The video of the death of George Floyd still haunts us today. Seeing George Floyd slowly and painfully lose his life, has left us traumatized. This should not have happened whether it was videoed or not. It is a terrible reminder that racism continues to be a plague upon our nation and much remains to be done.
As followers of Jesus we are called to love our neighbors and this entails rejecting racism whether it is directed against our Black, Brown, Asian, or Jewish neighbors (or any other ethnicity). Police officers have a challenging job, but they must perform that challenging job with high ethical standards, proper protocols, and human decency.
Even with the guilty verdict, the Floyd family still suffers grief at the loss of their loved one. The conviction of one guilty police officer will not remove this plague from our land, but it is a hopeful beginning.
May God have mercy on us all.
Frank A. James III, DPhil, PhD
President and Professor of Historical Theology
Missio Seminary
