What Will Be Left
At first, I didn’t know what to say. The articles were horrifying. The video was stomach churning. I didn’t even know how to process it. Justice was necessary. Justice is necessary, and I’m not even sure how it hasn’t been fully executed yet. But that isn’t what I’m writing about today. The murder of George Floyd was a tragedy and should never have happened. That officer had eight minutes to make the right choice, and he made the wrong one up until the very end. Him and the other officers who were there are all deserving of justice.
But that isn’t what’s happening now.
I am aware of how depraved of our world is. I am aware it is a fallen world. I guess I wasn’t as aware as I thought I was, though, because I never would have dreamt this up. The protests started in Minneapolis. It made sense. A man had died unjustly and his killer needed to be arrested. But then the protests became riots, and shots began to be fired. The riots spread to other cities- Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Atlanta. That’s just a few. And then the fires started. Smoke is now clouding over our country, turning the focus away from the justice that was supposedly the initial point, and in the process, people have been harmed.
Patrick Underwood. Most of us probably don’t know his name. But he was a federal officer who was killed at a U.S courthouse in Oakland, California amidst a protest that turned violent, and he was black. He was killed by people supposedly protesting black murder, and we still want to defend this? We want to call this justice? No. I call this rage fueled sacrilege.
Right now there is graffiti surrounding areas around the monuments in Washington, D.C. The memorials that were made to honor those protecting our right to protest, our right to gather and disagree, our right to scream at the government till our lungs give out. And we have chosen to disrespect each and every one of us by our actions in these past days, and by defending those who have decided that they do not care who gets hurt by the aftermath of their anger.
I do not condone racism. I do not condone the murder of George Floyd. I believe in a God who created us all, beautiful and equal, in every possible shade of skin tone and I am disgusted by anyone who treats another person badly because of their skin color. But I also believe in our country. I have to. I choose to believe that despite corruption, our country is built upon a system that fights for justice. It is not perfect, but it is better than most of what surrounds us. And these riots are aiming to tear this country apart from within. “Burn the system.” they say. “Abolish the police.” they say. It all echoes with the same message. “Destroy this country, for it is not perfect enough for us.” I don’t have all the answers and I can’t imagine the pain blacks have felt in this country, for while I am a POC (Hispanic), I am fortunate enough to have not encountered something of this magniutude in my life. But what do they expect to be left with, once they have rioted and looted, and felt that they have made themselves heard? What do they expect to have left when they have pulled the country apart, brick by brick, shot after shot, death after death? A utopia? No.
We will be left with ashes and anarchy.
Anger is valid. They have every right to be angry over what has happened, but why do we never find ways to take this anger and fuel it towards building up rather than tearing down? Why do we need to destroy to feel like we are doing the right thing? The answer is sadly simple. Our hearts are crying out for something that can only be given to us through Jesus Christ. We call for justice. He is a God of justice. (Isaiah 30:18). We call for peace. He is the Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6). We call for love. He is Love. (1 John 4:7). We ask ourselves, why can’t we forgive and move on? Because without Christ there is no forgiveness. There is no healing. Our world will continue destroying itself without Christ. People will continue to think it is right to riot and loot and harm others because they are angry. And death will continue in a vicious cycle, unless we choose to try and let the light in.
This blog was previously about books. Something I have loved with a passion. But I have chosen today to change that. I want to write about our world, in all its depravity, through the lens I have, the lens of a Christian teenager. It won’t all be right, and my opinions may not make some happy. But as much as I love books, I also love God, and truth, and people. And we need to hear more truth and less lies in this world. We need to hear the truth that destruction does not need to be the only path. There is another, more narrow, but filled with love, that leads to the ultimate Love. And I hope I can do my bit to show that path to some.
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