Mike Slaughter
George Floyd was the unarmed black man who was handcuffed and pinned to the ground by four Minneapolis police officers on Monday, May 25. He can be heard pleading for his life for almost four minutes with an officer’s knee crushing his neck to the pavement. Bystanders can be heard on a video trying to get the officers to stop. Floyd’s last words were, “I can’t breathe,” while calling for his mother.
I work with a group of very bright students in an economically challenged neighborhood in the Cincinnati area. Those of us who have been born in white privilege are often blind to the challenges that children of color have growing up in a climate of fear. The emotional and psychological impact of racism is deeply ingrained in our culture.
I sat down a few years ago with a group of students from our student leadership team and asked their perspectives about their own experience of racism. I would encourage you to take four minutes to listen deeply to their feelings and then leave a response. I also encourage you to share this with others.
Mike Slaughter, pastor emeritus and global church ambassador for Ginghamsburg Church, served for nearly four decades as the lead pastor and chief dreamer of Ginghamsburg and the spiritual entrepreneur of ministry marketplace innovations. Mike is also the founder and chief strategist of Passionate Churches, LLC, which specializes in developing pastors, church staff and church lay leaders through coaching, training, consulting and facilitation services. Mike’s call to “afflict the comfortable” challenges Christians to wrestle with God and their God-destinies. Mike’s latest book Revolutionary Kingdom: following the Rebel Jesus is available on Amazon and Cokesbury.
1 comment
Join the conversationBud Slife - May 29, 2020
Hi Pastor Mike,
Racism and bigotry have existed for 1,000’s of years. It is wrong, period. We must not be quick to judge people, White, Black, Hispanic, Asian.We are ALL Gods children and as such deserve to be treated with respect. I am extremely disappointed with any group of people who resort to violence and breaking the law in our country. I have witnessed discrimination and been the victim of discrimination throughout my lifetime. I have been robbed at gunpoint 4 times, mugged by a group of three individuals all the while being called vicious racist names. These incidents all occurred at the hands of African Americans. The individuals who assaulted me don’t represent the African American race, they were a few bad people doing bad things. While it took me awhile to not be looking over my shoulder to ensure someone wasn’t preparing to commit a crime, I respect all races. We are the human family. GOD’S family. No one owes me anything and I don’t owe anyone else anything, except respect, and to share God’s love, mercy and grace. Praying for our nation and our world!!!
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