“Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded, and I will refresh you.” (Matthew 11:28)
Jesus was a protester (Luke 4:16-31, Matthew 4:23-25, Luke 5:15, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 11, John 5:16, Mark 3:1-6, Matthew 5-7, Matthew 11:20-30, Luke 7, Luke 11, Matthew 9:35, Matthew 13:56-58, Matthew 10, John 4; Matthew 9:2-8).
The Jesus I grew up with and know would be on the front lines of the #blacklivesmatter #GeorgeFloyd protests. As a leader, He would not be hunkered down at home. As a leader, He would not be making his voice heard only through Twitter, Facebook or TV appearances. As a leader, He would be kneeling with the protesters, protecting people of color, protecting press members telling the stories of our times, protecting the sanctity of protest because He was a protester and streaming it live via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or SnapChat.
Where are the religious leaders, such as Rev. James Turner II, Rev. Enoch Fuzz, Rev. John Faison Sr., Bishop Brian Prior, Bishop-elect Craig Loya, Bishop Alan Scarfe, Pastor J. Rashad Jones, Pastor Kenneth Sullivian, Pastor Craig Hammond, who have attended protests and candlelight vigils?
Where are the remaining thousands of pastors, preachers, reverends, nuns, bishops, archbishops, elders, deacons, cardinals, rabbis, ministers, vicars, and monsignors? Why are you not out as leaders of your flocks, congregations, and sheep? So many of you continue to fail us, yourselves, and God by not standing up for the downtrodden and persecuted among us as Jesus did.
Why haven’t we seen former President Clinton, Carter, Bush, and Obama out on the front lines, or at least on stage together denouncing the actions of our police and the current man in the Oval Office? Why are they silent when the very people they used to govern are suffering at the hand of one of their own? Why are they not calling every sitting senator and congressional man and woman to enroll them in removing this blight and threat on our country: the man in the Oval Office?
Where are the politicians, such as Vice President Biden and Senator Harris, who still have the courage to do the right thing and stand up not only to the man in the Oval Office, but to also go and stand on the front lines of the protests to protect the people they have been elected to represent?
Where are the mayors and police captains doing the right thing by firing any officer flashing the white power sign, or cruelly spraying tear gas on peaceful protesters on the street and from their cars as they drive by, or shooting rubber and wooden bullets at peaceful protestors, or pushing people harshly down (old and young alike) for no reason, or pointing their guns at young black children, or arresting and harassing members of the press who have the Constitutional right and duty to report what is happening on the streets of our country?
Have all of you sunk so low, worship money and power so much, that you have completely lost your moral compass, compassion, and sense of right and wrong?
Is this who you are now?!
Leaders of conscience, I beg you, show and prove to me, yourselves, and us, that we as a nation, and as human-beings, are better than this!
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 