A Witness in Broad Daylight
The vast majority of our city and nation gave a huge collective sigh of relief on Tuesday with the announcement of a guilty verdict in the trial in Minneapolis. Our judicial system did what it is supposed to do. After due process and respect for the rights of the accused, “we the people of the jury” pronounced a man guilty for murdering George Floyd in broad daylight in front of video cameras and witnesses, and his police uniform he wore at the time could not shield him from being held accountable when he violated police training and values in this act.
Truth of a Witness
It may seem like a low bar to cross, but yet it is a historic one. It is not hard to imagine how there might have been a different outcome more in line with the initial public statement, “Man dies after medical incident during police interaction.” If not for the truth told by the video of a 17-year old girl, the testimony of other ordinary people who spoke up and gave witness to the truth, and a police chief who put truth and the public good above other concerns, this case may not have had the same transformative outcome. Witnesses shed light on truth that can lead to repentance and change. Apart from witnesses, however, darkness prevails and the truth can easily be distorted or hidden.
Witness to the Truth of Christ
This past Sunday we focused on Jesus’ words, “You are witnesses of these things.” How does our witness for the truth of Christ impact the world around us? When we remain silent, make excuses for what is wrong, or keep our faith as a private matter not to be shared or discussed outside the walls of the church, we give cover for spiritual darkness. May our voices and actions clearly point to Christ and his kingdom as we proclaim repentance for the forgiveness of sin in his name to all nations (Luke 24:46-48).
