May 30th, 2020

A blessed Saturday to all,
It is impossible to turn on the news or open up our news browser and not be flooded by stories of the protests across our country regarding the death of a suspect through what video shows is a disregard of proper procedure. The result of that event has sparked protests across our country. These protests communicate an anger that is difficult for some to fully understand because their experience with LEO (if any at all) has always been in compliance with standard procedure. Others find an avenue to vent frustration at unpleasant encounters with the police for a justified or unjustified reasons.  

In my life before Christ, I experienced both.  There were times I broke the law and the officers who detained me were professional and I never felt like my civil rights were violated. There were also some encounters with law enforcement personal who used their office and my violation of the law as justification for excessive force, racial bigoty, and an avenue to vent their own frustrations.  The reason I share this is convey that I understand frustration at injustice and people using their job as an excuse for unlawful behavior.

I also look at the riots and ask "how many of these people are actually outraged and how many just see an excuse for unlawful behavior?"  I also thought of what our society would be like if we demonstrated similar passion when we considered sinful behavior by others and by ourselves. 

Paul's words in Romans bring this question to mind. In Romans 2:22 he writes [You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?] and in Romans 12:9 [Let love be genuine. "Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.]  I am sure some who are throwing rocks at LEOs have a resume full of lawless actions under their belts.  Is it right to show frustration at sin by committing sin?  Is it possible to show our hatred of what is evil by not holding fast to what is good? Do we who are outraged by the behavior of the police officer who caused George Floyd's death or the unlawful behavior of rioters feel equal outrage at our own sin? 

Let's remember the danger of throwing rocks when we live in glass houses.
Have a blessed Saturday
vic