Check Your Perspective

I haven’t written in over a month, because I haven’t felt the need to say much. Well, today, I have felt that need.

I normally try to fly under the radar. I post zero political posts on social media. I try to stay out of pointless debates. I try to live my life and mind my own business. In light of the events in Minneapolis, I can no longer do that.

The Bible teaches us to esteem others as better than ourselves. It teaches us to forgive. It teaches us to turn the other cheek. It teaches us that God is our Defender and we need no other. I agree one hundred percent. The Bible also teaches there is a payment day coming when we will pay and pay dearly for our sins. We don’t like to talk about that much…we’d rather focus on grace and mercy. But, one of the Ten Commandments is THOU SHALT NOT KILL, one that should be relatively easy to follow, but apparently it’s getting trampled more and more every day.

Let’s stop beating around the bush, shall we? George Floyd was murdered. It doesn’t matter if he was resisting arrest. It doesn’t matter if he was guilty of a criminal act. He was literally smothered to death without any sort of due process. He was murdered as he was begging for mercy. A heartless act of violence perpetrated by the police.

My grandchildren have been raised to respect law and order, to respect authority and respect police officers. I agree with this. But yet, on the other hand, they will never feel the terror of walking home and being stopped by the police because they have their hands in their pockets. They will never know the feeling of disrespect as they have their car searched while they are patted down for a random traffic stop. They will never feel less than because of the color of their skin. One some level, I’m glad they may never have to feel the sting of discrimination, but on the other hand it makes me furious for all the other innocents who DO have to feel it. It makes me righteously indignant that someone’s grandson be made to feel less than just because their skin is dark. It makes me angry that someone’s granddaughter may not get that promotion because she is viewed as not deserving because she is black. A mother will cry tonight somewhere because their child was bullied because of their skin color. Why is this still happening in this world? And more importantly, what can we do to fix it?

The words “white privilege” make me cringe just a little. I am white, but my life has been far from privileged. My family wasn’t rich, and my parents struggled to make ends meet, as many did during the 60’s and 70’s. I feel the term “white privilege” can be misleading and implies something I simply do not feel—privileged. I have led a difficult life and there has been nary a shred of “privilege” anywhere. I do, however, totally feel the words “white perspective.” Because I am white, I have a perspective on the world that is a product of my environment, my culture and my religion. I can’t view the world through anyone else’s perspective other than my own. I can, however, know my perspective is skewed and I can take whatever steps are necessary to change it.. A view from the ground and a view from a rooftop are two entirely different views. Changing perspective means something has to change. And that change has to be me. I can’t change the world, but I can change my perspective. I can change the way in which I interact with others. I can change the way I view life. I can change my thinking, and who knows what might happen if we all did that? The world is larger than just myself and if I bury my head in the sand because this situation doesn’t impact me personally, then I am no better than the policemen who perpetrated this atrocity.

I know this blog is hard. It’s not going to be universally loved. And that’s perfectly fine. I have to sleep in peace at night with my actions and my reactions to wrongs. I am good with that because I am taking a stand for what is right. Murder is WRONG. There IS only one side of this story…it’s the side that is right. Call it what it is. I don’t pretend to know the stress that police officers face every day. I’m sure it’s tremendous. But if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen! There is zero excuse. None. Nada. It’s one thing to restrain a prisoner. It’s quite another to press your knee on their neck until you kill them. It appears to me to be a clear case of abuse of power. And there’s no excuse for that. Perhaps, you might say, the officer didn’t mean to actually kill the man. Tell that to the victims family. Try to make that excuse stand up before God. It won’t. Ever.

I am truly not a pot stirrer. I like peace and quiet . I deplore conflict and drama. But the only thing necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. What are we gonna do? What changes are we willing to make in our lives in order to STOP THE MADNESS! I suggest the following: Stand for justice. Stand for equality. Stand for righteousness. Refuse to be silent when we see wrongdoing. And most of all, Pray. Pray for right to prevail. Pray for justice to be served. Pray for God to intervene on behalf this sick country of ours. But pray. Pray loud. Speak loud. Follow God’s leading and let Him heal this rift between our brothers and sisters. Be strong and be courageous, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).

“If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourSelf and make a change.” Michael jackson “man in the mirror”