Believe it or not, I didnt wait and watch for the announcement of the Ferguson decision last night, because I was on mom duty - helping my beloved son finish a school project, and having a heart-to-heart chat with my beloved daughter late into the evening. So I awoke this morning to the news of an angered city, once again under destruction, because of a grand jury decision to move on without a jury trial in the Michael Brown case. As a former journalist who covered grand jury decisions and murder trials for several years, Im wise enough to know that the media cant get all of the facts in front of the public; so more than we know may have gone into this decision. But as a mother, I can tell you the news made me hug my brown son a little tighter this morning, and try to give him a reasonable explanation for the images of looting and burning he saw on TV while getting dressed for school. There is no explanation, though... No way to explain to him that when he leaves the cocoon of home, church and school where he is viewed as a worthwhile individual and valued for who he is, he must be careful. I felt the need to remind him that he matters, and to craft a plan to help him stay safe when hes around people who dont know his heart or character, and to lift prayers for all who are stunned, angry and disheartened by all thats unfolding in the St. Louis area. We are our brothers and sisters keepers, everyone - no matter the shade of our skin or our personal understanding (or not) of what someone elses existence is like. Even in imperfect situations with imperfect people, we must look beyond our differences to the heart of the matter: Every life has value, and every mother wants to hug her son goodnight, scold him when he gets off track, and watch him rise another day to learn from his mistakes, mature and hopefully become a better man. So rather than cast stones at the people who arent handling their grief and anger in the right way, or who dont understand or agree with how youre personally feeling about this decision, try to share openly and calmly with the person standing before you and really SEE that person, as one with a heart, a soul and a family, and do your part to begin healing our nations deep wound - one person at a time, one extension of grace at a time. Your life matters, too.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 12:32:09 +0000
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