Go Beyond

Over the span of the past few months, life in America has deteriorated into something nightmarish. With tensions already running high because of the pandemic, the death of George Floyd earlier this year ignited off-the-charts outrage. The ripples of that outrage continue to trouble the waters to this day.

What started as peaceful protests in the wake of Floyd’s death quickly morphed into something less than peaceful or civil. Rioters and looters destroyed private property and robbed businesses with impunity — and continue to do so. Worse than the property damage are the number of people who have been injured or lost their lives.

The latest victims of the current cultural unrest are two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies who were ambushed while sitting in their patrol vehicle outside the MLK Transit Center in Compton. Video surveillance footage shows a man approaching the police car, firing his gun multiple times at close range, and then running away.

Both deputies suffered multiple gunshots. Deputy Claudia Apolinar, a 31 year-old mother who was shot in the face and upper torso several times, was able to call for help while assisting her 24 year-old partner. Amazing! Sadly, not a single onlooker stepped forward to help the critically wounded officers.

Thankfully, help arrived and the injured deputies were taken to St. Francis Medical Center where they underwent emergency surgery. Apolinar and her partner miraculously survived and now face a long road to recovery.

Later, demonstrators assembled outside the hospital, blocking the entrance to the emergency room. Referring to the wounded officers, one protestor yelled “I hope they (expletive) die.” Another brazenly told police: “Y’all gonna die one by one. This ain’t gonna stop.” Others were yelling, “We hope they die.”

The ambush of the deputies and hateful rhetoric of protesters outside the hospital are among the latest expressions of cowardice, hatred, and violence — essentially of depravity on display. These senseless acts, regardless of who commits them, reveal the desperately sick condition the human heart and the death of civility.

If a society is to function for the benefit of all, then civility must be safeguarded.

The earliest use of the word civility denoted the state of being a citizen and hence good citizenship or orderly behavior — or as Mr. Rogers would say, being a good neighbor. Recent months have given us frightening glimpses into what disorderly behavior looks like and how such conduct hurts others.

One thing is certain, the solution to the madness goes much deeper than anything legislation or laws can reach. The late President Ronald Reagan understood that. In a speech he gave on March 8, 1983, Reagan observed:

“But we must never forget that no government schemes are going to perfect man. We know that living in this world means dealing with what philosophers would call the phenomenology of evil or, as theologians would put it, the doctrine of sin. There is sin and evil in the world, and we’re enjoined by Scripture and the Lord Jesus to oppose it with all our might.”

We must all do our part to oppose evil and to safeguard civility. Civility is the guardian of kindness, selflessness, and the capacity to give greater consideration to the welfare of others. If we allow civility to die then we will lose much more as a consequence, including the capacity to engage in the kind of dialogue that can lead to meaningful change.

The madness has got to stop.

Each of us must aspire to something greater than the anger that divides us and destroys decency. We must intentionally and purposefully practice civility toward one another. We must regain the ability to disagree without being disagreeable. The health of our democracy depends on our ability to disagree about important things while remaining friends.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached his final sermon on April 3, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. His message was entitled “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” He challenged his listeners to “develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness” — like that demonstrated by the Good Samaritan.

In this parable told by Jesus, the despised Samaritan demonstrated what civility looks like — what it means to be a good neighbor. King observed that the Levite in the story worried, “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But the Good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?’ That’s the question before you tonight.”

And that is the question before us today. It becomes easier to ignore others, walk past people in need, speak ill of others, wish others harm, or treat others badly when we don’t consider them people or we demonize them in some way. How sad to even utter the words, “We hope they die.” Dr. King, and Mr. Rogers, would have found such rhetoric repulsive.

May each of us do our part to safeguard what it means to be a good citizen and a good neighbor. Like Jesus, may we move in the direction of others in order to help them rather than harm them. If we fall short, as we likely will from time to time, then let’s adjust our behavior toward the better while keeping the standard high. The health of our society depends on it.

