After Ferguson is Racial Reconciliation Possible?

As a kid growing up I was taught not to ever play the ‘what if game’. So this morning after waiting to hear the verdict last night that the world was impatiently seeking, I want to think for a few moments about the ‘what if’s’ of that day in August. I have lived most of my life around people with color and have chosen over the last decade to work in a neighborhood where I’m the minority. So my reactions to many friends who have already posted and talked about injustice I hope will listen first before shutting down to a plea for seeking the truth and not assuming that racism is always at the bottom of everything.

What if that morning a teen and a friend had decided to go to church that day and be mentored by a neighborhood leader instead of just chilling and hanging? What if these teens had been a different color or in lived in a different neighborhood? What if they had chosen to actually purchase those little cigars instead of ripping them off? What if they had chosen to walk on the sidewalk and not challenge a policeman? What if they had decided to respect authority and just walk away from a policeman regardless of how they perceived him? What if this teen had been a midget instead of what would seem like a giant to most?

I know that the reality is that there is a family and community that will mourn the tragic death of a teen who was bound for college. I know that we live in a society where racism continues to dominate the media, our churches and the small businesses that are attempting to survive in Ferguson. I also am ashamed of the fact that many regardless of color or religious background had already decided the fate of the Officer in question before hearing the real evidence in the case.

What if a policeman had chosen not to respond to a reported shoplifting incident after aiding a mom with a baby in distress that day? What if this officer in question had allowed the teen that appeared to be bigger than life and aggressive to actually take his weapon without a struggle? If this had been an officer killed on duty story would it be any better or different?

There are many victims from this unfortunate tragedy in August. The villains are those who have chosen to lute, steal, destroy and fabricate stories that are far from the truth. I don’t understand what it would be like to lose a son or have a brother who is now unable to find a job and lives in total fear. I would hope that it would be possible to dialogue about what really happened that day in August, yet the many different sides to this incident seem unable to make concessions and see there is more to this than meets the eye.

Yes, the ‘what if game’ doesn’t bring back a son or restore someone’s career!  My hope is that all of us can be quicker to see our part in causing incidents like this because of our own biases and prejudices that impact the world around us. I don’t believe anyone can walk away from this tragedy with impunity as one person expressed themselves. This only reflects on how desperate our society is in need of addressing racial and spiritual reconciliation for there to be the potential of redemption on the part of all racial groups.