The Silence of the Lambs of God

What angers American Christians? Not the death of Sonya Massey.

I have watched the past week as fellow Christians have railed, against the “Last Supper” segment of the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympic Games.

I’m a Christian, and I love Jesus.

And I don’t care whether the Paris organizers of the Opening Ceremonies were trying to mock God or not.

He’s not mocked.

I’m not going to discuss whether it was about an Italian painting, or Greek mythology, or whatever.

God is not bothered about it, so why should I?

What does bother me?

The fact that American Christians have been consumed with outrage over the Olympics’ Opening Ceremony.

Meanwhile, a 36-year-old woman in Woodside Township, Illinois was murdered by a policeman, a policeman she summoned by dialing 911 to report a prowler.

I’ve been waiting for the American Church’s response to the murder of Sonya Massey.

The Central/Southern Illinois Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America released a pastoral statement that was thoughtful and appropriate.

But the rest of the American Church was too busy complaining about the Olympics.

There have been no widespread public displays of mourning or repentance.

There has been a deafening quiet as Ms. Massey’s name was added to the ever-growing list of Black people who called or encountered the police and were subsequently murdered.

Black people can’t trust law enforcement to protect and serve us.

They have repeatedly done their best to engender fear and apprehension.

Black people have always viewed law enforcement with suspicion.

Who can blame us?

We are killed for carrying toy guns.

We are killed at traffic stops.

We are killed when we are sleeping in our beds.

We are killed when we are eating ice cream in our living rooms.

We are killed when our neighbors call the people to make a welfare check.

We are killed when we hear a suspicious knock on the door and arm ourselves.

We are killed when we report a prowler.

We are murdered no matter who we are, where we are, or what we are doing.

Does the American Church realize how this grieves God?

The reaction over Christians’ reaction to Olympics Opening Ceremony versus their reaction to Sonya Massey’s murder is an example of why many people don’t believe in God or are afraid to believe in Him.

If God’s people are so dispassionate and uncaring about things that matter, but focused on trivialities, He must behave the same way.

Too many members of the American Church care only about their feelings.

They are quick to feel insulted by something that happened thousands of miles away.

But slow and unaware of repeated murders committed in their own country.

Committed by the very people sworn to protect and serve everyone.

Everyone.