We Need An Answer

Psalm 138

The mainstream news outlets are filled with the events happening in Ferguson, Missouri. For a little more than a week now there have been daily clashes between the police and the citizens of that town, mostly in reaction to the shooting of an unarmed young man by a police officer. The young man was black and the police officer is white, which only served to exasperate the situation.

Or seemingly so.

History teaches us many lessons, one of which is that sooner or later people who are oppressed will rise as one and fight for their freedom.

I don't know much about the town of Ferguson, all I know is that for the people of that town to be as persistent as they are in their quest for justice, a terrible injustice must have been done. I also know that one such incident would not be enough to cause the scenes I've been seeing, but rather a series of events led them to be in the place they are.

I don't want to debate whether or not one side is correct or not in the actions they are taking. What I do want to focus on is how we might move forward from here.

There seems to be one thing the people of Ferguson want before they stop rioting - justice. They have said over and over that they want the police officer who shot the young man to be arrested and processed in the same way anyone else would be if they were in the same situation. Then, they want answers; they want to know what happened and they want to know in a the most transparent way possible.

It would seem that only after there are some answers, instead of excuses and non-information, peace will come.

Today's psalmist reminds us that sometimes our souls need answers in order to feel peace. Our lives can be filled with things that clutter our ability to feel joy, and sometimes those same things can block our ability to feel love from others, ourselves, or from God.

Maybe things aren't as extreme in our lives as they are in Ferguson. Maybe the things which cause our own unrest are as simple as a misunderstanding with our best friend or a life-partner who doesn't seem to be caring enough. Whatever the issue, though, if it's enough of a problem to keep us away from peace, it's enough of a problem to keep us away from God.

Call out to God, just as the people in Ferguson are calling out to their leaders. Let people know you're in need of answers, and don't stop until you find them. Then, when you get your answers, do your best to find understanding - an understanding of how your lives have gotten to where they are and how you can move forward from there.