When you don’t get the grade, ruling or outcome that you expect in life, frustration rears its ugly head. In the moments following the verdict on the death of Trayvon Martin, horrific tweets, riots and protests took center stage in the media. Instead of peace and satisfaction, the African American community felt betrayed, expecting a different outcome. In the end, Trayvon is gone, the jury has spoken and its time to move on.
On August 28th, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous I have a dream speech. As I read through his text today, I am compelled to move people toward solutions and steer clear of holding grudges. Dr. King spoke about brotherhood, embracing all of God’s children and judging people by the content of their character. Unfortunately, too many individuals still see issues in black and white instead of being one nation under God. Honor Dr. King by being a vessel of action, changing our culture with a Christ like faith, Matthew 19:26.
One of my favorite songs comes from the artist Geoff Moore & the Distance. In the lyrics of Through It from his 1999 album, Geoff sings about the trials people face in life. As the chorus goes, “sometimes, we need to go through the fire, to move beyond the obstacles staring us in the face.” While it will take some time for Trayvon’s mother and family to let go of the pain they are feeling, the rest of our nation must move on. There is only one judge, who we will all stand before on Judgment Day, Matthew 12:36, to judge the innocent and guilty. Until this day, let us strive to fulfill Dr. King’s dream by applying biblical principles.
by Jay Mankus