"The TRAYVON MARTIN Story: God, Please Change Our Hearts"
Tragedy as an "Opportunist".- reacting to tragic circumstances with profit motives to champion an agenda, but with no real committed desire or dedicated response that's needed to encourage change and transformation in the hearts of people.
Tragedy as an "Advocate". - doing what you do everyday, to curb the tide of economic, prejudicial or social injustice
Tragedy as a "Catalyst". - an event or occurrence that forces complacent or dying communities to go deeper than the surface of miscarriages of justice or systemic negligence and prejudice
Whose to blame?
George Zimmerman is on the "hot seat" for good reason in the tragic death of Trayvon Martin, and he should be! But, the growing response to this particular incident should quicken "our community" and "our generation" to the horrible reality that hatred, injustice, prejudice and wickedness still exist.
What should we (the general community) do ?
Every community has their own list of burdens and necessities, in response to these kinds of injustices. But, as a society, the opportunity to really see ourselves in light of circumstances like this one, which is actually a daily occurrence in most communities of color, must become more than our reactionary approach to injustice.
We must:
- Educate the masses on the real state of affairs amongst communities of color, with a commitment from civic, governmental, and religious leaders to step up and act for the betterment of society and the world.
- Address families and community leaders on the current issues that are prevalent in communities of color, including: joblessness, recidivism, black-on-black crime, and high levels of abortion.
- Conduct a real (third party) comprehensive analysis at the federal, state and local governmental level on the systemic injustices that exist in education and employment amongst communities of color.
- Hold community leaders in communities of color accountable for the state of affairs within their community, while leveraging set-aside private and public resources to support the change that's required for health and stability.
- Legally demand restitution for known or verifiable injustices that have led to cyclic conditions or poverty within these communities.
- Challenge the iconic representations from within communities of color that come from the entertainment and sports landscape, which foster lifestyles that have become culturally acceptable; but actually feeds the "ignorance of prejudice" that is still alive in our land today.
What good could come from this tragedy?
People are finding their voice!
Since the history of this country was founded upon men and women who both found and followed their voice, even in the establishment of this nation - any/all movements that arise because of injustices should be gladly encouraged and supported!
Even when we speak in ignorance of the "context" of certain things, we contribute to the broader conversation that gets people thinking!
It is my hope and prayer that the Opportunists, the Advocates, and the Catalysts all "do their thing", but never at the expense of the hurting families or communities that are impacted by such injustices.
"Church - Get Busy!"
It is my prayer that the "real church" would stand up and be counted!
If we really make "outreach" about transforming communities, we'll become less concerned about filling our pews and increasing our budgets, and more focused on touching every person (black, white, red, or brown) with Christ's transforming power; so that hearts like "George Zimmerman" will encounter the only liberating power that is available for all mankind to receive!
In His Service,
Pastor Walter L. Smith III
3/22/2012
Sent from Walter's IPAD
Walter L. Smith III (WS-3)
This is truly a tragedy and prayers go out to his family, friends and community for strength, comfort and understanding. As a mother and child care professional, my heart crys for children taken too soon from us DAILY. What can I do as a person in the community and a mother of a SON and two beautiful daughter God has blessed my family with? ANY AND EVERYTHING I CAN DO TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN until GOD calls them Home. I will raise my Voice for those who can not speak because it's the right thing to do. I'm "color blind" and guided by God's Love for ALL. I have done awareness workshops, confernces and outreach programs for the youth & families in my community for years thru Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Community Service Programs and will continue to do so to educate young minds & parents of our responsibilities and address needed issues to make a difference and better place for us to LIVE. People we have a lot of work to do. CAN WE DO IT? YES, WE CAN! B-EZY & BLESSED
ReplyDeleteAwesome, Nita! This is exactly what we all have to do to see transformation! Thank you! WS-3
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