“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”― Edmund Burke

It’s been unverifiably stated that this quote appears every hour on Twitter. I can’t be sure of that, but its repetition has left its mark on me. The context of the quote is the climate of the 1770s, but its relevance holds today. 

This world is home to systems of power and authority. God has designed it to be so. It is our responsibility as Christians to submit to the just exercise of that power through families, churches, and governments. It is the responsibility of leaders in those systems to use their authority rightly, as those who will give an account to God. As a pastor I must lovingly and graciously serve all people for good. If not, I must be held accountable as an oppressor. To do so wouldn’t condemn all pastors or assume all pastors have the same heart or motives. In the same way, those who lead in other spheres should be held accountable. 

Learn to do what is good. Pursue justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause. -- Isaiah 1:17 (CSB)

Oppression is causing a painful racial divide in our country, as it should. Sadly, I have let distance from the situations, both geographically and because of the color of my skin, keep me from speaking out. I just haven’t let myself feel the pain of empathy to the degree that I should. Or, possibly, I haven’t been listening closely enough. I repent of that. 

I, like you, have seen the videos of the killings of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd over the past two weeks, like so many before. It’s evil and unjust. Who among us doesn’t have a heart that breaks for the families and communities of these men? Thankfully it seems those who have abused authority in these cases will be held accountable, but that doesn’t eliminate all the pain. Now we must continue to labor for the end of injustice as the people of God.

I have been too silent on justice issues. I must lend my voice. It feels inadequate, but it’s a start. To be clear, I feel no pressure to be held captive to our culture’s incessant desire for me to feel outrage every minute of every day, or even to have an opinion on everything. Social media can become merely a space to rant, and I refuse to let it be only that for me. But, like it or not, this is our generation’s public square. In Proverbs 1 we’re told that wisdom shouts in the streets, and the internet has become one metaphorical street corner, so I’m speaking up. It seems my silence communicates loudly that my heart isn’t broken, and it is, so I will use my voice.

You too can lend your voice. You may not have the loudest voice, and the next right action may be unclear, but you have a voice. I simply must give voice to what breaks the heart of God. It must break my heart too. However, the Lord does call me to not only have an opinion but to feel the weight of the racial divide in our nation. He is a God of equality and justice. I must feel the pain of injustice, pray for its end, and seek to understand those affected by it and labor for its defeat.