“Weep with those who weep” – Romans 12:15
We evangelicals love social media and we loves causes. We use social media to raise awareness, stand in solidarity, comfort the grieving, and call others to prayer. In recent days, the evangelical blogosphere has taken up the cause of Iraqi children on the other side of the globe, the plight of refugees at the Mexican border, and the victims of mental illness who have taken their own lives. When it comes to another equally significant tragedy, however, we hear nothing. A deafening silence. A national news story, an unarmed young black man has been gunned down by police, a community is in mourning, and the evangelical world doesn’t seem to notice. My African-American friends are posting, blogging, tweeting, and calling for prayer for the community. Not one of my white friends has even mentioned the incident. No articles being forwarded. It’s all over the news, but nowhere on the evangelical blogosphere. Where are the calls to stand with our African-American brothers? To pray for Ferguson? For peace in our inner cities? For justice? This post will probably sound like a rant, but these are honest questions that trouble my heart.
This situation is not new. We white evangelicals largely ignore such tragedies in the black community. To the extent that we do pay attention, our reaction is usually predictable along color lines. White people approach such a story analytically. African American people empathize with the victim and their shared experience. White people read the news and our immediate reaction is, what part of the story are we missing? There MUST have been a reason. What did he (the victim) do to provoke the police? Why is this being made into a race issue? African Americans read the story and sit their children down to have “the talk” about the realities of what it means to be black in America. We experience such tragedies differently.
But set that aside for a moment. Even if we do see things differently, even if our assessment of such situations is clouded by our white worldview, even if we are largely clueless about the black experience, even if we do not understand the real effects of institutional racism, even if we don’t understand the racial component of such a tragedy, even if you disagree with every implication I just made, ask yourself this question: Why don’t we care about this tragedy in the same way we care about everything else? When it comes to Iraqi children we weep with those who weep. When it comes to this tragedy, we remain largely unmoved. Ask yourself why we are we not standing with the the people of Ferguson? Why are we not calling for prayer? Why are we are not using social media and our blogs to support a grieving community? Why do we weep for Iraqi Christians, weep for immigrant children, weep for NASCAR drivers, weep for Robin Williams, while our African-American brothers weep alone?
Great article. Can’t wait to see tomorrow’s edition.
Very interesting insight how you use other world events and questions why the events in your own back yard don’t solicit a similar response. I believe you have captured a portion of it in the article relative to what did the person do to deserve his or her fate and let’s allow the facts to come out. But sadly, even after the facts come out, there may still be no hue or cry!!! Families and communities will remain weeping alone.
Todd, Good question and I’m sure there is some truth to the implication that some white evangelicals have a clouded white worldview. But if I may…I live in St. Louis county, about 1/2 hour from Ferguson. I live in West STL county. Ferguson is in North STL county. We speak here of North, West and South county to locate where in the area we live. I’ve said to my young adult children that I suggest they resist the temptation to say anything at all about the shooting on social media. I’ve also said the same thing about Robin Williams and… Read more »
I’m not addressing silence per se or advocating for any particular expression of concern. What I’m addressing is the fact that we treat one set of issues one way and another set of issues in a different way. Why do we, collectively, speak to and show concern for nearly every other major news story, but are silent on this one?
Todd,
“I’m not addressing silence per se…” And I do realize that. I do agree that responses to issues like this one in MO can tend along racial lines. I suppose my larger point is to say that maybe many of us would do well to just remain silent on social media in a lot more situations than we do, especially as we all await more hard information.
I agree that much of what we pass along on social media is premature, But Why do we have to wait for information in order to express concern? or call for prayer? or to stand with others and grieve with them? When news broke, my Facebook stream lit up calling for prayer for Robin Williams’ family, and for prayer for the NASCAR driver, and prayer for the IRAQI refugees … why no calls for prayer for Fergeson?
