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The Image of God in the Protest By Aundreia Alexander

or the past several months, in the United States, high profile deaths of unarmed African Americans and video footage of police violently engaging African American

men, women, and children have saturated media outlets. Protests, rallies, and prayer vigils are pointing a spotlight on the disparity in the criminal justice system that disproportionately targets people of color. “No justice, no peace” is the proverbial cry of protestors. Justice and peace are tied to a moral belief in the intrinsic worth of all human life. The lived out reality, however, is that the lives of African Americans, particularly those in impoverished communities, are not valued as much as those who are white or wealthy. Evidentiary supported studies reveal that African Americans are systemically dehumanized. Police and media outlets have referred to African Americans who were the victims of brutality as thugs or compared them to animals. Children are not allowed to be children, but are perceived as older and less innocent than children of other ethnicities. The advancement of technology and use of social media have brought a heightened awareness to the diminished value of African American lives that have pervaded the American criminal justice system since the inception of our republic. In the founding documents of the United States of America, persons of African descent were not seen as fully human or entitled to all rights and privileges of others. In the constitution that breathed life into the new nation the majority of persons of African descent were slaves and counted as three fifths of a person. As slaves they were property and as property they were traded and treated as animals.

The church is in the middle of the healing and the pain . . . participating in rallies and prayer vigils . . . calling for accountability from government . . . the church has served as a safe space and a gathering place.

The institution of slavery is a foundational pillar of the country, and systemic racism, the progeny of slavery, is part of America’s DNA. The nation has tried to cleanse itself of the historical stain of slavery but it continues to bleed through. The recent rash of incidents demonstrates that the sting of racism is particularly prevalent. It is also during times of heightened unrest that people will question the role of the church. They will ask if the church is relevant. Currently, as we struggle in this season of discontent and disfranchisement, the church is in the middle of the healing and the pain. Pastors and members of our congregations are participating in rallies and prayer vigils. They are calling for accountability from government. The church has served as a safe space and a gathering place. In a world that dehumanizes and marginalizes some, the

church is in the position to proclaim the good news. The root of justice and peace is a moral belief in the intrinsic worth of all human life. As people of faith we live and preach that all human life is valued and we are all created in the image of God:

So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them. Gen 1:27

Aundreia Alexander is associate general secretary for Justice and Peace for the National Council of Churches of Christ, USA.

learning from the baltimore experience Continued

But, hopefully, we will become more. Hopefully, we will become like Jesus. We need to follow the lead of Jesus, who immersed himself

in the world he came to change. Jesus walked with us, lived with us, and hurt with us. By the time Jesus began his public ministry, he had lived as one of the people for around 30 years. He learned, listened, and worked with us. He built relationships and trust with us and between us. If Jesus came walking into Bethany or Jerusalem telling people to repent and sin no more without spending 30 years in those communities, he would not have been heard. He knew the language, culture, political struggles, and hearts of the people. He had an insider’s understanding of what it meant to live under oppression. When finally he chose to speak and act, he did so as part of the community. His life made him worth listening to. We need to become like Jesus. Whether we are called to Baltimore, Ferguson, Guinea, Iran, Bolivia, or Boise, we are called to enter the world we are in. We need to learn the language, like what we and others mean when we say, “thugs.” We need to see the paint peeling and the contaminated water. We need to walk with our brothers and sisters. The more

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we walk in our neighborhoods and live – actually live with our neighbors – the more we will be like them. We might even earn the trust of our brothers and sisters! We need to shut up and listen. So, how do we start? We walk up to somebody who has something to say – a religious leader, a gang leader, a community

We are called to enter the world we are in. We need to learn the language . . . We need to shut up and listen.

organizer – and we say, “Teach me. Let me sit at your feet and learn. I’m going to ask stupid questions, some will offend you, and when I do point me to better questions.Be patient and tell me when I offend you. “You are the teacher, I am the student. Hopefully, eventually, we will become more.”

Christina Perkins is associate pastor of University Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland.