From my blog:
http://www.ryan-hayden.com Thanks for the ideas.
I don’t often blog about current events. As a pastor, I feel my time is far better served in writing about issues regarding the Bible and there are many far more talented writers than myself drenching every story in their viewpoints. Sometimes, however, a news story really gets ahold of me, and coincides with something in scripture I have been studying and I want to write about it.
The George Zimmerman - Trayvon Martin debacle is just such a story.
Recently, the press released information about both Trayvon and George Zimmerman that paints an entirely different story than what we heard when this was big news. I believe there is a huge amount of injustice in this case, and not enough people are crying out for the innocent.
So here is the question I want to write about?
What would God’s justice demand in the Trayvon Martin - George Zimmerman case?
The only way I know to answer that question is with Biblical principles. Let me give you two and then make two conclusions about the Zimmerman case:
Biblical Principles
1. Racism is sinful and inconsistent with the character of God. (or the character of biblical Christians.)
“And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.†Colossians 3:10–11
God is not a racist. His throne room will be populated with people from every tribe and nation. The Christian community in the book of Acts contained many people of various ethnic backgrounds and they were all on equal footing. The Christian church has a unique opportunity (and obligation) to show God’s love to the world by including and treasuring all of God’s diverse human creations, no matter their skin tone, language or place of birth.
“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.†1 Corinthians 12:13
Racism, wherever it is found, should be decried as loud as possible by the Christian community. If God loved people enough to send His son to die for them, we should love them enough to see justice done for them in the civic and political realms.
2. In God’s eyes, lethal force used in self-defense is not always justifiable.
There are many evangelicals and fundamentalists who have an extreme castle doctrine view of self-defense. They believe that anyone who threatens them or theirs in any way deserves to be blown away with the biggest shotgun, rifle or pistol they have at their disposal. These evangelicals might be surprised to find out that the biblical nation of Israel, whose laws came directly from God, might not be as friendly to their view of self defense as their South-of-the-Mason-Dixon-Line state happens to be.
“If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. 3 If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him;†Exodus 22:2–3
The law given in Exodus is perfect. Not in all ways permanent, but perfect, because it represents the perfect thoughts of an unchanging, perfectly just God. Exodus gives pretty clear instructions about what to do when someone kills in self-defense. Shockingly, they were not always to go unpunished. If killing was in any way avoidable (that’s what the “if the sun be risen upon him†bit in the verse above is probably speaking about), they were to be punished.
With those two principles in mind let me move on to my…
Conclusions
1. George Zimmerman should be held accountable for manslaughter or worse (if the prosecution can prove worse beyond reasonable doubt.)
George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin. Most likely, he did not have to. For that, according to Exodus, there should be some punishment and reparations to the Martin family.
If (and I don’t think they’ve done this yet) the prosecution can prove beyond reasonable doubt that Zimmerman’s act was more than just a botched attempt at self defense, then Zimmerman deserves whatever jail sentence that comes his way, or even the death penalty.
2. The race machine and postmodern left should be held accountable for it’s willingness to ruin a man’s life to make a political/racial point.
George Zimmerman is guilty in some way for the death of Trayvonn Martin, but he is no racist. Prior to this debacle, he led a campaign for justice in his city that sheds obvious light on the character of this would be “racist.†A police officials son was caught on camera sucker punching a homeless black man, and Zimmerman and his wife led a long campaign demanding justice. They worked closely with the NAACP, protested at town meetings, took to the internet, and were ultimately successful.
Those same NAACP people, who he had stood with months before, completely ignored that fact when Zimmerman became a public relations meatball pitch they could not resist trying to hit out of the park. They immediately cast him as a white racist who was picking on a poor and innocent black boy. Zimmerman, a man who they knew fought a color blind fight few would have cared about became their very public whipping boy. In an act of extreme irony, they led what they knew to be an unjust national campaign with the words “justice for Trayvon.†What could be more racist than igniting a national race debate with the actions of a man that they knew full well was not a racist? Is it not racist to make morally questionable accusations against a man’s character just because it benefits your race's cause? I think they did it with prejudice.
George Zimmerman is probably guilty of a stupid and excessive act of self-defense. The NAACP, and all of the media that spun their story, are guilty of willful, racist and fraudulent character assassination with the intent on ruining a man’s entire life and legacy.
I think we can know enough about God in His Word to know He would have justice done to both parties.
