This week, Minneapolis ex-police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all charges related to the case involving the death of George Floyd. The jurors deliberated the guilty verdict declaring Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.

The word “verdict” means judgment, an opinion decided, or a final agreement on something. The word stems from the Middle-English verdit, which literally means “a true saying or report.” In Portuguese, my native language, the word for truth is “verdade,” which stems from the same latin root. Deep within we want truth to rule the day, not lies, deceit, and evil. In Chauvin’s case the justice system worked its natural process.

Chauvin’s deliberate and egregious behavior was reprimanded and met with justice. His actions ignited nationwide uproar, including riots, countless hours of media attention, and lots of discussion on race and the idea systemic racism. From my personal evaluation of the Chauvin-Floyd incident, I am not prone to conclude Chauvin’s motivations were racist. I know may disagree, but the evidence for racist murder is scanty. Keep in mind that no charges, allegations, or arguments were raise to the jury from the prosecutors related to race for the case.

I do think that Chauvin’s actions were a case of police brutality. He usurped his authority and used it to murder George Floyd. But the evidence for racism from Chauvin seems inconclusive. I know some of you may disagree, but we can agree to disagree. Nevertheless, conversations surrounding racism in America have taken new spotlight, and they should. We should be able to have honest, blunt, and productive conversations about racism in our country.

Two things can be true at the same time. Chauvin murdered Floyd, but it is not fully clear it was racially motivated. Police brutality still exists in our country, but the majority of cops are not murderers. Racism exists in our society, but not all cops are racist. We can be angry at injustice, but also recognize that the justice system in America still works, though not always perfectly. We can rejoice that justice was served to Chauvin, while at the same time recognize we still need law enforcement to keep the peace.

Four Observations

First, as human beings, we long for justice. Murder violates the imago Dei in humankind. This is something humans have struggled with since the very beginning. In Genesis 4, the very first family to inhabit planet earth, fresh out of Eden, experienced the fangs of death as Cain murdered his brother Abel. Since then, countless murders have been committed, some much worse than Floyd’s.

Second, any decent society should expect government to apply justice equally and fairly. The Bible, in Romans 13:3–4, concedes government the right to use force to restrain and punish evil. John Piper, whom I quote in another one of my articles, writes, “There are two purposes for which this text [Romans 13] says the government is justified in using force: the restraint of evil and the punishment of evil. The purpose of force is not just to prevent further evil from happening, but to punish evil acts by bringing the perpetrators to justice.” Though Chauvin misused his government-given authority, the same government through the justice system condemned and punished him, rightly so.

Third, unwarranted violence (read this) is evil and reminds us of the fallen nature of humankind and the world. Unwarranted violence is fueled by our human sinfulness. It destroys lives, leads to brutality, and stokes further mayhem. Ironically, the cure to all human violence was remedied on the cross, as Jesus suffered the greatest act of unwarranted violence (Isaiah 53:5). The violence committed against Jesus became the cure for our spiritually fallen human state.

Fourth, our world is broken and only God can mend it. The justice served to Chauvin should give us a small glimpse of hope for justice in this world. It should remind us that one day God will make all things right. No unjust act will go unpunished in the end (Isaiah 30:18; Isaiah 61:8; Ecclesiastes 3:17; Psalm 140:12; Revelation 19:11).

Some Reflections

This past year has been emotional on many levels for many people. Fear still grips the heart of many people in our nation, especially minority groups. As a Christ follower, I empathize and sympathize with people from a minority background, particularly because I was born and raised in a different country. The Bible tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). It also tells us to relate to others with “unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind” (1 Peter 3:8). And we are also told to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2).

Furthermore, it is important to acknowledge a few others things. First, not everyone knows how to nuance themselves and express their feelings and thoughts. Last year, people who tried to communicate their thoughts and feelings about the events highlighted by the media, but not all were helpful. Furthermore, many people, including Christians, decided to publicly rip each other apart on social media. It is not easy to express your thoughts on emotional or complex issues. It takes time, tact, and wisdom to communicate well. We need to give each other the benefit of the doubt and discuss these matters in a civil manner.

One thing we must also acknowledge is that we tend to be selectively outraged at times (not all of the time). For instance, I saw several churches post anecdotes on their social media platforms related to George Floyd, Eric Garner, Breonna Taylor, and others. After these incidents people cried out for justice. However, as I point out in one of my articles, not all racial profile cases are “created equal” in our country. For instance, there was no outcry for the shooting of Anthony Robinson’s 9 year-old daughter last year, and very little mentioned about the cold-blooded murder of Jaslyn Adams in Chicago just this week, April 19th.

Christians cannot afford to be significantly influenced by the politics of our world. We are to be about politics, Kingdom politics that is. We are to make much of Christ and his kingdom, addressing our societal issues through the lenses of the gospel, not any of our country’s political parties. Instead of propagating a certain political agenda (Democrat or Republican), we should rather proclaim God’s narrative, the gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1–8) should be our primary platform. The gospel brings healing to the broken, it champions justice, and fuels real lasting changes, because there is equal ground for all at the foot of the cross.

The events of this week should lead us to pray for our nation. We should pray for communities affected by violence. We should pray for George Floyd’s family, Chauvin’s family, and for our justice system to continue to effectuate justice. We should pray for healthy dialogue. We should pray for everyone in law enforcement. We should pray that the Church becomes the light of the world to a world entrenched in darkness. We should pray for God to shower us with his grace, mercy, and wisdom, as each of us seek to make sense of suffering, pain, and evil in our world.

Finally, let us strive to glorify God though our words. Let us strive to glorify God through our actions, which should be driven by our gospel narrative. Let us strive for justice, knowing that God is our hope for ultimate justice. Let us listen to the brokenness of our world, address the maladies of our world with in a sober and responsible manner. Let us be prudent in not ascribing motive to other people’s hearts without seeking to know why they act or react to things in a particular manner. Let us focus our attention on whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, on Jesus! (Philippians 4:8).

Written by Daniel Messina