[376 words]
As I watched my television recently and saw people making accusations of racism and injustice, setting fire to police cars, breaking windows, and stealing from unprotected stores, one thought kept coming to mind: this country needs Jesus.
If you have followed the Ferguson case at all, you probably have an opinion about it. So do I. But whether you think Michael Brown was murdered in cold blood, or whether you think Officer Darren Wilson used deadly force in defense of his own life, there is one underlying fact that cannot be ignored: The answer to whatever it is that ails this country is Jesus Christ.
If the problem is racism, the answer is Jesus (Galatians 3:28). If the problem is injustice, the answer is Jesus (John 7:24). If the problem is murder, the answer is Jesus (Matt. 5:21-22). If the problem is looting, the answer is Jesus (Eph. 4:28). If the problem is the destruction of property, the answer is Jesus (Matthew 7:12). If the problem is fatherless homes and/or poor parenting, the answer is Jesus (Ephesians 6:4). If the problem is personal vengeance, the answer is Jesus (Romans 12:19). If the problem is enemies, the answer is Jesus (Romans 12:20-21; Matthew 5:44-48).
When Jesus is Lord, you don’t judge people based on the color of their skin. When Jesus is Lord, you don’t steal from others. When Jesus is Lord, you respect the lives and property of others. When Jesus is Lord, you treat others the way you want to be treated. When Jesus is Lord, judgments are made on the basis of righteous principles. When Jesus is Lord, fathers lead godly homes and train their children in the right ways of the Lord. When Jesus is Lord, personal vengeance gives way to peacefulness because God is just and he will right all wrongs one day.
Bottom line: the best neighbors, citizens, business owners, police officers, and government officials are those whose lives are governed by the authority of Jesus. Our world desperately needs to know Jesus. The best thing we can do in response to the Ferguson decision is to let the world see him living in us (Col. 1:27).
Eddie Parrish
via Keltonburg Church of Christ
Smithville, TN