Lessons from Ferguson S
t. Mark Hope and Peace Lutheran Church sits on one side of Kansas City’s most famous “red line,” Troost Avenue, a historic demarcation between
black and white communities. Our building is home to four worshiping congregations. St. Mark Hope and Peace, which I serve, is the only one that is majority white. I treasure my relationship with the people who wor-
ship under our roof, whose members and pastors have taught me many things, including just how many steps remain along the journey of reconciliation between African-American and white Americans. Our neighbors relate stories of harassment by authori-
ties sworn to protect and defend them. African- Americans and Latinos in our city and across this coun- try are signifi cantly more likely than whites to be stopped, searched, hurt and sometimes killed by authorities. T eir frustration came to a head in August as Missouri became the epicenter of racial tension in the nation. On Aug. 9, police offi cer Darren Wilson of Ferguson,
Mo., shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown. He was detained aſt er jaywalking, and the situation appears to have escalated rapidly. T e details are emerging slowly, with enough media spin to generate light—and heat. Our human inclination is to try to fi gure out which
side is right in terrible situations like the one in Ferguson. Either the police are desperately out of control, or Brown was a criminal who surely provoked the offi cer who shot him. Neither of these positions tells the truth, and neither draws us any nearer to the reconciliation desperately needed in Ferguson, St. Louis, Kansas City and beyond. On Aug. 20, Jennifer J. T omas, an ELCA pastor living in Shawnee, Kan., and I visited Ferguson.
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www.thelutheran.org
Demonstrators pray outside the Buzz Westfall Justice Center where a grand jury is expected to begin looking at the circumstances surrounding the fatal police shooting of an unarmed teenager, Michael Brown, on Aug. 20.
SCOTT OLSON/GETTY IMAGES No sides, just brokenness, pain, anger—and God By Donna J. Simon We had been invited by our faith-based organizing
coalition, Communities Creating Opportunity, to walk with other clergy in an attempt to protect the peaceful demonstrators. T e clergy presence seems to have helped: it was a less eventful night, with only six arrests and—for the fi rst time—no tear gas. T e clergy must share credit with the rain that fell fast and hard early in the night. It felt right to get a little damp as we stood together to claim God’s baptismal promises: love for all, justice for all. As Christians we are called to stand in the breach and
speak a word of healing love for all people. We are called to love Brown’s family and other grieving families across our country. We are called to love Wilson and the police who protect our communities. It is also our call to stand upon the shoulders of the
prophets and declare that the days are surely coming when people of color in this country need not live in fear of authorities. We must do what we can to cast out racism in all of its forms. Our congregations should be places of dialogue—a holy training ground for peacemakers. So much still has to be done. So many words of heal-
ing and hope have still to be uttered. T ere has been precious little dialogue between law enforcement and community leaders, and the brokenness will continue until that happens in a viable and sustainable manner. T is long and complicated process will require folks to stand down and give up some of their power in order to engage in real con- versation. T ere are no sides. Just brokenness, pain and anger. God is there also.
Author bio: Simon is pastor of St. Mark Hope and Peace Lutheran Church, Kansas City, Mo.
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