Amid all the dark news from
Ferguson last week, my Acculturated colleague Chelsea Samuelson still managed
to find “rays
of light and hope” emanating from the rioting. Another bit of inspirational
positivity came in the unexpected form of a viral Facebook
post from New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson, who touched literally
hundreds of thousands of readers with his honest introspection about the racially
charged controversy.
Following his Monday night game
against the Baltimore Ravens, the 33-year-old Watson wrestled with his feelings
about the grand jury decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting
of Michael Brown. Watson decided to write them all down: his anger,
frustration, fear, embarrassment, and ultimately his hope. That Facebook post
has garnered, as of this writing, more than 732,ooo “likes” and over 404,000
shares.
“I'M ANGRY because the stories of
injustice that have been passed down for generations seem to be continuing
before our very eyes,” he began. Then he made an interesting observation about
the cultural milieu in which such confrontations take place: “I'M FRUSTRATED,
because pop culture, music and movies glorify these types of police citizen
altercations and promote an invincible attitude that continues to get young men
killed in real life, away from safety movie sets and music studios.”
He went on to talk about his
determination to go “the extra mile to earn the benefit of the doubt” when
people view him, a black male, with suspicion. He expressed his embarrassment
over the lawless looting that “confirms” and “validates” black stereotypes. And
yet he’s hopeful, “because I know that while we still have race issues in
America, we enjoy a much different normal than those of our parents and
grandparents... And it’s a beautiful thing.”
I can vouch that it is a beautiful thing, because I’ve been
around long enough to witness that sea change in race relations – although I
also believe those relations in America have dipped in recent years to their
lowest ebb since the 1960s. Nevertheless, Watson’s positive perspective is a
welcome relief from the relentless race-baiting that goes on in the media.
“The only way we can move forward
in any of this is to talk about it and to be honest,” Watson told
a sports reporter in the locker room. “When it’s simply hatred, violence,
finger-pointing, those sorts of things… and sometimes you feel like doing that,
yes, but on the other side, it’s important to think about how you feel, why you
feel about it, and take time to listen to how somebody else feels because of
their life experiences.” If only Watson’s reasonable voice had a more prominent
media presence than that of some of the self-designated civil rights leaders
who are exacerbating racial tensions in Ferguson rather than resolving them.
Then Watson turned, in his Facebook
post, to a religious interpretation of the controversy and its solution:
Ultimately the
problem is not a SKIN problem, it is a SIN problem. SIN is the reason we rebel
against authority. SIN is the reason we abuse our authority. SIN is the reason
we are racist, prejudiced and lie to cover for our own. SIN is the reason we
riot, loot and burn. BUT I'M ENCOURAGED because God has provided a solution for
sin through his son Jesus and with it, a transformed heart and mind. One that's
capable of looking past the outward and seeing what’s truly important in every
human being.
The cure, Ben Watson wrote, for incidents
like the shooting deaths of Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin “is not education
or exposure. It’s the Gospel. So, finally, I’M ENCOURAGED because the Gospel
gives mankind hope.” His Christian take on the current racial strife may be
unsatisfying for some, but it’s the only perspective I’ve heard that offers
hope and understanding for Ferguson.
(This article originally appeared here on Acculturated, 12/1/14)
