Grief upon Grief upon Grief

Grief upon grief, upon grief.  How much more can a people take?  The video of George Floyd begging for mercy turned my stomach, wrenching my heart to despair as his cries went unheeded; his senseless murder perpetuating the wrongs against people of color.  This injustice should never have happened. This should never happen again.

I can only imagine the depth of grief, anger, the futility…but I am deeply grieved.

The peaceful protests against this despicable action were meant to bring about change. Yet they were hijacked by violent people bent on destruction for selfish gain, preventing conversations for change from taking place. Injustice in the midst of injustice.

Grief seems so impotent.

Doesn’t the Bible say that we are to love God with our whole heart and to love our neighbor as ourselves?  That in Christ Jesus we’re to be united in love, with no divisions, and that all are equally welcome?  Did He not die for the whole world?  As His followers aren’t we supposed to be His body, and when one part of the body suffers, all suffer?  “If anyone says, ‘I love God’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20)

All this comes on the heels of countless other tragedies, including confinement to our homes and battles for life and livelihood against the pandemic of novel Coronavirus. And my stepmom’s untimely death. Just three days after burying her, on Monday word came that her mother had lost her battle against covid19.

Grief upon grief upon grief…

Could the purpose of all this be to turn our focus away from our selfish selves to the God who gave everything for us? To the One who longs for us to live His way, in His love, in every way?  To God, who made this precious man in His own image?

How my heart aches…

I want to be part of the change.  I need to be…

We all must be.

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the LORD require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

O God, I humbly bow before You, asking that You’d show me any offensive ways for which I need to repent.  Forgive, O God.  Heal broken lives.  Heal our land.