My personal connection to Ferguson,
now known internationally for its racial unrest, is a strong and peaceful one. I grew up in Normandy, a bordering suburb,
and did my student teaching at a Ferguson High School. For nine years, my husband, our children and I
lived in Ferguson Hills, and went to church in the community. I still attend a weekly prayer and share
group at this church in Ferguson even though we live just outside the Florissant
boundary now.
Two
of the women in this little group live in Ferguson and most of us attend the
church. We have had some animated
discussions over our 12 or 13 years, but a recent one about the police shooting
in Ferguson and its aftermath was one of the most charged. As I was listening and considering the difficulties
that have beset this city, the word “unrest” came to mind not only for this
local situation but other ones of conflict around the world. Our human emotions have a wide range from
helpful and gentle to destructive and quite malicious.
Thinking
about the issue of rest, a well-known quote from St. Augustine’s vast writings
comes to mind: “Because God has made us
for Himself, our hearts are restless until they rest in Him.” We do many things to “quiet” unrest stemming
from frustration, pain and anger which we all experience at times. Hurting people want to feel better, want to
right a wrong, want to find peace, and some seem to want to cause trouble, a
lot of trouble supposedly for a worthy cause.
We all can be deceived about the
“righteousness” of our behavior and our cause at times, and that’s important to
remember.
It’s also important
to remember that grace and mercy are at the heart of the Christian faith. John wrote of Jesus being “full of grace and
truth” (John 1:14). He was known for
seeking out the outcasts of society and ministering to them in the power of the
Holy Spirit. He could be direct, even
seemingly tough at times, as in the story of the Syro-Phoenician mother seeking
help for her daughter (Mark 7:24-30). Coming to Jesus requires repentance and
turning from sin. Not everyone responded
to His invitation, but He gave opportunities to many just the same.
As I write this,
it occurs to me that angry mobs are made up of individual people, some of whom
might be very different in other circumstances or with better influences around
them. Walking into screaming mobs or
trying to talk to people who only want to shout probably won’t help
anything. But surely, we as Christians
have something important to bring to this moment in our city, in our country
and in our world.
Jesus promoted
certain behaviors in the beatitudes, including “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be
called sons of God” (Mat. 5:9). He also
pointed out that “apart from Me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Seeking Jesus, letting His wisdom and love
rule in our hearts, and praying earnestly and perseveringly both in public and in
private—these choices and attitudes must fuel our thinking and acting for peace
and reconciliation today and every day.
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