Concerning The Death Of George Floyd,

I’m certain that by now everyone has either seen the video or had a conversation about the senseless killing of George Floyd. If you watch the news at all, you can’t have missed the public outcry that has resulted. 

If there’s one thing I’ve realized in all the conversations I’ve had in the last week, it’s that my world has been very small. I’ve not experienced so much of what many others have. I’ve taken time to talk to a lot of people and have gotten a lot of differing views and opinions, but all have expressed the same thing; no human being deserves what George Floyd went through, regardless of what they’ve done.

In talking with my son in law, who is a fire fighter and has had to restrain many people, he expressed that it is much more difficult to restrain someone without hurting them than it is to just overpower them. In talking with more than one black person, they wanted me to know that the violence that is happening as a result of the killing of George Floyd, is not representative of them. They don’t want to be known by what they’re watching, and they don’t want to pit people of different races against each other. What they desire is unity.

While thinking this through, I am reminded of the ultimate value of all human life. Born and unborn, black or white, and all other colors and races that live around and among us. I am reminded of the redemptive act of Jesus that was paid for me. 

I am reminded that God has called me to love Him and to love others, and that’s what He has called you to do also. When we don’t love others well, we see what we see all too often; we see people try to dominate and control each other. History has proven that this is a very destructive way to live.

If we would choose, however, to see the differences in each of us (whether they are skin color, abilities, looks, intelligence, or any number of other differences) as DIFFERENCES not WRONGS, we would be able to embrace each other in a way that would make our lives richer and make other people’s lives more fulfilling. We would also make God look a whole lot better than He often does because of our all-too-often selfish ways.

Let’s choose to take this situation and do what we can to BE THE CHANGE. Let’s pray for God to soften hearts, reveal what His love looks like, and to help us see how He might be able to use this horrible and egregious act to help us learn from it. We are willing to be changed because we want to look more like Him, rather than pick up attitude and actions that we really need to lay down.

Don’t let this opportunity be wasted. God is still good, and He is still working to change us all from the inside out. 

We love you Church. If you want to talk, reach out to us. Sometimes processing with someone else is necessary!

Praying for you all,

Pastor Doug