placing the concern for minorities in the margin and out of view as if it does not matter as much as other tragedies. Perhaps we’ll put that concern on the back burner and get to it when we have more time to deal with other issues. Please…sit in this moment, and have an uncomfortable conversation. Discuss how you may have stood on the side and not spoke up, but how you will no longer look the other way. I speak, as many others do, from a place of hurt and being passed by (like the story of the beaten man in the good samaritan). Will you be the one who stops, or will you move to the other side, look away so as not to draw eye contact, and keep moving?
Right now black people are talking about Black Lives Matter because for so long our lives have been seen as not mattering enough. I simply ask that if we are truly brothers in Christ that you stop at the well and lets have a drink together. Many times Paul had to correct other Israeli’s for how they wrongfully treated new believers or gentile converts. Im sure it wasn’t an easy conversation, and neither is this. Its tough to hear, just like it may be tough to be corrected by Holy Spirit for a sin that you or I commit. But there is no guilt & shame in that as it says in Romans 8. We simply make the adjustment and move forward having a new, rather, renewed framework with which we live. Will you allow your framework to be renewed on race relations and how you interact with others around you…?
Lastly, I completely agree with Victor below when he says that this is a sin issue first and foremost. Unfortunately, not everyone is a Christian in the nation or around the world, so how do we speak the same language so that everyone has a common denominator that is relatable to all? The answer is the legal system. Everyone must follow the laws of their country regardless of religion. Therefore we should be actively seeking to legislate penalties for behavior of the acts of hate and violence that occur as a result of racial hate and prejudices. As someone once said something to this affect: you can’t make someone love you, but you can discourage them from putting a noose around your neck (relating to legislation). I would encourage you each to read 2 books: “The New Jim Crowe”, by Michelle Alexander, and “Where Do We Go From Here”, by Rev. Dr. MLK Jr.
Until then keep praying, keep making friends with people who are different from you, and keep fighting the good fight of faith.
Daniel
What was done to that man is criminal; and needs to be punished accordingly; I don’t think silence means a person condones acts of violence against any individual; I’m sure every person would agree they could, or should, have done more, about many things in life; but that is not a reason to deride them; I read the replies at the end of the article and I see division, anger, and misguided rhetoric. So now we have another divisive discourse designed to alienate people, instead of promoting healing, love, peace, and unity.
Not every one is able to march or give speeches (due to physical restrictions and personality limitations; it may not be in their make-up); that doesn’t make them complicit with the crimes that take place around them. We should not be drawn in to “race” name calling or leveraging, because that is part of the problem, because there’s only one “race”, the human race; we need to be promoting unity, not creating divides!
I can give you an answer to the whole problem: it’s what man needs to do: repentance of sin and faith towards God (we need Jesus!); but do we really want that answer (many will answer questions with questions; like what is truth; does that sound familiar? Or redirect the conversation to another problem with no resolution).
Isaiah 59 reads like a commentary on our society today; the crimes and political leveraging that takes place.
When they convict a murderer of taking another’s life (if that’s even possible nowadays, because of the corruption in the legal/judicial system), what will be the punishment? Will they follow the Biblical admonition and execute the criminal? or will they lean to their own understanding; man made justice and penalties (no justice) and people being fed up with the system (and they still end up angry and upset because the system fails to give us peace).
Only one way to get peace: I hope you choose wisely! (Psalms 119:165) Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
Romans chapter 12 has some good advice.
Remember life here is short but heaven is great! Do you know where you’re going to spend eternity? (John 14:1-3) Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (1 Corinthians 2:9) But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
(Colossians 3:12-15) Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
That is exactly the problem…. it’s a division in one way or another, race, political affiliation, denomination, etc. First and foremost it was very disturbing watching the actions of that police officer. You jumped to the conclusion the police officer was wrong in his duty and therefore assumed guilty, believing every other account you heard such as Mr. Floyd calling out for his mother. Have you been trained and worked as a police officer therefore knowing the protocol? I’m NOT saying the police officer was right in his actions. I have not heard all the evidence, closely watched all the videos to sit in correct judgement over what happened. What disturbs me the most is even in Christian circles with people calling themselves such here many are jumping on board and judging without 1. Being qualified as judge and 2. Bridging the gap. Is there a race problem in society today? Depends on who you ask. Some will say yes and with those you need to find out why they are saying that. Others say no and they freely and readily explain why. There will always be differences, there will always be bad cops just like there are bad doctors, bad teachers, bad/false preachers, etc. Instead of fueling the flames, let’s look to what we are called to do, disciple and bring everyone to Christ. In doing so, truly seeing someone walk with the Lord, all the above works itself out with and through Him.
Not sure if anyone is reading this at this point since I am new to MIM, but am thankful we can “sit” here and talk through are pains and concerns. America has a great history of being the land of opportunity and I still believe it’s true today. With that, this country also has a painful history of the mistreatment of people from all colors and nationalities. My prayer for this country has always been that the Jesus Followers rise up and behave in the way that God has called us.
Praying for all of you men.