Lord, have mercy
Following the shooting of Daunte Wright.
Today a fresh wave of pain and unrest blanketed Minneapolis after the shooting of 18 year old Daunte Wright. It is yet another day when black men will ask themselves “Am I safe? Will this happen to me?” Another day when mothers of black sons wonder if the next one to be killed will be their son.
I often hear people debating in times like this whether the officer was to blame or whether the victim was “a criminal” and was deserving of their fate. Many respond with “I need to see the video or get all the facts before I can form an opinion. I need to know more about the person who was shot before I know how bad I should feel about it.” I personally believe that no one deserves to die, no matter who they are or what they have done. Nobody deserves to be killed.
This is my prayer today.
I feel so grieved right now.
I see the mix of fear, anger, and weariness that the black community is experiencing.
I see the protesters and mourners, flooding the streets, and imagine you, Jesus, standing among them.
Why am I so quick to form an opinion based on human sources? Why not go to you, my heavenly source? Why do I care more about the safety of my property that is here today and gone tomorrow than for the cries of the unheard?
I open my ears to listen and my mouth to admit when I’ve been wrong, prideful, and ignorant. Throughout my life, I have knowingly and unknowingly upheld white supremacy and put people into categories based on the color of their skin. I admit that I have not been willing to step outside of my comfortable fence and beyond my white neighborhood and white friends. I admit that I have been unwilling to change and daily feel the “need to be right”.
Teach me to live alongside people that don’t look like me, talk like me, or think like me. This includes those who I don’t understand. This includes your beautiful creations who are queer, non-binary, and transgender. This includes those whose hearts are full of hate. This includes EVERYONE WITH A HEARTBEAT.
Your love for ALL is wider and deeper than we can ever imagine, but help me to know a taste of it, so that this love can overflow to others.
I grieve alongside the black community today. I don’t pretend to understand, but I do feel the weight of their accumulated losses. Jesus, wrap your arms around them right now and bring justice and healing. Correct me, soften my heart, and if I can be a part of bringing people together to do the hard work of healing reconciliation, I say yes.