Jacob Blake’s name is the latest to be added to a roster of names associated with police shootings of black men. Every one of these shootings happened in a context of time, place, and palpable cultural tensions. All of these have contributed to some degree to the civil unrest that has gripped our nation over the past several months.

I have previously written about what I believe to be the unjust deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd. I am however, troubled in particular by the context of the Blake shooting. And I am troubled by the rush to make Blake a victim or a role model or someone with altruistic intentions on the day of the shooting.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, police arrived on the scene in Kenosha in response to a phone call from a woman who said Blake was not supposed to be on her premises. These officers learned that Blake had an outstanding warrant for his arrest for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in May. Officers on the scene tried to execute that arrest warrant.

According to reports, Blake resisted arrest. This action prompted officers to use a Taser not once but twice in an attempt to subdue him. Video then shows Blake defiantly walking away from police officers with weapons drawn. Minutes later, as Blake leaned into his car, a police officer shot him seven times in the back. Blake survived and, according to investigators, later admitted to having a knife in his possession.

I am troubled by the fact that Blake was shot seven times in the back. This is the kind of action that has prompted calls for everything from reforms in police rules of engagement to calls for defunding the police. I wish Blake had cooperated and that cooler heads had prevailed on all sides but alas tensions escalated quickly.

The actual casualty of this particular shooting was common sense.

Blake does not get a free pass on being complicit in the murder of common sense by virtue of his race or any other reason — and neither does the police officer who fired seven rounds. Both are guilty of contributing to the death of common sense.

In regard to Blake, he should have had the sense to know that things generally do not end well when you try to settle maters with police on the street. Better to cooperate and settle things at the police station. It’s just as easy to call a lawyer from there than to have to hire one after an incident gone south. Blake may never walk again as a result of choosing to resist arrest.

I am also troubled that this incident happened in front of Blake’s children. Common sense should have prevailed there as well. A father has a responsibility to set an example for his children of how to intelligently deal with life’s troubling issues. However, by resisting arrest, Blake unwittingly communicated to his children that it is ok to disregard the police. Common sense sustained another gut-punch in those moments of resisting arrest.

As for the police officer who shot Blake in the back, I wish that he had shown some sense and restraint as well. Seven shots is a lot by any measure, and certainly more than sufficient to neutralize a threat. In light of all of the concern and debate and protest about the conduct of police, a cooler head should have prevailed. At this time in history, this shooting just added more fuel to a fire already burning out of control.

From his hospital bed, Blake has pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against him. He will have his day in court as will the woman who has accused him of sexual assault. The police officer and others at the scene of the shooting will also have their day in court. Hopefully, our justice system can administer CPR to common sense and somehow revive it before the madness continues to spread like wildfire, consuming all in its path.

Because I believe in the sanctity of human life, I believe that all lives matter regardless of pigmentation, orientation, or station in life. But I also believe that brains matter. It is incumbent on each of us, regardless of the color of our skin, to use the brain that God gave us to make good choices. Had everyone involved in the Kenosha incident used even an ounce of common sense, things would have turned out a lot different.

Our nation is currently caught in the teeth of a violent cultural storm that is ripping our societal fabric to shreds. The pandemic aside, the killing of George Floyd ignited expressions of collective outrage that morphed into rioting, looting, destruction, and more deaths.

Beyond that, Floyd’s death has forced us to address the ugly specter of racism. The anger is palpable as people cry out for the kind of America that Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed of — a place where people are not judged “by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

I too, long for that kind of America. Skin color often puts people at an unfair advantage or disadvantage. Judging a book by its cover often keeps us from reading some amazing stories. However, the content of our character levels the playing field. MLK understood that character, not skin color, reveals the heart of a person.

God has always been concerned about the heart of man.

Jesus warned that the heart can produce some really ugly behaviors like “evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander” (Matt. 15:19). But He also illustrated how a person with a heart that breaks for what breaks God’s heart can make difference — as in the case of a good Samaritan who moved in the direction of a man in desperate need.

A broken heart is essential to fixing broken things.

