I was deeply moved when I saw the horrific video showing a 46year old black man, face down on the ground detained by four white police officers with one kneeling on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds. George Floyd died – he was murdered – and only after protests by thousands of hurting people were the police officers fired and Derek Chauvin arrested on manslaughter charges. No charges have been made against the other three officers yet. (update 4th June – Derek Chauvin’s charge has been elevated to second-degree murder and the other 3 officers have now been charged with aiding and abetting murder)

A few years ago, I was deeply moved by the book ‘Just Mercy’ by Bryan Stevenson: a lawyer who has uncovered many miscarriages of justice of black men on death row. It is evident that racism was significantly involved in many of these unjust verdicts and the lawyer had to fight not just for truth but also fight a system that found it all too easy to protect those who had been racially motivated to convict them in the first place. Those who had been entrusted to be guardians of justice were its abusers. Many such fights continue today.

Racism is a widespread problem and it seems many have either not seen it or chosen not to see it. This most recent murder has not only been felt by his family and neighbourhood but by black people around the world, many of whom are feeling a deep sense of pain and anguish at this latest vile racist manifestation. It has acted like a tipping point for years of supressed pain, victimisation and injustice which are surfacing in communities across the world. Racism and inequality is real, it is evil, it is unjust and it must stop. Even the current pandemic has highlighted gross racial inequalities here in the UK – it is not fully understood why yet but evidence has emerged that Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Groups (BAME) are dying disproportionally from covid 19. 

There is much that needs to change and I pray this will be a moment that it does. I have much to learn and don’t have many answers to these complex needs, but I do believe our posture in the days ahead will be critical. I pray politicians and institutions will make appropriate legislative changes but the root of this problem is in hearts. The bible says ‘what is in our heart comes out of our lives’ and racism first exists in hearts before it manifests in any perceivable way around us. If we are going to see the heart of society change then our posture will be critical. If we can posture our hearts in the following ways then I believe we can see hope, healing and justice flow.

HUMILITY

Humility creates space for healing. One of the most powerful images I’ve seen this week was of a group of white on duty police officers who were all kneeling before black protestors and saying sorry. It doesn’t matter if you or I have never used racist language or enacted an injustice on someone with a different skin colour. We have lived in the same world and allowed racism to exist – for that we all need to take a low place and apologise. I’m so sorry for the pain that my brothers and sisters have been carrying. I’m so sorry for the overt and covert racism that some have experienced in all sorts of places including churches. I’m sorry for the defensiveness we’ve often shown with responses such as ‘I’m not racist’ and ‘I didn’t say it’ rather than ‘I’m so sorry… please would you help me understand?’. 

COMPASSION

I’ve seen some comments in response to the #blacklivesmatter campaign saying ‘all lives matter’ and point out there are justice issues in white communities as well as black. 

Of course all lives matter and injustice exists in so many places but to articulate this in response to ‘this’ injustice is like visiting someone seriously ill in hospital, holding their hand, looking them in the eyes and saying ‘don’t you know there are lots of sick people in the world?’. Our black brothers and sisters needs all of us to hold their hands, look them in the eyes with compassion and help. 

UNITY

The bible says that in heaven every nation, tribe and tongue will be present and united around the throne of grace. Unless we are longing for this level of unity on earth then maybe we should stop praying ‘let your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven’. Whatever the colour of our skin or our nationality, let’s stretch our hands out and stand together to shine the light of Christ in the face of the darkness of racism and let’s make the injustices of the black community a cause that we will all fight together. It’s not their cause – it’s our cause together.

As each of us are image bearers of God, let us posture our hearts humbly, with compassion and unity.

Let’s defeat this evil and see Gods kingdom come and His will be done in all lives and communities here on earth.