Why We Ought to Thank God for & Pray for the Government & Law Enforcement... (1)

Why We Ought to Thank God for and Pray for the Government and Law Enforcement Even When We Don't Agree With Them

SCRIPTURE: Romans 13:1-6

In recent months, all the way up until today, the issue of police officers indiscriminately harassing, arresting, and/or killing young black men has been at the top of our news cycle repeatedly. Last week, the ruling of the Ferguson grand jury in the case of Police Officer Darren Wilson shooting 18-year-old Michael Brown came down. Many in the community there reacted negatively to what they believed was an unfair decision. Some said it was a man getting away with murder just because he happened to be a police officer. The angst of that community boiled over, not only in Ferguson, but across the nation, and led to two days of marches, protests, and in some places, violence, looting, and rioting. 
 
Our hearts go out to the family of Michael Brown, as well as the families of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Akai Gurley, and especially Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy who was shot by police in Cleveland. These families and many others had an empty seat at the Thanksgiving table last week because of tragic circumstances involving law enforcement officials. We cannot begin to understand the depth of their pain.
 
Now, in light of all of the protests and debates that are going on about race in this country, including in the Christian community, let me say that I love being black; I love how God made me. I am not one of these blacks who strangely want to be white, or who do not feel validated unless they are approved by whites, or who feel like they have to have a white wife to be somebody. We have too many black people like that in the church today...