What is it and why should it concern us?

Response to last week's editorial

Does the Messiah's skin colour matter?

Church silence has given voice to extremists

Can humanity create heaven on earth?

Truth suppressed as few speak up for the unborn

George Floyd’s funeral lifted up the name of Jesus

A plea amidst the shouting and turmoil

Interracial tensions continue to mount as protests are planned across the nation.

After the recent outbreaks of racial violence, today (Friday 15 July) a 'Day of Rage' is being called across America. Protests appear to be being planned in at least 37 different cities and military personnel have been warned to stay away.¹

Following the high-profile police shootings of two black men, Alton Sterling (5 July, Louisiana) and Philando Castile (6 July, Minnesota), and the retaliatory killing of five police officers in Dallas, Texas (7 July) during a Black Lives Matter protest, racial tensions in America seem to have reached their worst point in decades.

Graphic Shootings

The first two shootings, which appeared to involve unwarranted use of force by police, were caught graphically on camera and later televised/posted on social media, provoking a surge of anger across the nation and elsewhere (over here there have been protests in Manchester, Bradford, Leeds, Nottingham – with a march in London scheduled for Monday²). The divide between the establishment and the people, it seems, has never been wider – causing concern about a more general breakdown in the social order.

Lawsuits have been launched against police, who have complained of feeling threatened and vulnerable on a daily basis. Obama, who has been criticised for not doing enough during his presidency to change the clear inequalities in American policing, has cut short his visit to Europe and returned home to meet with police chiefs, activists and politicians to try to find ways to keep the peace and restore trust in the law enforcement system.

Today, protests are being called in at least 37 different cities – needless to say, the potential for these to boil over or be exploited for more violent purposes is considerable.

Highly Volatile Situation

There is some dispute as to the reliability of these protest calls, which are being attributed widely to activist group Anonymous, as similar calls in 2014 after the killing of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri were exposed later as fake.³ However, their potential to inspire and spark protests remains potent, even if they remain 'unofficial' calls.

This is a highly complex and volatile situation with a long and difficult history. For Americans, it touches several nerves at once – not least gun control, racism, socio-economic inequality and the role of the police to 'protect' people.

Our American correspondent, Linda Louis-vanReed, has made a special request for prayer following two nights of protests very close to her. She has also requested prayer for the Ferguson Chief of Police, who is a committed Christian.

We ask that you join us in prayer today for the towns and cities across America:

• Pray that God would raise up his people at this time to be a voice of peace and reconciliation to a divided, hurting nation.
• Pray for America's leaders as they navigate the explosive situation. Pray for the Lord to raise up new Martin Luther King Jrs who will rally those hungry for justice together under the banner of peace-loving leadership.
• Pray that the situation would not be given over to further violence, but that the Lord would have his hand on it and somehow turn it for his glory.

References

1 Halper, D and Schram, J. Defense Department workers warned to avoid 'day of rage' protests. New York Post, 14 July 2016.

2 Farrow, A. Black Lives Matter protests continue in Britain - here's how you can get involved. Socialist Worker, 13 July 2016.

3 LaCapria, K. Anonymous 'Day of Rage' Protests. Snopes, 11 July 2016.