A couple of evenings ago, I decided to zip over to Sam’s club about a half-hour before it was scheduled to close to pick up a couple of things we needed. They were closed and the parking lot was abandoned. I wasn’t sure what had happened until a couple of hours later when my wife told me about a Facebook post from a lady in our church who had been there when they suddenly made an announcement asking people to clear the building quickly. Walmart, a block away, also closed up.
Evidently, there are busloads of folks going from town to town in the Heartland, stirring things up, and the rumor was that they were coming to Sioux City (they did). There have been demonstrations that got (mildly) out of hand in downtown Sioux City the last couple of nights. Policemen have been hit with rocks and there have been a number of arrests.
Frankly, I have no respect for the traveling riot show that is going around the Heartland. One of my wife’s good friends (a reliable sort) saw a Craigslist ad enlisting demonstrators and offering to pay them for coming actions in Omaha and Lincoln. (For the geographically challenged, Sioux City is halfway between Omaha and Sioux Falls, SD, about 90 miles from each.)
It appears to me that Antifa and other radical organizations are seizing the moment and seeking to turn angry, but mostly peaceful protests of the Arbery and Floyd murders into violent riots. They are succeeding. I am hearing the same story – it was a peaceful protest for a long time, then some Antifa-types showed up and trouble started. I loved the video that I saw in which a group of Black protesters grabbed an Antifa troublemaker and turned him over to the cops. These protests have gotten out of hand, no doubt about it.
…On the Other Hand
I am discouraged at what I am seeing among many Christians.
- A (former) Facebook friend of mine posted a statement threatening to unfollow anyone who had the nerve to post anything that insinuated that either the murder of Ahmaud Arbery or George Floyd were in any way racially motivated. He just couldn’t handle that! Can you imagine that? If you dared to imagine that three white Georgia guys chasing down a black jogger and shooting him was racially motivated, or that a white cop kneeling on the neck of a compliant (and handcuffed) black man long after he stopped breathing were possibly racially connected, he wanted nothing to do with you.
- Another pastor friend posted a series of rants about the evil of these terrible protesters. He stated that the protests were not genuine, they were just an excuse to destroy this nation. I did not see anything from him about the horrors of the Arbery or Floyd murders (admittedly, I haven’t read every post of his), but he definitely trained his guns on those rioters. A friend of his called them a “bunch of animals.” No one seemed to see the problem with calling minority protesters animals. He didn’t get called out, but the pastor posted an angry missive asking why anyone would “defend the rioters.” (No one was doing that.)
- I was shown a Facebook post by a man who formerly commented here often. “How do we know this was about race?” he asked. What would it take? Three white men chased and gunned down a black jogger, but how can we know that race was behind that? A white officer knelt on an unconscious black man long after he stopped breathing and didn’t even bother to check his vitals, but surely there was no racial history there.
- Various responses from Baptist networks and other self-styled “Conservatives” offered variations on “killing anyone is bad – whether Floyd or the riots” in a way that seemed to downplay racial murders and magnify the problems with rioting.
- The crown jewel of bad takes was by an AJW (anti-Justice Warrior) pastor, who wrote an article so stunningly awful it is hard to respond. He noted that we are “all one race” and by doing so, pretty much blamed all the trouble on anyone who took note of racial oppression in America or demanded justice. If we simply ignore injustice and say, “We are all one race” the 400 years of slavery, oppression, and dehumanization will magically disappear because, well…Gospel. I believe in the power of the Gospel to change lives, in fact, the power of Jesus is the ONLY solution. But the Gospel never calls us to deny the reality of human suffering or the effects of human sin. Over and over again, the Bible enjoins us to battle sin.
- I grew increasingly disturbed by Facebook friends who were silent when Arbery was murdered and silent when Floyd was murdered, but suddenly vocal when demonstrations took place and especially when radicals turned some of them into riots.
The response of many seems more intent on defending the status quo than on seeking the heart of God, on confronting protesters than on confronting racist murderers.
My Response
1. Yes, we must preach Jesus Christ, who is actively gathering ONE Worshiping People from every tribe and language on earth.
2. White Christians need to develop empathy instead of being so defensive. Our responses, too often, are about protecting our place, our culture. We have an experience in America, and it’s been a pretty good one, so it is hard to hear that minorities may not see the past with the same nostalgic eyes that we do. When we speak of “restoring America” they may hear something different. We need to listen to minorities and their suffering. My attitude on racial issues shifted when I talked at length to that Black deacon in my church – his stories moved me deeply. Dwight McKissic also opened my eyes to some facts. My theology hasn’t changed, but my outlook has.
