Thoughts on the Needless Death of Mr. George Floyd of Minneapolis Minnesota
The past week, in news and social media, has been a full review of the depravity of fallen man. Our nation has witnessed the unbelievable brutality exercised upon a fellow human being and the subsequent taking of his life. America has viewed the video in horror at such treatment of a fellow American and human being. It is right and reasonable that we should be appalled and that we should demand justice be done.
The resulting protests are justifiably understandable. Our collective nation should rise up with one voice and declare “That is not acceptable from any authority!” We should demand that the ones who caused the death of a shackled man should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Any civilized nation cannot withstand the wanton and reckless taking of a human life.
Yet, even in the protest, the depravity of man is again on display. The honorable protests have been marred by those whose agenda has been destruction and ill-gotten gain. The disregard for life and property by those who have vandalized fellow human beings is a revelation of the heart of fallen and sinful man. By the destructive vandalism, those responsible have distracted the focus from the atrocity committed by the police officers against Mr. Floyd.
This all serves to remind us that our nation needs Christ. Only Christ can offer peace in the midst of the storm. Only Christ can bring unity and hope.
It must be understood that man cannot be reconciled to man until man is first reconciled to God. To try and reconcile men to each other, without first being reconciled to God, is as futile as rearranging the deck chairs on the Titantic and hoping to save lives by it. A sinful and fallen man must be reconciled to a Holy God. That is only possible through personal faith in Jesus Christ.
It is then, and ONLY then, that reconciliation can take place between ethnicities. We cannot “reform” fallen man, he MUST be REBORN (see John 3). Once a person has truly been reconciled to God through salvation, then there is absolutely no place within their heart for racism, bigotry, or prejudice. Once a person has truly been born again, that person will love and respect persons of all ethnicities.
May we seek to point people today to Christ. May we pray for them as we seek to get the gospel of Christ into every community across our nation and around the world. We must pray for God’s great name to be magnified and glorified.