Beams of Heaven, Rivers of Blood

Beams of Heaven, Rivers of Blood 

After rage seared, after eyes watered, after inspiration was written, I needed reflection time. The hurt of June 18, 2015 day is monstrous. In a period of time when so many have been slaughtered across the color line, I grieve.

But my emotions do not, indeed they dare not, end in grief. I am angry. Deeply. Profoundly. Exceptionally. I am angry.

For months I have listened to the calamitous perspectives of colleagues. Some piously intoned after Michael Smith's murder, people do not want "controversy in church." When a Jewish synagogue was gun terrorized in Wisconsin, some "Christians" turned away, gripping quietude as if it were comforting and cool pillow. When Tamir Rice was slaughtered, when Freddie Gray was tortured and executed, certain church leaders clamored that "we don't do politics from the pulpit."

Now, as a massacre happened in the all black Emanual African Methodist Episcopal Church, when an unsuspecting assembly gathered to deepen discipleship in prayer and study only to be assailed by a white bigot, are there now "believers"  who would advocate another "unholy hush?" What kind of avoidance declaration, what pathetic justification for silence and inaction will some advance in this moment?

It must be said—by the church—that in these terrorist serial killings, racist supremacy shows itself again as a form of political opposition and violent intimidation. Here it appears afresh, attacking worshippers, assassinating spiritual leaders and daring others to chance death if speaking of equality in the public square. A young, hate filled White man embodies hatred, rhetoric and commitment to Black death. And he did more than demonstrate hate for Black people; he terrorized them.

Terrorism, notwithstanding  let this be known: 1. the national addiction to violence and 2. the en masse enabling of such, must end. Somewhere, a God ordained determination must be found—in this society—to oppose this diabolical and gruesome twosome. The integrity of the gospel, the relevance of the church, the possibility for peace and the judgment of God all stand in the balance. All of us—before the Lord and in the earth—contribute either to God's justice or to intractable evil. There is no middle ground here. Also, the sin of racism—never benign, always lethal—must end. Let it be said again: violence, enabling of violence and racism must end. One day, they will.

The question is how? Will they end by a peace filled covenant established in God's love? Will the glory of the Lord rise among us as the voice of peace? As the presence of Justice?

Or will the tortured oppressed, will fatigued and attacked people tragically abort serving as pilgrims of peace? Instead, will they become purveyors of vengeance, of a furious and non intimidated wrath because they refuse to live fear filled lives? Will more families be torn asunder as persons declare they will not return to the historically hideous and spiritually embarrassing days of post reconstruction and Jim Crow segregation?

What will it be? We can choose to watch justice come hard, or we can make justice come rightly.

In love, people can work to see peace filled justice come. Justice for all and the end to white supremacist behavior can come nonviolently. Absolutely it can. But will it?

It must come. The quiet of too many "tension averse" religious folk gives no clue as to how. But it must come.

Pray that it comes with beams of heaven, not rivers of blood.