Injustice and regarding others as anything less than those created in His image breaks the heart of God. Unless our heart is broken for what breaks God’s heart, we will fail to make a difference in our world. We must get in sync with the rhythm of His divine heartbeat.

When we truly get our heart in sync with His, then we can no longer remain the same. We cannot remain passive or uninvolved or complacent about what we see happening in our world. Instead we will reorder our priorities to reflect God’s passions and then intentionally spend ourselves on bringing healing to a world that is broken.

God hates injustice and the violation of the sanctity of human life. The anger of man, however, will not produce the righteousness of God (James 1:20). While acts of injustice should disturb us and even enrage us, an angry heart will not heal the deep wounds that have resulted in so much painful division in our nation. We must do more than respond in anger to make a point. We must take wise steps to make a difference.

Each of us, regardless of the color of our skin, must ask God the same question. We must seek to understand what breaks His heart and how He can use us to play a role in promoting healing rather than creating more wounds. We must build and maintain bridges of love.

Asking God to break your heart for what breaks His is a dangerous prayer. When this prayer is answered it will change the way you look at and respond to what you see in the world. The answer to this prayer will turn your life upside down. But, that’s ok!

God uses those whose lives have been turned upside down to turn the world upside down (Acts 17:6) — essentially, to turn the world right side up and aligned with God’s purposes.

A heart that is in sync with God’s heart is reflected in a life that is willing to do more than talk a good game but that actually gets in the game. A broken heart will lead you to an honest examination of what steps you must take to respect and live in harmony with all people regardless of their pigmentation.

A broken heart will cause you to dig deeper, work harder, pray longer, go farther, and reach higher. A broken heart will not allow you to live selfishly — to consume everything solely on yourself and your personal interests. A broken heart will lead you to close the distance between yourself and those who are lost, hurting, disenfranchised, and in need.

The popular praise song “Hosanna” by Hillsong expresses the sentiment of what it means to ask God to break your heart:

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me

Break my heart for what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your kingdom’s cause
As I walk from earth into eternity

Singing or saying these words is much easier than living them out. Asking God to break our heart for what breaks His must be more than an emotional exercise that does not result in any change in our lives.

Be warned: A person whose heart is truly broken for the things that break God’s heart will be inconvenienced in order to engage with hurting humanity. But, that’s ok! In the words of A.W. Tozer, the kingdom of God has always advanced at our inconvenience, never at our convenience.

God is looking for people with broken hearts who are willing to do whatever it takes to connect with a hurting world and to make a difference. Will you allow God to break your heart?

George Floyd drew his final breath on Monday, May 25, in the presence of concerned bystanders. The 46 year-old black man was arrested by Minneapolis police officers who responded to a call from a shopkeeper about someone trying to pass a potentially counterfeit bill.

Police arrived and pulled Floyd out of his vehicle and cuffed his hands behind his back. This is where bystanders enter the picture. The cell phone video of the moments leading to Floyd’s death is disturbing.

Four police officers used restraint on an unarmed and handcuffed man that was beyond anything reasonable. Floyd lay face down on the street, in obvious pain and distress, while police officers held him down. One officer in particular placed his knee and the weight of his body on Floyd’s neck.

The cell phone video recorded Floyd repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe.” Bystanders called out to the officers to show restraint. Their calls fell on deaf ears. The officer with his knee on Floyd’s neck never backed off. Seven minutes later, Floyd said, “I am about to die.”

And then, George Floyd drew his final breath and died. A person nearby remarked, “They just killed him.”

Floyd had moved to Minneapolis from Houston’s Third Ward in search of work and a better life. I have spent lots of time in that part of Houston over the past fifteen years. I have friends in the Third Ward who knew Floyd — and liked him.

Many who personally knew Floyd in Minneapolis also liked him and spoke kindly about this man they regarded as a gentle giant.

As for the phone call about a potentially counterfeit bill, the phone call that set things in motion, I know that I would never be able to distinguish a counterfeit bill from a real one. And if I unwittingly pulled a counterfeit bill from my wallet to pay for something, I would probably get the benefit of the doubt — but not so for Floyd.