3. We must realize that sin has consequences. “How often do we have to apologize for racism?” If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard that one, I’d have a LARGE jar of nickels. It isn’t about continuing to apologize for racism and that is a dodge. The fact is that 400 years of slavery, discrimination, segregation, and systemic oppression has had consequences. “You reap what you sow.” We have sown the wind and are reaping the whirlwind. Racism is a sin woven deeply into the fabric of this nation’s history and a few apologies are not going to free us.
- Pretending race isn’t real isn’t going to fix things.
- Acting as if the problem is “black anger” isn’t going to fix things.
- Claiming we’ve fixed things and “Black people need to get over it and move on” isn’t going to work.
4. Making everything political isn’t a solution. My suspicion is that the motive of much of what we post and say is more about winning in November than about following God’s word. Many of us (on both sides of the spectrum) are more concerned with our citizenship here than our citizenship in heaven.
5. Frankly, I don’t have a simple solution to this – you don’t either. It is going to take years, even decades of persistent effort ON OUR PART to convince our minority brethren that we truly love them and care for them – 400 years of abuse isn’t going to be fixed overnight. We have to be in it for the long haul. Listening, loving, commitment, restoration when we fail – this is all necessary.
I have much more angst than I have answers. I wish I had all the answers, but on this one, I think the solutions will take time and a lot of effort.
They are having a protest up and down the main street of Kirksville MO this afternoon. Peaceful as far as I can see. Mostly young people holding signs. No violence or looting of any kind. This kind of thing is fine by me. I was asked in a coffee shop this morning if I planned to go. My response was no. I have nothing to protest. I am very pleased with the police force, the sheriff deputies and the highway patrol in my town and region. I have not heard of any police misconduct. So no I won’t protest. I… Read more »
Can I respectfully push back? We DO have something to protest. Year after year of systemic racism, of the killing of black citizens by police officers – just because it hasn’t happened here in Sioux City doesn’t mean it isn’t an offense. I’m not really the protest type, but I think there’s a place for us to realize we are all in this together.
Dave, as the pastor of a church in an area very similar to the one where this all started, I’ll believe we’re all in this together when I see the church finally with self sacrifice and intent investing in these areas. When I see Christian’s leaving churches where they are comfortable and fit in to serve and plant themselves in areas like this. To be proactive in ministering to these people before something like this happens. Where these things tend to happen, the situation is almost always the same: poor, high percentage of minorities, a total breakdown of the family,… Read more »
I will give you that Dave. Yes, there has been systemic racism and some of my brothers have been mistreated. I’ll do my best to make it better in the future.
Just a quick note: if what I am hearing going around our area is true, Antifa are not the only ones jumping on busses and trying to raise havoc. Apparently the Hawaiian shirt wearing boys are out there also dancing the boogaloo, or trying. I would be happy to send both groups home for time out, and let peaceful citizens protest or not, their choice. Looting, rioting, no. Clearing peaceful protestors for a photo op, no. I am wondering what the response would be if our younger, less committed to social distancing church folks took the protesters bottled water, sandwiches,… Read more »
Well, I did not know that identity politics had moved in identity Christianity messaging. Is there a different preaching style for black Christians that do not apply to white Christians or vice versa. What strawman says that sin has no consequence, is that from the white Christians? What strawman is pretending race is not a problem with society. Christians go to places of worship to worship God. If a church wants to get involved with politics and support a candidate, a party, an issue that they feel is in alliance with their beliefs , let the leaders and members of… Read more »
Mr. Newhouse you can understand the world of others, because of the gospel and the through the Holy Spirit. I Corinthians 9:19-22 is clear. If the end result is worth, brings glory to God and even brings healing and reconciliation, you can do this Sir. Praying for your efforts.
I don’t know about Facebook but Twitter is certainly a source of ignorance and lies.
Bill, remember what Abraham Lincoln used to say, “Don’t trust everything you read on the internet.”
I was thinking of one specific Twitter account.
Several news articles from different sources today indicate that the FBI and local police are tracking down and arresting some of the instigators by following their posts on social media. I’ve seen a couple of articles here and there. One guy traveled from a small town in Illinois to both Minneapolis and Chicago to stir up trouble, carried some explosive devices with him and then bragged on social media. His brother got charged too. They appear to be white supremacists. That’s an extremist element that has openly been bent on starting a race war. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/criminal-justice/ct-protester-federal-arrest-20200601-fiu7q34q6fbrnehzdgjc3hu73q-story.html Then there’s this guy, who… Read more »
Jack,
You mention people being arrested. Everyone without exception who has thrown a rock, overturned a car, set a fire, looted so much as a stick of gum needs to be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Violence cannot be condoned nor justified.