Todd, I’m probably not being clear enough. I do get what you’re saying. Maybe it depends on who our FB friends are and where we live. I’ve seen plenty from my white evangelical friends on FB calling for prayer for the family and Ferguson in general. Could be because I have so many connections in this STL area I suppose. Maybe also many tend to see the ISIS issue for instance in a more global way with broader implications. Robin Williams type news will always provoke responses because it’s some sort of emotional release about someone we all feel connected… Read more »
Thanks, Les. I appreciate the interaction and pushback.
Todd, I mulled over in my head what I might post about this on FB last night, and it was also the first thought that came to my mind this morning. I, like (I imagine) many others, do not want to say something stupid I may wish later on I could take back. But I think you have done a good job here of saying what I was trying to figure out how best to say. May we all keep listening carefully with a Christ-like and empathetic heart as this story continues to unfold.
Good article, Todd. Events like what is happening in Ferguson tend to unfold until we know more about it and it sinks in a bit – especially when we do not live in the area. We need someone local to shine a light on what is going on. I only heard about/started following the story about 3 days ago and have been trying to figure out exactly what happened. Just as in the Eric Garner murder in New York, I am really upset about the actions of police in using excessive force. The police state that we are entering is… Read more »
Alan, yes it stinks that we don’t know more. But that is one reason, a good one, to not prejudge. We just don’t know he facts. Whatever happened I told my grown sons who tend to weigh in on so many things to just stand down. Wait. I also urged them to pray for the family of the young man. They are surely in a lot of pain. These things are so racially charged. Many associated with the young man’s “side” are upset that the officer’s name hasn’t been released. But it’s wise that it hasn’t been yet. Death threats… Read more »
Or as some famous politician once said, “I think its too early to take a wait and see attitude.” Oftentimes what seems like a horrendous story of this nature will turn out to have some important clarifying details added later, that mitigate the original scandalous accusations. However, sometimes people just do horrendous things, even police, or firemen or doctors, or pastors or others who we expect to help and not to hurt.
So I take a precautionary wait and see attitude.
Right, and another factor is that even when and if those ‘clarifying’ details come out later they do not matter because the narrative has been set and fire has been lit. The only thing that matters then is the various agendas,,,and the benjamins.
Whether you post on social media about the situation or not, please pray for the whole situation. Another shooting last night (actually two) involving an officer. It happened near the church where Al Sharpton spoke yesterday.
http://www.ksdk.com/story/news/crime/2014/08/13/north-county-police-shooting-chambers/13989885/
Todd, I liked where your first line “weep with those weep” came out of…. Ferguson and many of the locals around St. Louis best answer to murder, ethnic bias, and lawlessness is the rest of the wisdom of that portion of Paul’s letter. 9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the… Read more »
Interesting thoughts indeed. I agree we should pray for that community and the family of the dead young man. Once accusations of hot topic of racism and police brutality are brought into the picture of any matter – calm, objectivity, and reason on all “sides” seem to go out he proverbial window. May I suggest we also pray and express concern for the police, and specifically the one in question (his story is not out yet, and regardless doesn’t he deserve prayer too whatever way this pans out?) and his family (I’m sure they are in danger) . How about… Read more »
If we wept over every tragedy in the news or on Social media would we not be perpetually weeping?
I’m not denying that we pick and choose tragedies with which to empathize, But is not Romans 12 primarily referring to our lives and the smaller world we live in?
Just asking…….
