The Hard Road
Our Shared Humanity Trumps Our Differences
I watched a short but powerful video clip. A police officer identified as a Sheriff was speaking with a group of protesters and fellow police officers. In the video, he is not wearing a helmet or any type of anti-riot gear. He can be heard telling the protesters that he has removed his helmet and dropped his baton because he feels that this (the protests against the killing of George Floyd) shouldn’t be a protest but rather a parade. He is seen greeting protesters with high fives and handshakes and explaining that the police love them and care.
He then makes a plea, saying ‘So you tell us what you need to do’ to which the protesters chant ‘Walk with us, walk with us’. In response, he starts moving urging them to come along saying ‘Let’s walk, Let’s walk’. I have watched that video over and over and it has such a powerful message.
The Bible book of Proverbs 15:1 reads ‘A soft answer turneth away wrath but grievous words stir up anger’ (KJV)
The gentleman in the video clip I mentioned above exemplifies this and teaches a few object lessons:-
• When there is conflict, wisdom demands that we find a way to douse anger, reduce tension and avoid further escalation
• When emotions run high and the air is heavy with palpable tension, it is best to find common…
