JESUS SAID THIS: (from the paraphrase called the Message...to read it in other translations, go to Biblegateway.com)
38-42"Here's another old saying that deserves a second look: 'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.' Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.
43-47"You're
familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its
unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm
telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you,
not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the
energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves,
your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the
sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good
and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you
expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those
who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does
that.
48"In a word,
what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it.
Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously
toward others, the way God lives toward you."
by Chris Lahr, Red Letter Christians
My
church (Iglesia del Barrio) is located in the neighborhood called
Kensington, known as one of the most economically oppressed
neighborhoods in Philadelphia, as well as the home to several of the top ten drug corners
in the city. One summer, I was pulled over by the police. When I told
them I was a youth pastor at Iglesia del Barrio, they thought I was
being “smart.” They told me to get out of the car… place my hands on
top of the trunk…. and they proceeded to frisk me. I didn’t do anything
illegal, I guess they thought I had to be up to something, being a
white guy, in “the hood.” Why else would I drive through this
neighborhood, unless I was up to “no good? ”
This would not be the last time I had a run in with the police. A
few years ago we had the small side window in the back of our car
smashed by some local kids. Nothing was stolen, and it was more of an
inconvenience than anything. Because we had just paid to replace the
side mirror from an all too common hit-and-run accident on our street,
we decided to fix our window with duct tape! I figured if it were good
enough to cover my pocket calendar and butt-Bible (pocket Testament),
then it would be fine to fix the window.
One evening, after “Youth Night” at our church, I took a couple youth
home and I passed a police officer. I saw him eye-ballin’ me but I
didn’t think much about it. He even drove up next to me… but, all
seemed well, until I made the turn onto Frankford Ave. Suddenly the
lights go on and he pulls us over. He asked about the duct tape window,
and asked to see my license and registration. Apparently he believed
my story, and eventually let us go.
The next week was a little more dramatic. Once again, I was taking
the same two kids home, and I was even turning onto the same street.
This time I was very aware of my surroundings, taking mental notes of
any police presence. As I waited at the stoplight I saw a police car
down the street to my left. Should I go ahead and turn on red? It was
legal, but would the police take notice and try to stop me? Ahhh, I’m
being paranoid. I turned. I watched. Yes! The police officer is not
moving, we made it! Made what? What is happening to me? Is there any
cause to fear the police when I know I have done nothing wrong?
Then it happened. A bright light shone down on our car. Initially I
thought it was the second coming of Jesus and I asked the youth with me
if they were ready to meet their Maker. After a while went by, and I
was unable to hear the Angel’s trumpets, I realized it was a police
helicopter! This is not an uncommon sight in our neighborhood but what
was different about this particular situation was that as I drove down
the street, the light kept following me! Sure enough, there was a
police car speeding down notorious Frankford Ave. I thought they must
be after the car in front of us, since they had pulled over so quickly.
Oh wait… those were undercover cops. In fact there were two cars
filled with undercover cops. Before I knew it, several police cars and a
helicopter had surrounded us. We were busted! Wait a minute… we
didn’t do anything. The police officer yelled at me to turn off the
car. He then asked me about the good ol’ duct tape.
I proceeded to tell the police officer that I work with youth at
Iglesia del Barrio, etc. They took my driver’s license and
registration. As we were waiting, the fifteen-year old sitting in the
back asked one of the undercover police if he wanted one of his pretzels
that he was eating. He wasn’t being rude about it, or even trying to
be that funny. He was offering a pretzel. The undercover cop said, “Do
you think you’re funny? How would you like me to smash your $%#@ face
into the cement and kick in your teeth? I think that would be funny.”
What? Smash your face and kick in your teeth? For what? Offering a
pretzel? I sat there stunned…
The undercover cops quickly got back into their cars and off they went looking for their next victims.
The uniformed police gave me back my license and registration. He said
that he was sorry for the trouble. I then said, “Excuse me officer. I
am not trying to be a jerk, but I really think it was wrong, the way
the undercover cop handled this situation.” I proceeded to tell him
that I thought it was very rude how he had handled himself and that I
thought it was a very racist act (the officer was white and the youth
was Puerto Rican). The officer then assured me that it didn’t matter if
the kid was “blue, purple, or yellow,” that what the undercover said
was not even true, he was only putting on an act! He informed
me that because they do not usually meet nice people on the street, they
have to put up the front that they are tough. He then said I should
get the window fixed because it was a red flag.
What does all of this mean? Are all police bad actors? Are my calendar and butt-Bible wrapped in gray duct tape also red flags? In all seriousness the situation shook us up a bit, especially the young man sitting in the back. First of all, they were not acting.
In that very neighborhood, as a congregation, we know personally, and
have seen with our own eyes… police brutality. We have seen people
thrown to the cement and beaten up by the police… it sure didn’t look
like they were acting! I wonder what would have happened if I actually
had stolen the car? Would they have still been acting? Or better yet, I
wonder what would have happened in the same situation if I had been
black?
The police officer told me that the gray duct tape was a red flag. What are some other red flags
police look for? Skin color? Certainly not!…We are all created equal
and have the same rights…or do we? Just a week after this event, the
police stopped a friend of mine who happens to be African- American.
They said he looked like someone they were looking for. His crime?
Walking around, minding his own business, and oh yeah….his skin is
black. He was detained for a few hours, asked too many questions, and
he said that he felt like a side-show. The police officer said that it
was my friend’s fault because he was wearing a hoody (hooded
sweatshirt), had his hands in his pockets (it was cold) and they thought
he looked shady (suspicious). Red flags. I never really knew about
them until that night. You see, they are these things that police look
for as signs of criminal activity. Obviously red flags range from gray
duct tape to hooded sweatshirts to someone warming their hands on a cold
evening to having black and brown skin.
It is amazing how having a red flag can change the way you live. If
you have gray duct tape you drive a little more careful, and every cop
you see makes you wonder if you will be pulled over again. The good
thing is that I can get rid of my red flag. But what happens if you
have a red flag that cannot be gotten rid of? I cannot even fathom.
Looking back over the situation I can only guess if I handled the
situation correctly. Part of me wonders if I should have confronted the
undercover immediately, rather than simply talking to the uniformed
cop. If he was only acting, I wonder how he would have re-acted to my displeasure of his comments? Also I wonder what sort of things I view as red flags?
What are my stereotypes? Why are they stereotypes? What stereotypes
have I been fed as a white, heterosexual male living in America? I am
beginning to think that a lot of people have a lot of red flags that
allow them to maintain power over others.
No comments:
Post a Comment