Good article brother, as usual your view sparks great and needed discussion. I will offer four possibilities for why white evangelicals of refrain from engaging in these events. First, you speak of the analytical viewing of such events. I think this is accurate and not necessarily a bad thing (you did not say it was) but it is a necessary thing. The emotive reaction that many of us as blacks display in these tragedies is our natural reaction even if not our best reaction. The death of Trayvon Martin illustrates that life experience real or inherited teach blacks an inbred… Read more »
Good words brother. And lost in all this is the fact that many good things are happening in Ferguson with black/white relations. A local brother posted the following link. Hope the link works from here. “This is My Ferguson.”
http://youtu.be/ue9nDQEGmsc
Thoughts about the Ferguson, MO incident: 1. We don’t yet know all the facts. Lets wait and find out. 2. An unarmed man can still seriously threaten police. An unarmed man can wrestle the gun away from the police. Get in a fight with the police and you will suffer the consequences. Is this what the young man did? We don’t yet know. 3. Many assume the police are right, unless proved otherwise; others assume the police are wrong, unless proved otherwise. 4. It’s wrong to riot, steal, loot, period. 5. Unjustified white police shootings of blacks are few. 6.… Read more »
Some thoughts about your thoughts… 1. We can certainly formulate a Christian response without knowing all the facts – we can also express concern, compassion and call for prayer. We do this with other issues without having the full story, why not with stories in the black community? 2. This just proves my point that our default position as whites is to wonder what we don’t know 3. African-American’s past experience with law enforcement informs their assumptions 4. It’s also wrong to withhold our care and concern for others because of how a few have responded 5. Not few enough… Read more »
I think as followers of the One who “became flesh and made his dwelling among us” we should take an incarnational approach, asking ourselves how we (as white people, in this case) would tend to perceive this differently if we were black. Yes, it is true many of the facts remain to be proven. And in the long run, the rule of law and system of justice we have is the best means for resolving questions like this. But in the meantime, there is something godly and Christ-like about listening carefully and trying as much as we can to see… Read more »
Amen, David!
I guess you have to be into social media to notice the difference between the way various tragedies are reported and discussed. I don’t have any Facebook, Twitter, etc. accounts so to me the extent to which various current tragedies are reported is the “same”. I’d say media such as CNN, PBS, NBC, Fox, etc. is reporting all the various tragic situations — maybe with a somewhat different slant based upon their own view. I don’t see how anyone could conclude that the Sanford FL and St. Louis events are being “under-reported”. Even I know about them and I’m not… Read more »
I agree with you Roger…. Social media is simply another mechanism to perpetuate what is already existing in the heart. SM brings dynamics and volume to the hearts voice, and many take advantage of that for political reasons, no matter the color. My cousin, white, was gunned down by a police officer (white/woman) in Corpus Christi TX many years ago. He was unarmed, and sleeping off a hangover on the side of the road. She found him early in the morning. Much the same type of incident as in St. Louis it appears, except that the men were walking in… Read more »
Roger, While I certainly respect your choice not to follow Facebook and Twitter, I follow them, among other reasons, because I think it is a good (if not always completely objective) way to keep a pulse on the general attitudes of people out there. And it is important to know what people are thinking to be able to think and speak with insight into the events and realities in our world. That being said, I think it is perhaps significant the evident discrepancy between the amount of time and space given in the TV news networks to a story like… Read more »
David, you make my point better than I
David, good points as well. I would add that the media winds of change, dependent upon the political climate, should be considered. I guess my attitude toward change, is to actually do something, instead of type, tweet, and pontificate. Godly actions, with people, will begin the healing process.
Of course, one of the goals of writing is to motivate people to godly actions
I ask again; May I suggest we also call to prayer and express concern for the police, and specifically the one in question (his story is not out yet, and regardless doesn’t he deserve prayer too whatever way this pans out?) and his family (I’m sure they are in danger) . How about the business owners and other members of the Fergusen community who are living in even more terror because of the acts of emboldened criminals than they were before this incident because of the of state of unrest and chaos that is being exacerbated by people from outside… Read more »
When Black Victims Become Trending Hashtags
“…it is important that nonblack Christians join the conversation but not dominate the conversation or center the conversation on their experience.”
