Let’s Start a Riot!

Actually, don’t.  That would be a bad idea.  There are already enough people hurting in the world today.

Last night, the city that I come to know and call home erupted in flames, violence, and chaos after the announcement of the grand jury decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.  Buildings and cars burned.  Shots fired.  Injuries.  Death.

We saw our world descend into darkness.  And the flickering flames cast evil shadows into the night.

Riot!  Riot!  Riot!  The crowd yells for justice.  And yet they don’t seek it out.  Their actions speak otherwise.  The result of their actions speak otherwise.  The pain and destruction speak otherwise.  The ruins speak otherwise.

I can see why people are frustrated.  Angry.  Upset.  But what I cannot begin to comprehend is the fact that a peaceful protest turns violent so quickly.  That riots erupt and people get hurt when individuals have called for respect.  Begged for peace.  And now, we are all hurting.

Black.  White.  Rich.  Poor.  Upper class. And lower class.  We are all suffering.  It doesn’t matter if you are a police officer or a member of the community.  A business owner or an individual a hundred miles away seeing the images on a screen.

I’m angry.  And upset.  And pissed off.

And it has nothing to do with the verdict.  I am disappointed in my community.  In how we responded.  And I know that I, as a young white man, may never understand the reasons that have been given as justification for these actions.  And I am sad that these few individuals have defined their community.  That love and compassion were overwhelmed by anger and rage.

You see, we need a change.  We need a revolution.  But destruction, like these riots, will not propel us toward peace.  Only love can do that.

We need a revolution of love.  A riot of flowers.  A peaceful revolution that stems from forgiveness and healing.

My prayer at this time is for just that.  That we learn to embrace one another in love and forgiveness.  That we hold one another accountable for our actions through the love we have for one another and for our communities.  Our actions, reactions, and lack of actions should need to be answered for.  And the pain we have expressed needs to be mended.  And the hurt that we have caused needs to be healed through love.

For love is a powerful agent.  It is a force that moves in us and through us.

This is the action that we need.

Forgiveness and Love.