This morning, we are awakened with heavy hearts burdened with a heavy load of worry, care, anger, and frustration. In the last several months, we have witnessed the outcry of God’s people in so many ways—people wailing and moaning with tears of disbelief, death, and sickness.
Fear has plagued the world. The shattered dreams of individuals, families, businesses, communities, religious institutions and churches are real. We are all suffering and struggling individually and collectively with pain and grief.
In the midst of over 100,000 deaths and millions of people being infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19), people in our cities all over our nation are taking to the streets, protesting in anger against the wrongful, unjust, hateful, and unmerciful racist death of George Floyd, who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer right before the eyes of the world.
We have a right to be angry! What we are seeing and living out in our nation is truly unprecedented. There is no justification for the tragedies that have been forced upon us; the COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately affects African Americans and people of color, the death of George Floyd, the racist wrongful allegations made by Amy Cooper, the blatant racist attack, and the murder by a father and son perpetrated on Ahmaud Arbery.
We have a right to be angry! But there is what is described as righteous anger… “In your anger, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. And do not give the devil a foothold.” (Ephesians 4:26-27)
We are still the body of Christ! And while we have the right to be angry, we will use our rights with power to promote change. We will stand up, speak up, and defend what is right and denounce what is wrong! What we do for the Lord must be done decently and in order.
Our God is a righteous judge and we are seeking a cease and desist indictment to be served against the injustice acts of our nation. I am calling on those who are willing to stand with Christ Our Redeemer in unity.
As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. declared, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
Now is not the time to be silent. Our nation and future are at stake. God will judge us accordingly!
The Dr. Rev. Ralph E. Williamson is the pastor of Christ Our Redeemer AME Church in Irvine, CA, the largest African American congregation in Orange County.