Regarding the OP, I guess it’s because I’m tired of getting involved in racial disputes, where it always descends into mudslinging, and you always come out worse for having said anything. Unless you want to join forces with the rioters in Ferguson, burning and looting stores to show solidarity with them, then they have no use for you. No matter how congenial the message you think you’re bringing by displaying an opinion on the subject, even if just a call to prayer, social media will dissect your intended message until you emerge completely battered as a racist hate-monger. So I… Read more »
Joel,
The actual situation is not that cut-and-dry. Painting things in the starkest terms is usually just an excuse to take an extreme position (ie Jeff on Israel and Gaza) or to do nothing.
As for praying for peace, that’s all well and good, but oddly enough, peace never comes until we make the effort to achieve it.
It’s cut and dried enough for me. “I” don’t get into it, because “I” it doesn’t benefit discourse, generally, and in this case generally is good enough for me. It’s not my battle to fight… I’ll save my energies for where they’re best utilized.
And I would add, that praying is an action and effort that God commands us to do. So Christians should exercise faith and realize that prayer is active, in fact…with prayer, the work of the hands becomes more dynamic with the aim of love, and not only utilitarian by natural means.
Joel, Great point! In making the genuine suggestion I did in this thread your point is illustrated. 1. If one were to post “pray for the black community in Ferguson” or “the family of the dead young man” would likely illicit comments and disdain from those who tend more favorably toward police in situations like this (especially until the FACTS come out.) 2. If one were to post as I suggested pray for everyone, including the police and the assaulted and the business owners being looted…well then in short order one would be called (or intimated to be) a racist… Read more »
ooppsss…. 4 not 3.
None of your examples have been true in my experience. Calling for prayer shows concern and care (unless, of course, your call for prayer is merely a pretense for making a political point). People may add to my prayers as you have done in your comments. Sometimes there is healthy dialogue, and such dialogue is needed in issues of race. I’ve never, however, been attacked when calling for prayer.
Todd,
Your call to prayer in your OP could perhaps be misconstrued as a “pretense to make a social agenda/political point” if one were inclined to do so. You seemed to make several statements/implications that were aside from a simple call to prayer for the situation and were more oriented toward making a point.
I do not call others to prayer in this piece, though I did on my FB wall. Rather, I ask why we (generally) are NOT doing so for this issue, when we are for every other major news item. Why are we not blogging, tweeting, facebooking about this story when we are for every other story. Why do we offer no gospel application for this issue when we do for every other issue. I must have seen 200 posts in the last 24 hours about Robin Williams, but not one about Ferguson. I’ve seen multiple calls for prayer about refugees,… Read more »
LOL…I am no stranger to provocative statements/questions obviously. 😉 I have not FB’d about this issue as I am taking a wait and see approach. Plus it is intrinsically saturated in political implications and I am taking a self imposed hiatus from posting on political issues and matters – as it was once an all but every FB post habit of mine. I also have not tweeted/FB’d about any other the issues you mentioned (and have not even changed my profile pic to show solidarity like many who blog/comment here have done – not saying there is anything wrong with… Read more »
David
Good statement. This is a time for prayer and great wisdom in the selection of words.
I lived my latter teen years and early married years in the Ferguson area of North St. Louis (County). This tragic event is a symptom of the larger issue that being the complexity of urbanization.
I wonder if there are very many like me: I heard about riots before I heard about the shooting. I heard about Ferguson, after I heard about riots around St Louis, and still didn’t know why they were happening. I heard about the shooting several days after the riots started. I catch a little news everyday. But missed the shooting. I do not think the shooting was “All over the news” where I live and even in the national broadcasts I heard. It really bothers me when a little white girl is abducted and its all over the news but… Read more »
I spent my sophomore to Senior years at Beaumont High in St. Louis, living in the Walnut Park area. There are White people whom God appoints to weep with African Americans or Black Americans as the term was, when I studied Black History in the 60s and 70s – even writing a prospectus for a doctoral dissertation in Black History at an Ivy League University and doing my project for my Doctor of Ministry on the subject of Christian Love & Race Relations at what was then our most liberal seminary (and that without their support or encouragement. Like my… Read more »