Acknowledging Injustice

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference." - Elie Wiesel

Julian Edelman is one of our much beloved New England Patriots' player. I have always admired his athletic ability. There is something that I admire more about him however. It is his kindness and grace.

Philadelphia Eagles' wide receiver DeSean Jackson made an anti-Semitic remark over social media a few days ago. Edelman, who is Jewish, responded with an invitation to take Jackson to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. He could have looked the other way and ignored it altogether. But instead he used it as an opportunity to educate and take time to be with Jackson.

Regardless of if you participate in a faith tradition or not, let us not look away from the the horrors of anti-Semitism, racism, zenophobia, or anything that says people are less than others. As a white man I have had a lot of privileges given to me. There are things in our system and way of doing things that have benefited me and people like me. But the practice of my faith calls me away from this to work for justice and equality for all people.

The prolific writer, activist, and professor, Elie Wiesel, survived the concentration camps of Nazi Germany as a young boy. He would eventually make his way to America and New York City. Although Mr. Wiesel passed away four years ago, his writings and example still reverberate around the world. He was never shy about talking about the injustices that happen in humanity.

A topic he spoke of was indifference. To him there was a bigger problem than those that hate and committed injustices. It was the silent majority that looked away indifference because they just didn't want to deal with it. He would often talk about those in Germany that looked the other way while Jews were being murdered. He spent much of his life crying for indifference to injustice to end.

In the teachings of my Christian faith tradition, we overhear the Apostle Paul trying to tear the walls between people. Paul would often share in his writings that God loves every single person the same (Romans 8:10). The writer of the Book of James argued against showing favoritism to someone was not right (James 2:9).

One of my favorite chapters in the Bible Luke Chapter 14. In the majority of the chapter Jesus is the guest of honor at the home of a prominent person. He critiques the host about those that had been invited to the feast. Most hosts would only invite people considered important. He challenged the host and those there to invite those in poverty, the crippled, the lame and the blind. These were people marginalized and looked down upon. Let me also add Jesus was challenging those there not to be indifferent and look the other way to the injustices of the world. So basically He was saying they should do something! You are getting it wrong.

The time is now for us to do something about racism. Listen to the Black Lives Matter movement and their message. Let us work toward a world that never sees what happened to George Floyd and other Africans Americans. Let us work to bring justice to all people.

If you are sitting on the fence on the injustices, I pray that someone like Julian Edelman comes your way.

Blessings,

Rev. Baxter Chism