Time to bring hope

UM Men INSIGHTS Time to bring hope

By Louis Johnson

In our silence, following the brutal killing of Ahmaud Arbery, we are complicit in yet another tragedy against an unarmed Black man. In our silence, and misguided priorities, we have given, yet again, tacit approval to man’s inhumanity to man. In our silence, we relinquish all power vested in us to bring light to a dark and angry world.

We, my dear brothers, are not powerless to affect change in this instance. Indeed, we are called to act. We will not yield to the doers of evil. Instead, today, we stand up and let our light shine as men of God. Let us set aside our politics and worldly aspirations, acknowledging that perpetrators and victims alike, are our brothers and it is incumbent upon us to lead our families, our communities, our churches, and our nation out of this intolerable and despicable American nightmare.

Yes, it is on us to restore hope to what appears to be a hopeless situation. Our nation aches for our leadership.

We are required as leaders and fishers of men to call on our brothers (Black and White, Asian, and Hispanic) God’s men from every corner of the earth to say, “No more.” Let us seek peace and respect God’s creations. No man is entitled to take the life of another nor can we retreat to the comfort of our church pews in quiet, shameful, and silent cowardice. This is not what God would have us to do. This is not how Jesus would have us to behave toward one another and therefore, my brothers, because we know better, we must do better. Men, we express our unity today and forever, under one God, unified under one spirit to put the world on notice that we stand on one accord to:

Embrace legislation to establish statutes against hate crimes and require our government to eliminate all barriers and impediments to true justice for all.

Propose solutions and collaborative opportunities that bridge the divide between us through education and understanding.

Teach together, preach together, and pray together with one message of love, truth, and justice.

Bring down the walls of racism that separate us.

Eliminate violence against women and girls.

We call upon UM men to bring into being a new America where lives of Black men have the same value as the lives of White men, where every man is free to live the American dream, where our Asian and Latino brothers are valued because they are children of God.

Let us never be silent again. We stand together like David, armed with the power of God, with our rag and our stone, fearless to slay this mighty Goliath called racism and bigotry. This colossal giant was constructed through hatred and systematic injustice for over 400 years in America. Let us bring him down together once and for all – unafraid – leaving him still and quieted forevermore.

Louis Johnson is president of UM Men of the North Georgia Conference and second vice president of the Southeastern Jurisdiction UM Men.