What disturbs me most about the video is the unwillingness of the police officer to give Floyd the benefit of the doubt when he cried out repeatedly that he could not breathe. While Floyd’s protests moved bystanders to desperately plead on his behalf, the officer remained stoic and unresponsive, making it increasingly difficult for Floyd to breathe.

Floyd’s cry is a metaphor for what racism, violence, and an unwillingness to give a hurting human being the benefit of the doubt can do. These are things that suffocate people and make it difficult for them to breathe. And a foot or a knee on the neck of another is the ultimate expression of exercising power over those who can do little to help themselves.

What happened to Floyd should disturb us all in a profound way. When we allow racism, violence, and disregard for the sanctity of human life to have a place in our hearts, we become guilty of choking the life out of others — just like the officers responsible for Floyd’s death. And when we tolerate these things in our society, sooner or later it will become difficult for us to breathe.

God hates racism and violence and attitudes that disparage others. As a Christ-follower, I must not and will not tolerate what God hates. I want to see others as Christ sees them — as members of the same human race and those who are equally valuable in the eyes of God. I want for my actions to breathe life into others rather than make it difficult for them to breathe.

In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” May justice indeed be served in regard to the senseless death of George Floyd.

Ahmaud Arbery left his home for the last time on Sunday, February 23, never to return. Arbery, a 25 year-old black man was out for a jog just outside the port city of Brunswick when he was confronted by Gregory McMichael and his son Travis.

The father and son pursued Arbery because they suspected he was responsible for recent burglaries in the area, although police records indicate that only one burglary had taken place.

McMichael and his son followed Arbery in their pick-up truck in an attempt to make a citizen’s arrest. The 34 year-old Travis confronted Arbery, a scuffle broke out, followed by three shotgun blasts that ended Arbery’s life.

The case remained stagnant and did not get much attention outside of Brunswick for almost two months. McMichael and his son remained free throughout that period. Two district attorneys described the actions of the father and son as perfectly legal.

And then, a 36-second video emerged last week that thrust the case into the national spotlight, emboldened calls for justice, and resulted in the arrest of McMichael and his son on charges of aggravated assault and murder.

Tom Durden, the district attorney for the Atlantic Judicial Circuit, will present the case to a grand jury as soon as shelter-in-place restrictions are lifted and a grand jury can be empaneled. The grand jury will listen to the evidence and then decide whether charges against McMichael and his son are merited.

In the meantime, Arbery’s family grieves what many regard as a senseless death. The McMichael men have their own supporters who applaud them for protecting their neighborhood. And a young man will live on only in the memories of family, friends, and those outraged by the events that robbed him of his life. No winners!

Bad things happen when we fail to see others clearly.

The Gospel of Mark (8:22-26) records an occasion when Jesus healed a blind man. He laid hands on him and then asked the man if he could see anything. The man replied that he could see men, but they looked like trees walking about — an indication that his sight was blurry. Jesus laid His hands on the man’s eyes a second time and, as a result, the man could see everything clearly.

Jesus could have healed the blind man with one touch but instead chose to heal him in two stages — perhaps a reminder that insight often comes slowly.

McMichael and his son failed to see Arbery clearly and consequently, perhaps unwittingly, robbed him of his life. Arbery was unarmed and posed no threat. Had they waited on law enforcement officials the story likely would have had a different outcome.

As a former law enforcement officer, the elder McMichael should have known that in any confrontation there is always the potential for things to go wrong. In this case they did and a young man is dead and McMichael and his son are behind bars.

It is now up to a grand jury to decide where things go from here.

When we fail to see others clearly we are in danger of acting on assumptions that may be wrong and may result in harming others. The events surrounding Arbery’s death have reminded me that I need to ask the Lord daily to touch my eyes a second time lest I fail to see people clearly.

I hope you will join me in praying for the family of Ahmaud Arbery and the McMichael family as well. And let’s pray that the grand jury will see things clearly and that justice will do her work.