I am writing this the same day the guilty verdict was handed down on the killer of George Floyd. There is rightly much relief, much soul searching to address systemic racism and to reconnect broken communities. 9 mins 29 secs for the world to see; horrific, shameful and now, legally murder.
Where is the world’s outrage for the five Aboriginal deaths in custody in the last month here, on our doorstep? Deaths, like that of George Floyd, all preventable. Where is our outrage, our compassion, our sense of community to call this out?
I wonder what those five people would say in response to Jesus’ final words to God – “You gave them all the right words; you gave them the means to live in healthy relationships and in unity, where are they now?”
Living in the afterglow of Jesus’ resurrection doesn’t let us off action, rather, it is the starting point for us to take action. We, each and every one of us, have responsibility to ensure communities are in harmony and are safe for people we don’t know.
It is not enough to be the silent “I’m not a racist” voice, not now, not ever. When we were left the words to stand up and say “I’m anti-racism”, Jesus also gave us the promise of protection from the bad things in the world.
When we stand up in protest, we hold in our open arms and hands the words to unite communities and live in relationship with the mystery which is God, the Divine One, the Creator Spirit, three in one.
Marian Bisset
Candidate for Ministry of Deacon