injustice Archives - Sherry Stahl

CALLED TO SPEAK UP

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. Psalm 31:8-9 NLT

I’m grieved.

Literally sick to my stomach with all that has taken place and what is taking place in our world.

Covid-19 deaths and lockdown, racism, killing by those who are called on to protect, false, part-truth news reporting to cause division for profit or popularity, corrupt political and business leaders abusing their power, depression, anxiety, suicide, financial struggles, hunger, starvation, broken, hurting people acting out of their woundedness and division being spread in countries, cities and homes around the globe with much worse affects than the current plague.

If we don’t see a change soon, I’m fearful of where this will take us given the current trajectory of events.

Please read this post with the filter of love, a desire for unity and longing deep in my heart to break down dividing walls; not build them up.

Answering The Call

This is just me, answering the call of Proverbs 31:8-9 to speak up for the crushed, poor, and helpless with hope they will receive justice. I pray you’ll answer the same call to speak righteousness, justice, and truth in love.

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. Psalm 89:14 ESV

GEORGE FLOYD—The Crushed

On May 25, 2020 the world changed forever. George Floyd, an innocent man, lost his life because of a corrupt, racist group of police officers who abused their power and murdered him in front of a horrified audience. This one incident has brought to the surface a longstanding stronghold of racism towards black people that has been allowed to fester for centuries.

I don’t believe there’s any going back and I hope we make a change for the better, quick before too many lives are lost.

THE COVID FLUSH

I believe the isolation of Covid-19 Lockdown is bringing to the surface many old wounds that need to be healed, issues that were overdue to be dealt with and problems that have been ignored for much too long: globally, nationally, in our hearts and homes.

God is allowing long-standing strongholds to surface, so they can be severed.

I pray we recognize this and begin to make the changes necessary because it seems all hell is breaking loose. Anarchy has ensued because there is a loss of confidence in the government to care, protect or have people’s best interest at heart but rather to dominate. I hope you do not see my words as condoning the looting or vandalism, I do not condone illegal behaviour, but I also don’t condone government officials or other evil-acting persons who abuse others, even taking a life. All life is precious.

UNITY

During Lockdown I’ve been trying to stay positive and see God at work in people’s lives, which I believe He is, I could see it while online attending another global prayer meeting with Unite714. Praying for unity in this world.

UNITY: This is the heart of God.

UNITY: This is the nature of God.

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit; the triune God, three in one… complete unity, and that’s what He wants for His kids; the people of this world. There’s not a one He doesn’t love. Not a one He didn’t die to save.

SIGNS OF UNITY GROWING

Favourite Photo & Video From The Protests

Why? This picture gets me very emotional because the white police officer is holding this black woman like a son protecting his momma. She’s looking at him and has her arm around him, trusting him to protect. It’s the way it should be. It’s beautiful. I also love that this picture of a protest to show that American people believe black lives matter has only a few distinctively black protesters, most are white. #unityindiversity

My Favourite Video. This police officer is one of many who are breaking down barriers of racism and bringing healing to his community. He and many other law enforcement officers are leading the way to reconciliation.

I want to see the positive but I feel a shift in the atmosphere, the battle is raging and we need to pray. I can’t ignore how I see the enemy rearing his ugly head, having a heyday.

John 10:10 records Jesus saying:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:10

THE THIEF

The thief Jesus is talking about here is the devil and his tactics haven’t changed over time. The devil visits every age to steal, kill and destroy. On the contrary, Jesus comes to give live to the full. I see God at work in hearts and I also recognized the work of the enemy as I watch the news in the murder of George Floyd, the abusive, overhanded government response to protests, how evil-acting people have brought damage to bring on police brutality, the wrongful vandalism, looting and violence taking place.

Don’t you see the thief at work in all of this? If we keep trying to fight an enemy with skin on; instead of the real enemy, society is headed for complete disaster.

You can be sure the enemy, the devil is behind the hatred, racism, abuse, injustice, corruption and all manner of godless behaviour you’re watching play out on your screens. Embracing hatred and placing your rights above another’s brings division, just what the enemy wants. Divide and conquer are his plans for all relationships. We have to stop letting him win. Stop falling into his traps. Stop partnering with his plans.

Don’t displace your anger, place it where it needs land… with the chief-thief.

If you want peace, if you want love to rule, you have to recognize… this is a spiritual battle we’re all engaged in and you have to fight a spiritual war with spiritual weapons of prayer, fasting and declaring God’s purposes over the future. You cannot overcome hatred with hatred.

