My heart has been heavy. The anger and frustration is real.
We have all seen and witnessed more evil and hate and pain in the past week than the human spirit deserves.
The death of George Floyd is senseless, meaningless, and heartless.
I saw a man’s life needlessly taken by a cowardly act.
I’m sad, disgusted, and horrified.
And I’ve seen the extremely disturbing violence, fires, and rioting that have taken place in the last few days throughout the country.
I’m sick to my stomach seeing all that’s going on. And the fact that it’s happening in the midst of the pandemic just makes it worse.
And just when you think it couldn’t get worse…it does. I share this with you because it might dishearten us, but it cannot and will not defeat us.
Here are the questions I continue to ask myself:
- How much hate can one person have for another and WHY?
- How can witnesses, including the other officers, WATCH George Floyd die and not do anything about it?
- Why didn’t they tell that cop to stop? Or physically pull the cop off of George Floyd?
- As a white man myself, what can I do to stop the bigotry and hatred to my fellow brothers and sisters with a different skin color?
The questions I ask of George Floyd’s family:
- How do you EVER make sense of this?
- How do EVER get over this?
- What would I feel if that was my son?
The questions I ask of this country:
- Why do we continue to have such HATE in our lives?
- Black, brown, white. WHY?
- Why do we have such hate in our hearts that would ultimately harm a fellow human-being?
So many questions. I don’t know all the answers.
The only thing I can do personally is go to a doctrine that our country needs to get back to reading, saying, and LIVING.
It goes like this…
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, UNDER GOD, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
We’ve taken God out of the country.
We can’t talk about God in public schools.
We aren’t allowed to pray in public schools.
We’re afraid to speak God’s name publicly for fear of rebuke.
Our country was founded by our forefathers on prayer. By faith. And on the strength of God.
And before I get a thousand emails saying that there were more wars and killings over God than anything, that’s NOT the God I know.
The God I know is one of agape love.
The God I know is one who loves all people. Regardless of race. Creed. Nationality. Even religion.
The God I know does not want fighting. Or killing.
The God I know does not want bigotry. Hate. Riots. Rebellion. Anarchy.
Let me ask you this regardless of your race, religion, beliefs, socio-economic status, and creed…
Are you the solution or the problem?
Are you a peacemaker or a peace-destroyer?
Are you filled with Light or is darkness extinguishing the Light?
Is God in your heart?
My friends, I refuse to believe that the majority of humans are “bad” people. It pains me when I see such hatred towards a fellow human-being.
The last thing we all need in the middle of a pandemic is this anger, hate, and violence spiraling down to bring out our worst. It must STOP.
We ALL know what happened is WRONG. And cowardly. And the police officer(s) deserve to be punished to the extent of the law. We also know that looting, stealing, and violence is wrong.
For all of us, let’s make sure we double-down on prayer and place our trust and faith in God so that He may guide us through this very difficult and turbulent time in our nation’s history.
WE MUST BE BETTER.
It’s going to take HEROIC leadership. Intestinal fortitude. Faith. Love.
And it’s going to take YOU and ME committed to being DIFFERENCE makers.
Are you in? #Iam
Love you all. Every single one of you brothers and sisters of all races, religions, and beliefs.
Let’s STOP the craziness NOW. Justice will be served. But we must remain “UNDER GOD.”
Your brother,
ToddP.S. This is a MUST LISTEN to Episode!! Episode #86 called “GET YOUR SOUL RIGHT?”
Have you heard of “The Third Option…Hope for a Racially Divided Nation” by Pastor Miles McPherson? Interesting enough, today’s podcast episode just happens to be with Pastor Miles McPherson, from the Rock Church here in San Diego. I recorded it just a few days before the George Floyd killing and we go deep on “Getting Your Soul Right.”
I hate to say this episode is prophetic, but I will say the timing of the message could NOT be any better. Listen now and please SHARE this on every social media platform you have. I believe it will help spread the LIGHT and LOVE that we must have to get us through this difficult period.