Ferguson

I tried to start this post as a prayer, something of noble faith to bring peace and calm and justice to what happened in Ferguson, Missouri.  I guess I don't pray that well.  Or maybe I simply need to process things, to discern the spirits, to see what prayers really need to be said.


Because there are two great truths that have been confused in Ferguson.  And if we can sort them out, maybe we can truly make some progress.


Here is the first truth.  It is very possible that Darren Wilson's shooting of Michael Brown was justified.  Nobody wants to hear that, and I know I am going to lose readers right now because I am entertaining that possibility.  From all the reports of all the evidence that I have read about what was given to the Grand Jury, it looks to support the officer's story.  I am not a judge, I am not on any jury, I am simply trying to follow the facts as they have been presented.


From my experience and preparation as a law enforcement Chaplain, I begin to understand and appreciate the unique pressures of that vocation.  As a society, we have entrusted to our police officers the power of life and death, but in very specific circumstances, the protection of life.  And every time an officer must exercise that power, we must scrutinize the circumstances with the greatest care, for the sake of the community and for the sake of the officer.


Here is the second truth.  Racism exists in America.  From where I sit today, the most cynical thing written in the documents that establish the foundation for this nation is the phrase in the Declaration of Independence that there is this self-evident truth that all men are created equal.  Set aside gender issues for a moment to truly consider how cynical that statement is in light of the United States Constitution.  In the Constitution, we set aside a whole group of people, defined them by the color of their skin and their economic circumstances, and we called them slaves.


Yes, I am judging the circumstances of the 1700's and the 1800's by 21st century standards.  But those guys all went to church and they all must have heard what Paul had to say about being in Christ, that there is neither male nor female, Jew or Gentile, SLAVE OR FREE!!! 


In the 21st century, we don't have slavery, we fought the Civil War over that, and other issues.  We don't have Jim Crow laws and segregation because of the Civil Rights movement.  But economic divisions, racial stereotypes, urban and suburban "ghettos", all of these still exist.  And there is a deep and abiding anger in the soul of America about this. 


And we should be protesting, because this should NOT be happening in this nation.  I think the words of Martin Luther King Jr. should be the battle cry.  Let every person be judged on the content of their character.  From Civil War to Civil Rights to Civil Potential!  Let every American, regardless of color, creed, gender, or ethnic origin be given equal opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.  Economics and education would be the foundations of the new protest.  


What makes me so very angry about Ferguson is the confusion of these truths.  I am very angry at all the comments about how everyone was certain Darren Wilson would not be indicted, not because he was innocent, but because the 'system' would conspire to get him off.  I am very angry at what happened after the shooting, when Michael Brown's body was out in the middle of the street, in plain sight, for hours.  It looked to me like the authorities didn't care. 


I am very angry that we live in a country with widening divides between the rich and the poor, between people of all different racial backgrounds, not just black and white, that our response to the tensions has been one of arrest and incarceration instead of engagement and meaningful social change. 


So, I guess my prayer would be this: God, change our hearts and our minds.  Amen.