Since last night and in the days leading up to the announcement that the grand jury did not indict Darren Wilson for fatally shooting young Michael Brown, I have seen numerous people encouraging peace in Ferguson. A number of my friends responded to last night with simple calls on social media to "pray for peace." I think we need to be careful about that because it too easily sounds like "get back to normal."
Trust me, I don't want there to be violence and looting. I don't want there to be destruction and arson. I want peace. And I will pray for it, but I am also praying that there is no peace. I pray that people who enjoy privilege everyday without realizing it will have no peace until significant progress is made to change unjust systemic racism. I pray that people of privilege will see the brokeness of riots and looting and have their hearts broken and filled with compassion and an unrelenting sense that we as a society must change. I pray there will be no peace in our hearts until our minds are opened to the fact that "the greatest country in the world" is not perfect. We need things to change. This should be clear. (For example, look at some statistics for Missouri's vehicle stops: http://ago.mo.gov/VehicleStops/2013/. Notice blacks and hispanics are stopped twice as often as whites, yet whites are more likely to have contraband. Also, look at incarceration rates by race, http://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/rates.html. Or, if you prefer humor to make a point: http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6987157/kinda-racist-try-diet-racism and http://www.collegehumor.com/post/6998233/racism-insurance.)
Most people of privilege that I've heard respond to violence in Ferguson say something like, "I don't understand why they need to destroy stuff and act like that." The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "A riot is the language of the unheard." My question is, do you hear? Are you listening? Do you get it? Will you try to get it, to understand?
When you see fires in Ferguson, may a fire burn in your heart to bring about systems that more closely resemble the "liberty and justice for all" we desire. May we not give up that struggle.
Let's not let our prayers for peace be prayers for continuing the status quo.
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Rebecca
11/25/2014 10:35:23 am
amen. Question. What can people of privledge (including you and me) physically, spiritually, emotionally do to help? Is there ever the possibility to spread "privledgedness" ?
Ben Mulford
11/26/2014 04:27:38 am
I think Affirmative Action programs were attempts to do that. But my opinion is, as Christians, we are to spread The Gospel of Jesus Christ, which should help us see and create a new reality (if we do it right). That's a more important task than spreading "privilege". What we can do about privilege is, recognize that yes, it is real. How do you do that? By listening to others tell their stories of all the stuff they deal with and have had to deal with that those of privilege just don't even realize or notice. Relationships are the key. This is not us vs. them, but it is only Us. Ignoring clear issues of racial inequality will not help. Listening, and giving up the power of privilege (laying it down), will go a long way. Unfortunately, most people of privilege won't acknowledge the issue and don't think it's worth talking about, and things like this they think make it a bigger deal than it is. The Atlantic has a recent post explaining this: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/08/self-segregation-why-its-hard-for-whites-to-understand-ferguson/378928/ Comments are closed.
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About MeI am a United Methodist Pastor, but I'm trying to re-define that as a Missionary sent to my corner of the USA. What would it look like for you to envision your life as a Christian more like a Missionary than a Church-goer? Archives
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