Keep the Focus

The national and international focus over the last several weeks is that “Black Lives Matter.”  George Floyd mattered.  Brionna Taylor mattered.  The focus is NOT on standing for the national anthem, defunding the police, the dismantling of statues, rioters, Antifa, anarchists or arsonists.  These are distractions.  The focus is that “Black Lives Matter” because in so many cases in this country they do not seem to matter.  This is what is being protested in accordance with the Constitution’s First Amendment:  “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”  There are grievances that need to be redressed—Black Lives Matter.  Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, and many others mattered. “Say their names,” because they mattered!  Black Lives Matter.

Jesus healed the demon-possessed Gerasene, and, according to the story, sent those demons into a herd of pigs which immediately went crazy and ran pell-mell over a cliff.  The farmers lambasted Jesus and demanded he leave their district for destroying their pigs (property, statues, comfort-zones, and other cherished proprieties).  They missed seeing the liberation of the Gerasene!  Even today, when people retell the story the focus is often on the loss of the pigs  rather than on the liberation of the Gerasene from his grievances.

We are doing the same thing as those farmers did.  Keep focused.  It isn’t about standing for the national anthem.  It isn’t about defunding the police.  It isn’t about rioters, Antifa, anarchists or arsonists.  It isn’t about property.  It isn’t about statues.  It is about the liberation of human life—Black human life—and that is what matters.  That’s the priority—don’t lose the focus, don’t be dissuaded.  Don’t let anyone mislead you with the distractions.  The important thing is Black Lives Matter!  The focus is on petitioning for a redress of grievances.