Emotions continue to run high in the wake of the George Zimmerman verdict, and many Christians are left wondering how to respond.
In a blog post, pastor Greg Surratt summarizes his five thoughts in the wake of the trial: First, "no one won;" second, "only two people really know the truth;" third, "our justice system worked;" fourth, "the Trayvon Martin family were incredibly gracious and respectful in their response;" and fifth, "God can bring good out of anything." Surratt quotes Matthew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God," and goes on to ask: "What if we all prayed for His kingdom to come and His will to be done? What if we all acted with humility rather than hubris? What if we saw the world through lenses of 'we' rather than 'us versus them'? What if?"
A RELEVANT magazine commentary states that now the verdict is behind us, it's "time for many of us to wake up. It's time to start listening. ... While there is a place for a debate about what that ruling may or may not mean, our first step must be to open up to a reality outside our personal experience. If we refuse to listen to the stories of our brothers and sisters in this moment, refuse to acknowledge the ongoing reality of a country in which young men cannot wear hoods on a chilly morning, we — people with and without privilege — will continue to be baffled by the next judicial verdict that will again tear open our country's tender racial wound."
And in his column on ReligionToday.com, Dr. Albert Mohler of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary says: "The central tragedy remains. There are pundits on all sides taking advantage of this case and controversy. I do not want to become one of them. This nation needs a deep and intensive conversation about racial profiling, self-defense laws, and a range of issues related to this tragic case."
How do you believe the church and individual Christians should respond to these issues?
Anna Kuta is the editor of ReligionToday.com.