“I Can’t Breathe!”
For 8 minutes and 46 seconds on May 25, 2020 George Floyd pleaded for his life. He told the officer that he could not breathe, and he even called out for his mother. His mother passed away two years ago. Is George Floyd a martyr? It depends on how you define a martyr. Candance Owens says that George Floyd is not a martyr. She points out George Floyd’s past criminal life. Please note, we all have a past. And all of our pasts are not polished silver. George Floyd is a victim. He represents a list of many who have died at the hands of police brutality.
It is not my intention to glamorize George Floyd’s life. His life represents the vast segment of the population, George Floyd was a victim. Did he have a questionable past? Probably. Was he the idea citizen? Probably not. But we are not idea either. No matter how you dress, where you live, where you work, and what you drive, we all are contaminated by the sickness called sin. It effects the highest and the lowest. But I do what to first highlight the problem and then present a plan to move forward.
George Floyd’s last words on this earth were, “I can’t breathe.” He could not breathe because a police officer had his knee on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
Let me take this moment to talk about what happens after the protesting and the marching. I am grateful that young people are taking the charge to lead this effort throughout our nation. But what is your next move? Let me list some insights on strategies moving forward.
Personal Plan
1. Study God’s word to know and see who He is
2. Educate yourself
3. Financial freedom
Collective Plan
This movement is not produced by the church. Young people of all colors are leading this front. The ‘Black Lives Matter” movement is a grassroot mobilization of young people who are in the words of Fannie Lou Hamer, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired!”
But the movement must be more than just protest. What are your demands? What will you do? Have a plan. Here is a snapshot of a plan. You can classify it as a 5 year, 10 year, 20 year plan etc.
1. Stop demanding for the control sectors to treat you better. You must infiltrate all of their systems by becoming apart of the power machine. And then you can offset change (Consider the grassroots efforts of the Tea Party a few years ago and how they lead the movement to elect Donald Trump in 2016). To give a list of demands only signifies that you have a slave’s view or a tenant or sharecropper’s view and not a headship view (Deut 28:13).
a. You must educate yourself to become a judge, a police officer, a legislator, police chief, district attorney…
b. You must run for office and present bills to change the system.
2. Stop just being a consumer and own and earn wealth. You won’t tear down and destroy stores that you own, but you will tear someone else’s down.
3. Stop doing business with companies that don’t support your interest and efforts. The Black GDP in America is $1.5 trillion dollars (Black Enterprise Magazine November 13, 2017).
a. Larry Elder said, “If black America were a country, it’d be the 15th wealthiest nation in the world.” (Comment on CNN, August 20, 2014/PolitiFact – Online source accessed June 7, 2020)
b. Start supporting black owed businesses.
4. Go back to church!
Jesus, on the cross dying had a plan. Look at John 19:28-30,
28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.
30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
What is your plan? How will you carry it out? Jesus’ plan was not for someone else to do the work. Christ came and did the work himself (Rom 5:8). Your plan should also involve you.
Maybe George Floyd was not a righteous man, but he was a man. No matter what kind of man he was, he did not deserve to die like that.
Did George Floyd die for the cause of many? If given the choice, Mr. Floyd probably would have chosen not to die. But Christ had determined to die before the world began. Let’s talk about Jesus’ death.
Romans 5: (KJV)
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
(CEV)
6 Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. 7 No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. 8 But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.
When Jesus was on the cross and he asked for something to drink. Three things were involved. One, he was fulfilling scripture, Ps 69:21. Secondly, his body weight was collapsing on his rib cage. He was dying of suffocation. He couldn’t breathe. It took Jesus three hours to die. George Floyd only had 9 minutes.
“Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all this world go free? No there’s a cross for everyone and there’s a cross for me.”
Thirdly, Jesus was in control of the situation. He later said, “It is finished.” What is finished? His mission, his purpose. What is our purpose with this great campaign that is being demonstrated on the streets? I’ve listed a plan. It is left to this generation to have a long-term plan/goal and see it through. Remember the plan also involves you too. It is not the simple plea of asking someone to do for you. John Kennedy said, “Ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country.” I say, “Ask, as black America, what can I do for my people and for the generation to follow.
Yes, Jesus was crucified. But three days later he rose from the grave. That is my plea with you, “Finish it.” Have a 5 year plan, 10 year plan, a twenty year plan… Finish it!
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