What elected officials have allowed to take place is beyond words. Appeasement never works.
Woody
I don’t disagree with the need to arrest looters, arsonists and vandals. But it has nothing to do with what “elected officials have allowed.” No one has “allowed” anything, its a matter of not having enough police to handle it all. If the Minneapolis police chief (who is not elected, BTW) had decided defending the 3rd Precinct Headquarters was more important than the risk of life, he’d have lost several officers and several civilians, including non-violent protesters, in the process. And from what I’ve seen, most of the “elected officials” have acted swiftly and within the limits of their authority… Read more »
Jack, You make a good point it will ultimately be the electorate, the tax payers, those who put out the fires and clean up the destruction ( and that is in states across the nation) to decide if surrender to mob violence was in their best interests. As for the white guy you say got away, how do you know for certainty it would have been different? That is an assumption. It is my prayer that after the destruction has ended ( it is still happening) across the nation that law enforcement will reassess how to quell violence before life… Read more »
I saw no “surrender to mob violence.” I saw small groups of opportunists taking advantage of peaceful protests to wreak havoc associated with whatever agenda under which they operate, in most cases just a chance to steal stuff they’d normally have to buy. Are there organized vandals and looters? Some, though the connections of those arrested don’t support the conspiracy theories.
Jack M, this is very confusing. It seems unlikely that the white supremacists and local residents would agree about much, except for their mutual desire to destroy the black neighborhoods.
Well said, Dave.
Agreed. The way up is down. We are seeing that a posture of humility – physical and spiritual Christ-like humility – can bridge divides. In some cases, police simply knelt. Churches kneeling, do we see that? Our old knees notwithstanding, the body of Christ should explore a posture of humility.
Words have meaning….use of the word systemic suggests the entire system is corrupted…noted civil rights veteran Bob Woodsen rejects claims of systemic racism and does not understand what that means. The overwhelming majority of law enforcement always do the right thing in a tough environment. We all agree what was seen regarding George Floyd was heinous and should never happen. If not truly systemic…..an open dialogue about the problem is long overdue. Thank you Bob Woodsen for your insights and courage to bring into focus the issues.
I was a police officer back in the 1970s. On calm afternoons, when we were bored, several of us would gather in a predominately African American housing project, and inch nearer and nearer to any group of blacks who congregated. Often one of them would break and run, and we would chase. We chased because they were running and they ran because we were chasing–no warrant, no suspect, no crime, just FEAR and boredom. That is systemic racism, Rudd.
Well, I imagine you found those racist actions you did 40+ years ago abhorrent. But that was 40+ years ago, obviously Rudd was talking about our current age.
Yes that was 40+ years ago, closer to 45. But just as I am still around, so are many others from then. They (we) learned from seniors who were around in the ’50s and ’60s, many on the front lines of the Civil Rights demonstrations–in Birmingham, in Selma, and in Montgomery. And certainly we were taught better in Rookie School, but the day-to-day interactions with fellow officers had as great or a greater influence. Guess who we taught? THOSE AROUND TODAY! And yes, I had an awakening or an Epiphany, but unless you are going to suggest that every officer… Read more »
The story falls apart when you discover police chief in Minneapolis (and many areas experiencing riots) are African American and many police shot and stabbed where also African American. Problem is much bigger.
By “the story,” do you mean systemic racism? If so, African American police chiefs or African American officer assaulted/murdered hardly makes it “fall apart.” African American friends who are currently police officers tell me that when they put on the uniform, the cease being black (in the eyes of most/many in the African American community) and become blue. But you are right: the problem is much bigger. That is why it is called systemic racism.
If your belief is correct then the problem is a police systemic problem and not race based. Most businesses destroyed in MN were minority owned……. under reported tragedy.