Do not be conquered by evil,
but conquer evil with good.
Romans 12:1

A PROPHETIC POST?

In 2016, I wrote a post and shared about an article by Lecrae; the three-time Grammy Award winning Christian rapper, who shared how he just like George Floyd had a police officer put their knee to his neck… yes to the Christian rapper who was falsely being accused of having a gun… which he didn’t. There was one statement he made that rocked me to the core.¹

You can’t wipe away a 500-year trauma in 50 years.

If you’ve ever had to deal with hurt in your past, I think you can understand this. The crazy part is that when I went searching through my blogs, I found this post was the one I wrote the night of the election where Donald Trump took the vote and became President. Penning it after being woken up by the Lord with a Phrase running through my head, “Looking for a David, not a Saul.”

In the post, I wrote, “As this phrase kept waking me up, I thought of the difference between David and Saul as leaders of their nation. Both men were appointed by God in their position, both men started off well, but only one man finished well.” I believe how Donald Trump deals or doesn’t deal with this atrocity will decide if he has the heart of David or Saul.²

I know we need to pray for him to govern as God wants. I’m praying Donald Trump will govern like a good father, firm but loving and accepting.

THE DEVIL’S DESTRUCTIVE WAYS

I’m heartsick when I hear about racism.

I was appalled watching the murder of George Floyd and many other black people. I’m horror-struck watching the news where I see police officers tasering teenagers until they’re incapacitated when they were just driving home in their car and didn’t know about the new curfew. Broken as I watch law enforcement beat people, throw tear gas, pepper-spray children and drive overtop of people.

If you don’t believe me check out Shaun King’s Podcast Episode Shown here and his Instagram account that is chronicling some of the police brutality. @shaunking Research for yourself in the links below, I’ve seriously been researching this for years.

I was angered when I read an email from a girl who teaches online business as she shared her experience when driving home and facing a protest ahead had to hear her five-year-old daughter who had witnessed police brutality ask,

Mommy, I am a little black. Will the police kill me when I grow up?

No mother should ever have to be asked a question like that. I’ve had countless black friends share over the years how they’ve experienced racism and the fear associated with police harassment, wrongful arrest and abuse. “A 2015 study found that unarmed blacks were 3.49 times more likely to be shot by police than were unarmed whites.”³ This shouldn’t be.

FURIOUS

I’m furious and praying the other three police officers are charged for their part in the murder of George Floyd. We serve a God of justice and this injustice is not His ways.

My heart was broken as I read an article from the Harvard Public Health Review and other sites, detailing the disproportionate homicides to black people when police are involved. I don’t want to post them but I will share links with you to do your own research and face the harsh reality that racism is rampant and it’s not just in the US. On Canadian soil there have been great injustices to minorities over the centuries so we can’t throw the proverbial first stone. We need to clean up our backyard before we could ever look down with a condescending eye.

SHAREABLE—BUT NO COMMENTS

I have chosen to make this post shareable but not allow comments.

In the past when I’ve shared anything remotely political or controversial, there have been comments written that twist my words to imply I’m saying something I did not mean.

REFRESHING & REAL

I want to hear your thoughts, I just don’t want arguing, fighting, and hurtful words shared on a blog purposed to bring a refreshing word, backed with Scripture to help a hurting world walk through the difficult times. I know that’s what God’s Soul H2O Devotions to provide but I also know that sometimes there are bitter things in our water supply that must be cleared out in order for the fresh water to flow.

That’s why I feel this post had to be written and shared.

SEMANTICS

I pray you hear my heart and if I have written anything with words that mean something different than I have intended them to mean and they offend you, please let me know. I understand that I’m not a millennial. Sometimes words have changed meaning over the years and between different people groups. Trigger words that conjure up hurtful feelings. If I have unknowingly used any of these, please share with me.

HOW TO RESPOND

If you have questions or comments, PLEASE write, DM, or message me personally. I will respond to as many as I’m able but sometimes I just do not have the time to reply to all. Know that I will do my best to read them all, pray and hopefully be able to respond. Depending on the response, I may have my team help me read through. I care about your viewpoint and your heart.

This is a call, for all Christians to pray. Pray for unity, pray for healing of the black community for past atrocities, pray for racism of any kind to be removed from all our hearts, pray for corruption and abuse to end. Pray for the love of Christ to fill the earth!

Much love,

Sherry Stahl
xoxo