{"id":37381,"date":"2014-11-26T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-11-26T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/?p=37381"},"modified":"2014-11-26T19:26:33","modified_gmt":"2014-11-27T03:26:33","slug":"what-would-jesus-say-about-the-ferguson-protests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/what-would-jesus-say-about-the-ferguson-protests\/","title":{"rendered":"Would Jesus be a Ferguson Protester?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Would Jesus be a Ferguson protester?<\/p>\n
I suppose it depends on what you mean by “Ferguson Protester.”<\/p>\n
In case you do not live in the United States (or even if you do and have been living under a rock), let me summarize what happened. On August 9, 2014, a Ferguson police officer named Darren Wilson shot and killed a young man named Michael Brown. Since Michael was black and unarmed, and the police officer was white, many are saying that this killing was racially motivated and that officer Darren Wilson should be condemned for murder. Darren Wilson contends that he was being attacked by Michael Brown and shot him in self-defense.<\/p>\n
Protests in Ferguson have been occurring nonstop\u00a0since August, most of which have been non-violent. On Monday, November 24, however, the Grand Jury announced that Officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted for the shooting of Michael Brown. In response to this verdict, many in Ferguson, MO turned to further violence.<\/p>\n
In the following post, I have tried to imagine what Jesus would say and do if He lived in Ferguson, Missouri.<\/p>\n
My thoughts are below. Feel free to agree or disagree in the comment section.<\/p>\n
This is the beginning place. God does not desire the death of anyone, whether they are innocent or guilty, young or old, male or female, black or white. God does not have a favorite race, a favorite age, a favorite gender, a favorite political party, or even a favorite class of people. He loves sinners as much as He saints.<\/p>\n
It makes no real difference to Jesus whether Michael Brown was guilty or not. Jesus loves Him and is terribly saddened by His death.<\/p>\n
For this reason, Jesus would be found among the mourners of Ferguson, Missouri.<\/p>\n
Jesus would be deeply saddened by everything that has happened in Ferguson. He would mourn with the friends and family of Michael Brown.<\/p>\n
Many are decrying officer Wilson’s actions as another example of police brutality and the over-militarization of our domestic law enforcement. Jesus is opposed to brutality and violence wherever it is found, especially among those who exist to “serve and protect.”<\/p>\n
And yet…<\/p>\n
Regardless of the decision reached by the Grand Jury,\u00a0Jesus is deeply saddened that violence resulted in the death of a young man, and Jesus is deeply saddened by the violence and brutality that has been carried about by those who do not like the decision of the Grand Jury. Jesus would not call upon the people of Ferguson to riot or engage in any sort of violence toward the police or toward other people in town.<\/p>\n
One thing Jesus definitely would not do is to offer a $5000 reward for anyone who kills\u00a0Officer Wilson<\/a>\u00a0and his family members. This sort of blatant criminal activity only pours gasoline on an already raging inferno, and Jesus would condemn such calls to brutal violence.<\/p>\n Instead, Jesus would invite the people of Ferguson to love and forgive, and maybe even to do the most shocking thing of all — to give that $5000 to Officer Wilson and his family. Can you imagine the worldwide news stir that this would create? Instead, all we get is news about escalating violence<\/a>.<\/p>\n Even when reporters try to allow the looters to provide their perspective, they receive only violence in return. Here are two examples:<\/p>\n