Breaking News: Jesus of Nazareth was summoned back to Ferguson, Missouri in the aftermath of a grand jury's decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson for killing an unarmed African American man, Michael Brown. Demonstrations and protests have been carried out in different cities of the U.S.A. There have been reports of burned businesses, and overturned police cars. Emotions, as can be expected, are running high.
Once again we are faced with a situation where a Caucasian police officer is cleared in the shooting and killing of a black person. It is reminiscent of the Rodney King situation in Los Angeles some years ago. The police officers who beat the living hell out of King, were cleared and exonerated of any wrong doing, because they "were doing their job." That is exactly what officer Darren Wilson claims, i.e. "I was doing my job." In the case of King, it took a Presidential act in order to get the officers who brutalized him back to court to get not only indicted, but also convicted, and sentenced.
The questions for us might be the following:
1. Will the decision of the grand jury not to indicted Officer Wilson stand or will another Presidential act generate him coming back to court?
2. Will the African American and Latino community continue to demonstrate and protest until this is done or will they "cool down" after a while?
3. Will people continue to believe Officer Wilson's narrative about self-defense and Brown's refusal to comply with the orders given to him?
There are no simple answers to these questions. Like with similar situations, the matter is very complex. It is said that Michael Brown was no angel, and that just prior to getting killed, he was involved in an act of criminal behavior. Other narratives have Officer Wilson not being angelic either, and that he had a history of contemptuous relations with the African American community.
But now that Jesus is back in Ferguson, what can we expect him to do? Will he side with law enforcement or will he side with the community? Will he refuse to make that dichotomy between law enforcement and community? Will he console the family of Michael Brown while applauding the decision of the grand jury not to indict Darren Wilson?
While only time will tell as to what Jesus will do relative to these issues, I am convinced of this:
1. Jesus will condemn the fact the so-called "law enforcement" was not established for the safety and well-being of the African American and other socially oppressed communities. The well-being and safety of socially oppressed groups is a secondary consideration, subordinate to the protection of the interests of the white power structure in the U.S.A., if a consideration at all. One would have to be either outright naïve or outright dishonest to deny this.
2. Jesus will continue to exercise pastoral care to the family of Michael Brown as well to other families who have lost loved ones tragically.
3. Jesus will continue to address issues of the dual-headed monster of individual and institutional racism.
4. Jesus will continue to mobilize the community around issues of oppression such as racism, classism, and sexism.
5. Jesus will continue to promote the fight for justice, not the American way, but in a global manner.
Please feel free to comment on the points in this essay. Your contribution will be enlightening and helpful.
Grace and peace,
Dr. Juan A. Ayala-Carmona
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