Spread compassion to reap peace
Far be it from me to speak on behalf of the wave of protest crashing down on America’s cities. I’ve not been victimized by police brutality, I’ve not been treated harshly by the courts, I’ve not been relegated to secondclass status by systemic socioeconomic oppression. My experience with injustice has always been secondhand, but one does not need firsthand experience with evil to be repelled by its insidiousness.
As individuals, we understand that our actions have consequences. Certain institutions, however, have conjured shields to protect them from the repercussions of their actions. This emboldens these institutions to act with ever-increasing disregard for the common good. Law enforcement in America is one such spoiled institution, and that is why I support the peaceful acts of protest demanding police accountability. All I ask is that institutions be held to the same standard as individuals.
Scripture reminds us that one reaps what one sows.
For centuries, America has sown the seeds of racial hate. More recently, we have sown the seeds of environmental degradation and, for the past four years, our president has sown the seeds of social discord. The individuals as well as the institutions responsible for such destructive behavior must be held accountable. Police must stop their violent tactics as violence of any kind only heightens the risk of further conflagration. We can and must sow seeds of compassion so that we may reap the reward of peace.