Let Justice Roll!
Joe Alain
Amos 5:24
The Civil Rights monument in Montgomery, Alabama references these words, ''But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!'' (Amos 5:24). The monument's artist, Maya Lin was inspired by the healing properties of water, water here being a metaphor for justice. The prophet Amos expressed that justice is to be allowed to flow freely, unimpeded or not redirected. Only when allowed to flow in that way is it true justice.
''Let justice roll!'' That is the cry of our day. The latest battle in the ongoing struggle for justice began back on February 23rd when Ahmaud Arbery, a 25 year old African American man was fatally shot as he jogged in a Brunswick, GA neighborhood. We were shocked. And then things escalated, we reached what many are calling a tipping point on May 25th when George Floyd, a 46 year old African American was restrained by a knee to the neck hold by Derek Chauvin. Then we were horrified. Approaching 9 minutes the video was almost too painful to watch. That event ignited a firestorm around our nation, with renewed calls for justice, which continues today.
''No justice no peace'' has been the rallying cry of millions of our fellow Americans. The phrase expresses a powerful statement of truth, ''If we are to be a people at peace, peace with one another, then justice must work equally for everyone,'' it must roll like a river, unimpeded. But what is this justice that we are talking about? How we view justice is complicated and may depend on our history, our upbringing, our status, and yes, even our color?
It helps me to understand better how my black brothers and sisters feel by remembering an event that happened to me years ago, an experience that has helped to shape how I view our current situation with more empathy than perhaps I would have previously. I was stopped for a simple illegal lane change in downtown Baton Rouge. The police officer who pulled me over, a woman ...
Joe Alain
Amos 5:24
The Civil Rights monument in Montgomery, Alabama references these words, ''But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!'' (Amos 5:24). The monument's artist, Maya Lin was inspired by the healing properties of water, water here being a metaphor for justice. The prophet Amos expressed that justice is to be allowed to flow freely, unimpeded or not redirected. Only when allowed to flow in that way is it true justice.
''Let justice roll!'' That is the cry of our day. The latest battle in the ongoing struggle for justice began back on February 23rd when Ahmaud Arbery, a 25 year old African American man was fatally shot as he jogged in a Brunswick, GA neighborhood. We were shocked. And then things escalated, we reached what many are calling a tipping point on May 25th when George Floyd, a 46 year old African American was restrained by a knee to the neck hold by Derek Chauvin. Then we were horrified. Approaching 9 minutes the video was almost too painful to watch. That event ignited a firestorm around our nation, with renewed calls for justice, which continues today.
''No justice no peace'' has been the rallying cry of millions of our fellow Americans. The phrase expresses a powerful statement of truth, ''If we are to be a people at peace, peace with one another, then justice must work equally for everyone,'' it must roll like a river, unimpeded. But what is this justice that we are talking about? How we view justice is complicated and may depend on our history, our upbringing, our status, and yes, even our color?
It helps me to understand better how my black brothers and sisters feel by remembering an event that happened to me years ago, an experience that has helped to shape how I view our current situation with more empathy than perhaps I would have previously. I was stopped for a simple illegal lane change in downtown Baton Rouge. The police officer who pulled me over, a woman ...
There are 10351 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
