Caution: Method May Muddy Message

Caution: Method May Muddy Message

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

The situation in our nation today is grievous. The act that instigated the violence is egregious. It is so egregious that it should have united us as a nation in our protest. In fact, we are in agreement that the act was heinous and that justice must come forth. It is not the protesting that has divided us, it is the method of protesting.

As so often happens in protesting that agitates violence, destruction and wrath, the message of the protest is lost in the method of the protest. That, too, is egregious. It isn’t the right to protest that is dangerous. It is our methods of protesting that can lead to our loss of that liberty.

How then shall we protest? As always, the word of God is our guide (even if we don’t believe in God).

Consider Isaiah 1:16b-17: Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.

First, we must cease to do evil. Burning, pillaging and looting are evil. We must learn to do good.

Look again at the first amendment. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

We must peacefully assemble. People in Philadelphia and in other places have been peacefully protesting for days. They are marching together, praying together, loving together. They have learned to do good. In that goodness, they are seeing justice, they are reproving the oppressor. Their message is not muddied by their methods.

Study Amos 5:24: But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream. A key word in this passage is “let.” To let means to allow. We must ask ourselves if our method of protesting allows justice to run down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream or does our method of protesting prevent justice and righteousness from pouring forth.

Take to heart Micah 6:8: 8. He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? Am I walking justly, mercifully and humbly in my protest? Martin Luther King did and so can we.