I wanted to post this picture from last night to celebrate our love, but this morning I cannot.
Not after #AntonSterling and #PhilandoCastile (say their names) have been executed by police in the last 2 days.
Today I post it because I fear for his life every day. Every time he drives to work. Or runs an errand or goes to the airport or heads to church. Will he be pulled over? And if he is and even though he will be respectful and play that cruel game life has conditioned him to play….

What if?

What if some day there’s a video of him being killed by police? Or what if it’s one of his brothers or nephews?

So I offer this desperate prayer….

God please protect him! Please be a shield around him, around them all. Please intervene in the world right now–I know you can–and stop the slaughter of your sons (and daughters #SandraBland et al)! Eradicate the fear in their lives and restore peace to your people who are persecuted simply because of the color of their skin.

How long oh God will you wait? WHY AREN’T YOU DOING SOMETHING????

Or are you waiting for us? For us–white society, white culture, white religion–to be the change I am demanding–pleading for–from you. Is that it???

I will do it. I will do whatever you ask, answer whatever call you direct of me. Not because it is about me and the picture of love I don’t want marred but because injustice is still claiming innocent lives right now

…every day

…every hour 

…every minute

and I don’t know what else to do but plead with you to let it end, make it stop, intervene! Tell me what to do. Please. 
Please God! 

Not one more!

Not one more life sacrificed to hate, abuse of power, and white supremacy. No more families suddenly bereft of fathers, sons, uncles. No more generations growing up in constant, foreboding fear for their very lives.

And jar us out of our complicit silence! May there be no more silence! Not from me. Not in our schools and seminaries. Not in our churches. Not on our social media streams. Because our silence is killing people. 

Raise us up! Make us bold and strong and willing to join the revolution even in spite of what our friends might think or because religion and society have lulled us into thinking the execution of Black people doesn’t affect us. Because it does. 

Wake us up. Stir our hearts. Sear our consciences. 

Because people are dying. 

Because he could be next.

Because that young child could be next. 

Please. 

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