I watched the video of George Floyd today.  Tears flowed.  My heart hurt.  

This man was somebody’s father, somebody’s son, somebody’s brother, and somebody’s friend.

But his life was not deemed precious enough to uphold.  And it was callously and carelessly taken, while onlookers watched, and others pleaded for justice.

This is one more tragedy in the long line of tragedies that have occurred over the past several years.  And it is only because of cell phone cameras and social media, the world is seeing first hand what has been occurring for years and years behind the scenes.

For years, the church in America has been fairly silent on the topic.  But this is the time for the church and believers to step up.  Dr. Tony Evans says that it is unaddressed prejudice that gives birth to racism.  He says that it is time for Pastors and believers to have the guts to declare what God says and begin the process of healing and change.

In John 4, Jesus boldly confronts the racism of his day when he ministered to a Samaritan woman at the well.  The Jews despised the Samaritans because they were once Jews who had intermarried and assimilated with the non-Jewish people around them.  

But Jesus didn’t let that stop him.  In fact, he made it a point to stop and minister to her.  When she realized he was a Jew, her own sense of unworthiness came out and she asked him why are you, a Jew, asking me, a Samaritan, for a drink of water?  

You see for years, she lived under the oppression of the identity that she was less than because of how her people were viewed.

But when she encountered Jesus, her life changed forever.  She understood  that He was the Messiah and she ran back to her town to share the good news.  And many in Samaria came to believe Jesus as the Messiah as a result.

When the disciples saw that Jesus was talking to a Samaritan woman, they were afraid to question him.  But instead they changed the subject and asked him if he wanted food.  And Jesus replies “My food…is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:34-35, NIV)

According to Dr. Tony Evans,  Jesus is saying… there’s work to do now.  We can’t wait to address this.  This scourge that we are dealing with should not be handed to the next generation to fix.   The door is open now and the church has an opportunity to step in and fill the vacuum and  to lead the charge for healing and reconciliation.  

I pray that the Lord will lead us in this area.  We don’t know where to start, but we know that with willing hearts, He will show us what to do.

We can do better.  We must do better.  

~ Vijoy