God is Watching

The events of the last few days surrounding the death of George Floyd have brought so much pain and destruction, and once again, great divide. When one man’s heart is so calcified that his hand, or in this case knee, bring death to another man in such a brutal way, we all bleed. The murderer is white, the helpless victim, black. All evidence points to the darkness of racism. 18 other complaints were made against this very officer; I wait for those details to unfold to see where the source of his wickedness resides. At least he is detained and in jail where he should be, and I pray that justice will be swift and strong.

George Floyd’s death was egregious and calls attention to deep wounds of racism. We have seen other such incidences in the past. This one is different. There is no ambiguity, and folks are listening. We all now have this great opportunity to work through bigotry and help our white brothers and sisters to look through a different prism. The law already grants us equality, the challenge is the heart, which is what guides our actions.

Peaceful protests can be very effective but not in the clamor and noise of fiery riots and senseless looting. In the heat of passion and indignation, let us remain measured in our response so we do not fan the flames of discord and drown out our chance to meet at the table of reconciliation. As we stay true to our message of equality, let us refrain from lobbing disrespect and bullying on social media or otherwise. There are many opportunists out there preying on the confusion and fueling disharmony. I have heard of political groups mobilizing. These groups do not represent the desire for social justice. They have their own political agenda and should not be allowed to rain terror and eclipse this opportunity.

Our emotions were already raw from COVID19 anxiety and stress, and tensions were already high. I implore anyone reading this: stay calm. Pray. Debate peaceably. Don’t offend. Talk less. Listen more. Be patient. Love again and again. And again.

I invite you to close your eyes and breathe in these words. Then exhale slowly.
It may feel like no one is listening. Find your strength from above. God is watching.

Lorraine Tracey