Five years ago I wrote
about Sandra Bland, a 28-year old black woman who changed lanes in Waller
County, Texas to allow an approaching patrol car to pass. Instead of
passing, the patrolman pulled her over for failure to signal a lane change. The
video of her arrest was haunting. Sandra was understandably
upset. How many times have we all changed lanes without giving a
signal? She was simply moving over to let the policeman by. It
seemed like such a trivial stop.
She showed her
irritation. The officer was insulted and grew angry, demanding she
put out her cigarette. She refused. He threatened to “light her up”
with his Taser, forced her from her car, manhandled her off to the side of the
road, wrestled her to the ground, handcuffed her and carted her off to jail.
Three days later, unable to post bond, Sandra Bland was found dead in her jail
cell, victim of an apparent suicide. A graduate of Prairie View
A&M, she had been a part of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The video was disturbing
because of the injustice of it all, similar to the video of George
Floyd. Both videos are disturbing because of repeated incidents
of police brutality against black persons. They are disturbing
because they represents our cultural drift from the values that make life
work. Our politicians hurl insults at one another, calling names,
seldom restrained by the truth. People scream at one another in
movies and dramas, releasing unrestrained anger. We laugh at the
snide remarks of comedians. The principles of courtesy, respect, patience,
honesty and forgiveness seem to be slipping away.
Have we slipped our
Christian moorings? Are we adrift in a sea of uncertainty that has
no true North, no compass? Are the darker impulses of prejudice, fear and
hatred leading us off a cliff?
We turned to science and
technology believing they would pave the way to a brighter
future. And, while science and technology have given us a higher
standard of living with conveniences our forefathers never dreamed, they cannot
provide the values necessary for living with each other.
They are found in the
words of Jesus: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” “Be merciful as your father is
merciful.” “Give and it shall be given to you, good measure, pressed
down and running over.” They are found in the Lord’s Prayer.
The stones for our
pathway forward are found in the fruits of the Spirit that overcome the flesh:
“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity,
sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife,
jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying,
drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, ... But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no
law.” (Galatians 5:19-23).
I was appalled when the
President used federal officers to disperse peaceful protestors so he could
have a photo op in front of St John’s Episcopal Church holding a Bible. The
Bible and the church must never be used as political props.
Faith that fosters forgiveness and respect for
all people of all races is essential to our survival
Beautifully written!!
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