And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. - Hebrews 4: 13 (ESV)
Two highly explosive Grand Jury verdicts. Two refusals to indict. The social media explosion is as toxic as was expected. Everyone is suddenly an expert. Everyone suddenly was there when the incidents occurred. Overnight it seems many received their law degrees, ballistics certificates, black belt choke hold credentials, and have no qualms applying all of them to situations they cannot possibly understand. While this is the norm from a fallen world, the church should be different. The church should be a shining city on a hill that helps people see past the visceral hate that this world embodies to see the love of God. Where there is no black and white. Where there is no rich and poor. While there are not these caste divisions we can also rest assured that there is right and wrong. There are no shades of grey. No one get away with anything beloved. No one.
The key verse reminds us of this fact. There are no creatures hidden from the sight of God. It does not matter if you wear a badge. It does not matter what a secret Grand Jury says. You will stand before God and give account. We are all naked and exposed before a God that sees everything. We will not be able to plead the fifth. We will not have the advantage of pre formed biases from people who might look like us or believe like us. As Christians, we ought to pray for Officers Wilson of Missouri and Pantaleo of New York. Not merely because their temporal lives may never be the same but because they will stand before the ultimate judge and give account for the lives of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. You and I may not know if there was any intent in their heart but God certainly will. You and I may not know if there was a way they could have done their job without taking the life but God certainly will. I mourn for the loss of two lives but I fear for the men who took them. I would not want to stand before the Creator of the universe and try and parse my actions. To stand before the Heavenly Father of Michael Brown and Eric Garner and try and explain how walking in the street or selling loosie cigarettes warranted the end of their lives. Good luck explaining "resisting arrest" to God. Pray for them beloved.
People love to talk about the love of God but avoid talking about His wrath at all costs. We love to hear sermons about the gold streets of heaven but not so much about the dark places where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. When we succumb to this feel good theology we run the risk of forgetting that God is in control of the situations that seem to have the least amount of control in them. God sees Ferguson beloved. He sees Staten Island. He knew Michael Brown and Eric Garner before they were born - just like you, me and the two officers in these cases. God is a God of justice beloved. You cannot speak about His love and ignore His justice. In fact it is one of three things God requires of us:
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? - Micah 6: 8 (ESV)
Justice is a constant theme throughout Scripture. I bring this word today for two reasons. First as Christians, our job is to love and bring the Gospel. Not preach hate and divide people against each other. We are to leave judgment to God. The key verse reminds us no one gets away with anything. Forget the Grand Jury; they still have to face the Grand Creator. But here is the other reminder for today - so do we.
I see far too many Christians seemingly taking glee in these decisions. Posting lies about dead people who can no longer defend themselves. Referring to people as animals. Beloved, we are all naked and exposed to the eyes of Him who we must give account. Not just the men who pulled the trigger or used the choke hold. All of us. I have seen and heard things from self proclaimed Christians in these cases that makes me fear for them. To have to stand before God and give account for unbridled hate is nothing to be envied. And if there is even a sliver of race-hate mixed in you can be certain of one thing. God will know it.
I say these things because God gives them to me first. For me to examine my own heart and my own biases when it comes to topical crises like Ferguson and Staten Island. I have my own opinion and it is pretty strong but God is reminding me first that He is still in control. When the Grand Jury announced their decision a few hours ago God was not surprised. He is on the throne. He has a desire that all come to repentance and none are lost. His cause must be greater than my causes. But I rest in and am warned by the same truth - God will hold everyone to account. I rest in this because I know then that whatever the actual truth is about these tragic stories, God knows exactly what happened and He will be the final judge. Oh and He is always just. I am warned by this same truth because I need to be careful to not forget that I will give an account for my words and deeds as well.
I do not know the exact truth in the cases of Michael Brown or Eric Garner. Neither do you. Neither do the overnight experts preaching their own hate. But God does and He is just. As Christians we ought to pray for the families of the deceased for comfort and for this to be a pivotal moment in their lives to bring them to Christ. We ought to pray for the officers and their families as well. That this be the pivotal moment in their lives to have them place their faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. I know that may seem hard but remember there are people from our old lives that would think we were not deserving of the salvation we now enjoy. None of us are righteous. None of us deserve it. We ought to get back to Jesus and His Gospel. People want to talk about the cases? Bring them back to their Savior. Tomorrow is promised to no one beloved and time is running out.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." - Revelation 21: 3-4 (ESV)
No more mourning. No more pain. No more crying. No more death. No more blind hate. No more racism. No more lies. No more secrets. No more parents burying their children. No more Ferguson. No more Staten Island. Every tear wiped away. Every wrong righted. Hallelujah to the Lamb of God!
Rev. Anthony.
