June 1st, 2020: What happens to Meaningful Conversations?
The conversation continues as violent protests carry on in
different cities both in the US and Canada. Unfortunately, violence has
trounced the needed conversation about racism. We will be living in
denial when we think that racism is not a real problem in Canada and the
US. Sometimes it is an outcome of a vicious intention. Sometimes it
happens because people are ignorant. Sometimes it is a continuation of
family and community history. Sometimes it is based on unfortunate
personal experiences. It is hard to know.
Those
people, who have been looting, burning stores, burning cars and
attacking the police, obviously have different agendas than overcoming
racism. They are what I call "the opportunistic parasites of human
suffering". They will take advantage of any opportunities to be violent
and to disregard the law in the name of any social, racial, or
environmental struggles. In this case, they have done serious damages to
the process of seeking justice for George Floyd's death. I don't
believe that all police officers are racists. The same can be said about
engineers, doctors, lawyers, pastors...some are racists and some are
not. It doesn't depend on a specific profession. It is an issue of the
heart and it is also a spiritual malaise.
I
worked with international students from various university campuses for
about 10 years as a campus minister. One of the major programs we had
was to pair Canadian families with foreign students as soon as they
arrived in Canada. Most of the folks involved in the program told me
that their involvement had helped them with their view of the world,
their ability to relate to people from different cultural, religious,
and racial backgrounds. Many amazing friendships were established from
that very simple beginning.
Every good thing
starts with a simple step of courage and compassion. If the law and the
love of God rule our hearts, we don't need to depend on governments or
special interest groups to tell us what is right. Hatred for another
human being is one way for us to spit at the face of God.
(1 John 2:9)
"Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness."