Dave, I was wondering if you think that there is a place for data in the conversation regarding the extent of systemic racism, police brutality and police killings? Clearly Floyd’s death was a crime and a tragedy. It was perpetrated by the very ones who were charged to protect him and, accordingly, his killing has been universally condemned. But the response by many is that his death is concrete proof of systemic racism and rampant racism amongst police. The idea is that black people have to live in fear because they are in grave danger from being either brutalized or… Read more »
Some ugly data from Minneapolis. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/06/03/us/minneapolis-police-use-of-force.html
Thanks for sharing the article. It’s clear that there is a disparity in use of force but a disparity does not actually prove anything other than there is a disparity. If someone is going to attempt to prove rampant racism by pointing to the disparity between “use of force” then you still have to account for why “use of force” was used against white people. If “use of force” against blacks is the result of racism, even though the number is smaller, what is the cause of “use of force” against white people? Are we to assume that “use of… Read more »
Will, I am assuming that Dave is referring to a post you made that contained links to articles/studies regarding police bias, brutality, etc. If that was the case then I am disappointed that you were not able to share them. I would enjoy looking at the information that you have come across. My point is that our conversations about policing issues need to be based more on data than feeling, perception and anecdotal evidence.
All for data. Of course, statistics can be manipulated. However, you posted a comment with something on the order of 10 links. We generally do not post such. Better just to summarize. A link now and again can be helpful. A comment with a dozen links – not so much.
The fact that Mark has to say “do you believe that there’s a place for data in the conversation in regards to the extent of systemic racism, police brutality and police killings.” is very discouraging. I agree that a person can be correct but do it in a off-putting way that makes them a jerk. During this awful time in our country where many black people feel aggrieved, it is not good or helpful to say “but the statistics say your wrong.” But that changes when the narrative has gone to far out of the reality on the ground. I… Read more »
Ethan, I agree with you that there is a way in which we discuss these issues. Simply pointing to data is not a sufficient response to the hurt that many are feeling. Having said that, I think that many of the people “feel aggrieved” because they are victims of bad information. Yes, we should feel grief over the death of Floyd but this has turned into something more. It is not enough to simply grieve over his death. We are supposed to grieve over the way that black men are being hunted down by police. In other words, we are… Read more »
Thank you, Pastor Dave for this post. I have loved ones who are ongoing victims of racially based abuse. My brother in law was arrested literally for being black and falling asleep in a hotel lobby. A hotel in which he had registered for a room. He was given no opportunity to explain, prove his innocence before being dragged to jail. I have loved ones battling the mobile outrage fraudsters who are exploiting genuine grief from city to city. They have been punched, kicked, spit on, had bricks and various projectiles – even fire bombs hurled at them. One of… Read more »
I’m with Jonathan Merritt in that I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I agree with Pat Robertson. https://twitter.com/JonathanMerritt/status/1267986064293138432
The way I see it no one should die in police custody, the police are not the judge and jury no matter what someone has done. There are some wonderful police men and women out there. There are some bad police out there too. I feel the court system has become too political and justice is wavering. Let’s face it the same laws do not apply to everyone and this needs to change.
I don’t know how to say this, other than to just say it. There are only two men who keep me from leaving the SBC: Russell Moore and Dave Miller. They seem to be the only public men who are willing to speak love. What is happening now is because of the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Armaud Arbery. These deaths, coming in such a short time, caused a certain critical mass that gave rise to what is happening in our streets and cities. However, instead of looking at why there are protests, and why it has affected… Read more »
Thank you Jim Lockhart. Yes it goes beyond humility; yes it touches the very essence of love; yes we keep arguing about things that don’t matter; to all of what you said, yes! The struggle of my lifetime is to remain focused on spiritual things, and to push through to love that never fails. It’s hard to find a church to help lead/push us that direction, in a truthful, obedient, authentic, dependent-on-God way.
The situation is complicated. The right to peacefully protest is a Constitutionally protected freedom; there is no right to riot, destroy, or loot. But the line between a peaceful protest and a protest that becomes violent is sometimes blurred. At a more extreme point, it becomes obvious, but not so much when some protesters are peaceful and some are less so, especially if both are in the same larger group. And Martin Luther King said something to the effect that a non-violent protest is a dangerous thing–from one side of it or the other, as happened in the South in… Read more »
John Fariss,
I think now that all branches of US military law enforcement train at the same place, they are far better equipped to deal with becoming good LEOs when they leave military service. Of course, that is just my opinion and I admit I am biased. One of my sons was with Marine One during President Obama’s active presidency. He made the transition well.
I hope you are right.
Well, I hope I am too, Brother. Because we both know, having started our careers on different sides of the game in the same state, something has to change. I am just thankful God’s grace was sufficient for the both of us to get new hearts and freedom from the darkness that kept us in captivity as long as it did.
Sadly, in my experience in speaking with non-minority Christians, even if they don’t support what happened to the victim, they will be far more focused on the riots than on the murder. I hope my experience is atypical.