A pastoral reflection on Ferguson & Michael Brown
By Rev. Dr. William B. G. K. Harris - Senior Pastor 
Lessons: Luke 4:18; Proverbs 14:34; Ezekiel 22:30
Text: 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,….Luke 4:18…… 34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people …Proverbs 14:34. ….. “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none… Ezekiel 22:30. THEME:” A FEW WHAT IFS OF THE FERGUSON SAGA TO PONDER ”
SUBTHEME: “Where Do We Go From Here To Reconcile & Heal?”
Date: November 26, 2014
I. INTRODUCTION:
A. My attention was arrested on the late afternoon of November 24, 2014 by the CNN breaking news that the “decision of the jury was to be given soon” in the death case of Michael Brown. I became very interested to know what the outcome would be as I waited like many others as the time was being pushed back. Then the news finally broke that Darren Wilson was not indicted by the Grand Jury based on the information that they were given. My heart sunk deep and many things started going through my mind about the whole matter that the entire nation was confronted with. Even though it would sound as a “Monday Morning Quarter Back,” many questions ran across my mind as the “what if questions” that will be presented late in this reflection. Certainly, mood in Ferguson, Missouri and around the nation and the world was very tense after a grand jury decided against indicting the police officer for the killing of unarmed African-American teenager Michael Brown.
B. In my view as a pastor and considering the passage of Scripture as recorded in Luke 4:18 based on Isaiah 61, the matter at hand and the tension that we see ought to raise a serious question about the role of the Church in the midst of the situation and beyond. What role should the Church play with respect to social justice, the poor, healing broken hearts and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in season and out of season. Certainly, despite the progress of civil rights and the election of President Obama as the first modern African-American president of the United States, we are living in a time in which racial division is not yet behind us. That reality ought to motivate us as citizens (and specifically as Christians…the followers and disciples of Jesus Christ to work for justice, peace and love) as we strive to be about reconciliation and healing amongst all people regardless of color, race, creed or physical limitations.
C. No doubt, as the weeks go by, the legal professionals and others will sort through all the evidence that the grand jury saw to help us make sense of how the decision was made. However, what we do know is that the Ferguson situation is one of several in just the past couple of years where white and black Americans have viewed a situation in starkly different terms. In most cases, White Americans, in public polling view the presenting situations as though they exist in isolation, dealing only with the known facts of the case at hand whether there is evidence of murder. On the other hand, most African-American and other ethnic groups polled show they tend to view such crises through a wider lens of personal and collective experiences. For most African-Americans in such shootings, the question that is pondered upon is whether African-American, particularly the youths are too often profiled and killed in America. The growing stat shows such a trend and there are other conditions and situations that greatly impact African-Americans and other ethnic groups in many ways, including the large percentage that are in jail (and fewer male on college campuses); couple with vast poverty, crime and poor educational systems in their neighborhoods, to mention only a few.
Notwithstanding, Mike Brown, the unarmed 18 year-old, black teenager was shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, (a suburb of St. Louis), has taken the bandage of the fresh wounds from the shooting of Trayvon Martin in Florida few years ago. This and countless other shootings around the nation are troubling, very sad, horrific, and an all too familiar ugly story. So the question must be raised about how the Christians view such shootings! Think about this! Would the views be from a different lens of White Christians and African-American Christians or should they all have the same view based on the Scriptures that they Christians have in common? Sad as it may seem, Sunday morning in America is “the most segregated hour” as Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. said many years ago. In many instances, the brutal act and impact of slavery still lingers and the drum of segregation still beats in many cities and states across the land in different forms and shapes. All of these and other issues not mentioned are contributing factors and personal experiences that serve as input to the view points of people. Nevertheless, the question is this as asked in Ezekiel 22:30…”who will stand in the gap for Me?” Will and can the “Church” stand in the gap at such a time as this or will the Church continue with business as usual and wait for the next “shooting shoe” to drop?
II. A FEW WHAT IF TO PONDER UPON FOR YOUR REFLECTION :
A.What if Michael Brown had not forcibly taken the cigars and shoved the store owner?
B.What if Michael Brown had not been walking in the middle of the road?
C. What if Michael Brown had not interacted with Darren Wilson at the off-set?
D.What if Darren Wilson would have not ran after Brown as he was running away?
E.What if Darren Wilson had instead called and waited for backup or drove away or not even shoot when Michael turned around?
F.What if Darren had a body camera and his on-board camera was functional?
G.What if the prosecutor had opted to take the case to trial instead of the Grand Jury?
H.What if the evidences/data were mis-handled and/or improperly processed?
I.What if the protesters only had a peaceful demonstration and no property destroyed?
J.What if majority of the same protesters were registered to vote and voted in the last election?
K.What if more emphasis was placed on personal responsibility, educational equality, family values, respect for the rule of law, good citizenship and universal moral values in the land?
L.What if there were more multi-ethnic culture mega churches in our communities across the land instead of the now Sunday morning segregated services?
M.What if Michael Brown was known or not known to be active in a church?
N.What if police trainings were uniform and/or different than what it current is?
IV. WHERE DO WE GO FROM HEAR TO RECONCILE AND HEAL?:
A.To stand in the gap and bring about reconciliation and healing, the “Church” must take the lead in promoting and continuing the conversation of shooting and guns at the community level, city, national and international levels.
B. To stand in the gap and bring about reconciliation and healing, the “Church” must take the lead in educating the youths about social responsibility, respect for the law and self, as well as promoting family unity and togetherness through its biblical and intentional teachings, programs and services. The teaching of non-violent principles which are consistent with the love of Jesus Christ must be taught as a way of resolving conflicts and that violence is never the answer to any injustice. The purchasing of “warfare and gun toys” /”violent video games” must be highlighted as dangers to the wellbeing of the child and community.
C. To bring about reconciliation and healing, the “United States Government/State/Local and Courts” must take the lead in promoting justice and peace as well as establish rules and policies relating to such shootings and other related matters, fund programs, training, and services that are pro-active and educationally driven, also provide police with body cameras and related technologies to prevent or minimize such situations.
D.To bring about reconciliation and healing, the “Civil Rights Organization and Community Groups/Leaders” must take the lead in organizing local communities to be pro-active instead of being reactive to situations. The effort to register and ensure high voters turn-out must be addressed and planned for. Discussions with local/state and federal leaders must be held to identify strategies, programs, training and service that can become solutions to our national plight.
E.Let me plug this in as I close on this reflection. It is very important and necessary that the “Church” which is the Body of Christ be “one” and demonstrates our oneness by words and deeds. If this Christ-exalting life were to become our reality, we could address racism, oppression, and injustice together. Consider what will happen if African-American and white Christians and other Christian ethnicities shared life with each other in a local church community and heard each other’s stories and walked in each other’s shoes what a force we would become for Jesus Christ? If such Christ-exalting life were to become our reality, I believe our suspicions and mistrust of one another would be abandoned and replaced with love for one another. Nevertheless, as we press forward beyond Ferguson and what have occurred in other cities; and the known “black on black” shootings, let us become resolved to keep hope alive that it is possible that we can live in peace and harmony, respecting one another, respecting the law, and striving to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. Let us therefore turn to God and be God’s people who will be known by the way we love one another. AMEN.
Rev. Dr. William B. G. K. Harris is Senior Pastor, International Christian Fellowship Ministries (ICF) in Atlanta, Georgia.
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