A Collection of Voices: Love at the Center

The last 3 weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions; of rage, confusion, hurt, sadness, but also inspiration. A tragedy happened in our country on May 25, 2020 when George Floyd was murdered and there is no way to justify it. I don’t even know if I can use the word tragedy to describe it. Is it still a tragedy after it’s been repeated over and over again, and somehow nothing has changed? People always talk about how amazing it is to see how people come together after a tragedy, but I have never felt such a divide in my country.

For 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the living breath was forced out of a man, by weapon of a knee. I just decided to see how long I could hold my breath, |46 seconds|, and I was left gasping for air. But for 526 seconds, George Floyd’s face was pressed against the pavement, as he cried aloud to his late mother to save him.  

As I watched the video on my screen, I nearly couldn’t finish it because I already knew how it would end. And I was enraged. Confused at how this was allowed to happen, again, especially at the hands of those who are charged with the duty to protect and serve. I was hurt because the value of a life, a Black life, was made out to be nothing. But I do not and will not stand for that, because Black Lives Matter.

But I was also inspired. Because while there may be such a divide in our country, there is also unity happening among people of all races, colors, religions, genders and orientations, not just here, but all over the world. The world has responded to the call that when one of us has been hurt, then we are all hurt and I believe that this is centered in love. Love is fighting for the freedom of a person you do not know. Love is not judging someone because of how they look but accepting that we are all God’s children. Love is not being afraid of what other people may think when what you know in your heart is true. Love is not just an emotion, it is an action.

1 John 4 has a whole 15 verses to explain how God is love and thus, how His love is within us. As Christians and as a cultural Church community, sometimes we forget this. But as I look out onto the world, I am reminded by every sign and every shout for justice that love is at the center. So if God is love and love is at the center out there on the streets, then I’m forced to reflect whether God is at the center of our community? Is love at the center? Not just love for our own people but love for all of our brothers and sisters? It’s a question to ask ourselves, not just now or in the midst of this tragedy, but all the time.

No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

1 John 4: 12, RSV

During this moment in history, I’ve had to look within myself and figure out what I wanted to do, and I don’t have just one answer. But I do know that when I look back on my life, I want to be able to say that I held myself accountable to fight for the lives of my Black brothers and sisters. I want to be able to say that I was not afraid to stand up for justice. I want to be able to say that I put love at the center.