Don't Pray for Baltimore

The sound of sirens filled the air all afternoon.  When I went to bed, they could still be heard in the distance.  This morning, instead of birds chirping outside my window, one lone siren in the distance could be heard.  Yesterday's late-breaking news of the peaceful protests, violent riots, fires and looting, State of Emergency, National Guard being called in, prayer walks, etc. turned into a sideshow for sidewalk-gawkers, local radio talk shows, major news broadcasts, and even international audiences.  Throughout the afternoon and evening, I received numerous messages inquiring as to my personal safety (which I appreciate, by the way).  Social media became a seemingly endless stream of condolences, petitions for justice, speculations, and calls for prayer for the city from those near and far.

 

Which brings me to my request: Please don't pray for Baltimore... and then just go about your day.  With the unparalleled amount of information that floods our news, advocacy groups, awareness days and ribbons, internet memes, online petitions and movements, and cries of outrage, armchair activism is one of the unfortunate by-products of increased globalization in our generation.  Supporting something has taken the form of clicking, liking, tweeting, sharing, thinking positive thoughts and well-wishing and good vibes, wearing a certain colored shirt on a specified day, wearing a certain colored ribbon on a specified day, being "aware" of a certain thing on a specified day, yadda yadda yadda.  This makes us feel good because we feel like we're making a difference. 

A week later, we're jumping on to the next issue social media decides is sexy.  

Go us.

If this is as far as you care to go to support my city, then please don't bother praying for Baltimore.  If you are truly concerned and moved by what you see, then do something.  Let's not be content to have "positive" feelings about something for five minutes and then jump back into whatever we were doing.  

Does it bother you that young, black men have to consciously think about what they are wearing during certain times of the day when they are out doing their business?  Then start some conversations.  Are you uncomfortable when you consider that lots of excellent law enforcement officers who have a passion to keep people are getting bricks and glass hurled at them?  Then call up their spouse who is sitting at home worried sick about them and ask to come over to be with them.  Do you get uneasy about the fact that these high schoolers feel so undervalued, disrespected, and uncared for that the only way they know how to be heard is to charge into a store with a baseball bat?  Then go introduce yourself to one, root for them during their basketball game, take them out for ice cream, and ask them what it's like being a teenager in 2015.  Are you saddened by the pictures of destruction to homes and communities and neighborhoods?  Look around your own community, grab some friends and gloves, and get to work.  Do you see the hurting faces, tear-stained with injustice?  Then ask yourself, "What injustice am I currently contributing to?" and go do something about it. 

And as you are doing, by all means, ask for God's help.  People change when God changes them.  So let's pray for that.  Not only for safety and inconvenience-free lives.  Not only for peaceful and calm, pristine-looking streets.  Pray that God will radically change hearts and turn lives upside-down.  But don't just pray and go about your day.