Let "Unity" trump "Uniformity"
This is a post I originally published back on May 5th, 2020 on another blog. It was prior to the George Floyd knee on his neck incident. Due to so many situations I felt it was worth posting again here.
Have you ever had those mornings when you're just laying across your bed and there's a thought that just will not let you rest? Yes. Well, today I had one such morning. The words "the stones are crying out" kept resonating in my head. I tossed and I turned and it just wouldn't go away. I got up and did my morning ritual. Made a pot of coffee, vacuumed the floor in my den, and yet it was like a throbbing pain in my head that just wouldn't go away. So I decided to write this post. To put it out to the universe as my spirit was pressing me to do.
What I am seeing a lot of lately is that too often people in a position where they can make a difference misconstrue the words unity and uniformity.
- Unity is the state of being united (made one) or joined as a whole.
- Uniformity is the quality or state of being uniform (remaining the same in all cases and at all times; unchanging in form or character).
I feel the reason why we see so much violence by people in uniform against our sons whether they are using them as a punching bag, beating them, jumping them, choking them, shooting them, shooting them in the back, whatever is because it is at the hands of a system whose work is rooted in uniformity. In recent weeks seeing people in uniform coughing on them hoping to infect them I think is criminal. Our society has migrated towards a consensus of uniformity for too long rather than focusing on our oneness with God.
The problem is a house divided cannot stand. Some law enforcement agencies are too focused on being on the same sheet of paper with those who do wrong to protect their financial interests rather than making that sheet of paper a record of truth. Notice I didn't say reputation because that they don't protect when people know right from wrong.
Too often people go to their oppressor thinking they are going to get resolution. In hindsight, I am thinking it has to be the stupidest move ever to go file a complaint with the internal affairs of a law enforcement agency when your issue is with another department of that same agency over brutal arrests or arrests gone bad that lead to deaths. Then the agency itself has all the details on the basis of the complaint to use to maintain their uniformity and the family is left stressed and depressed that their rights were violated.
The aggrieved may get a resolution of a monetary amount, however, that rarely ever happens. There is a whole uniformed system that makes that next to impossible from the lockup (arrest) to the lockdown (jail) to the look down (court). What they normally get is further harassment extended to them and their family by their oppressors for having the mitigated gall to try and buck the uniformed system.
The problem is a system of uniformity fails to resolve the underlying conflict. Switching to another instance of injustice that is prevalent today. As seen in recent months with the poor who earn less than $12K not getting a stimulus check because they make too little to count they are too often grouped in an arena of "non-filers". They are (so they say) still trying to figure out how to get these people who amount to tens of millions paid. People who haven't gotten one stimulus check nor one unemployment check since they have been out of work due to the virus. God gives a voice to the voiceless and I am mighty leaning towards they are going to vote less and not show up to the polls. Why should they put in work for systems that haven't worked for them on so many different levels? You know what I imagine they are going to get when states open back up? "Sorry, you should be back at work now there is no more stimulus money."
So we see injustices play out time and time again. We see organizations that were established for unity become silent. They have mostly been infiltrated by people who were handpicked for their skill of promoting uniformity over unity. Too many organizations that were set up to help people, too many leaders who have spent decades in Congress have lost sight of their elected and founding purposes. They only do enough to stay relevant at a level they can still reap benefits like a paycheck, notoriety, anything that exasperates their wealth at the plight of the poor. They have become so withdrawn from the people that they only help at the bare bottom minimum they have to and keep a job, win an election, or keep an appointed position.
The words "the rocks are crying out" keeps playing over and over in my head. God is not pleased. I strongly feel it is because there is too much focus on uniformity versus unity. You can't lie to someone's face saying a person's actions were just, and then reprimand or fire that same just person for an injustice. This has been going on for too long. It has to stop. You can be the man or be the plan (puppet lynching another nigga) but you can't be both. For some reason, it is weighing heavily on me to put this out along with MLK's quote "an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." God is omnipresent thus pray to him to reveal to you the truth and the light.
And if God hears a sinners prayer I hope that he hears: "Lord I pray You to impress upon the hearts of people that it is better to have unity and be One in Christ. I thank You, Lord, for never leaving me nor forsaking me. I am thankful for those who I least expected to step up stomped up. I am thankful for the ones you have put in my path that I can pour the testimony of your goodness and mercy into and vice versa. Through all that is going on in the world today, I am not leaning to my own understanding but draw my strength from Your word and ask that You order my steps. I know You are a way maker and I thank You Lord for making a way out of no way even through these tumultuous times. I pray that you Father God touch and anoint each and every one of your children, Lord touch us name by name and face by face and shower your grace and mercy upon us now and forevermore.
Lord, I pray for covering for the elderly in the nursing homes who are being ravaged by this virus. I pray you will bless them with a sanitary environment, sanitary workers, and sanitary facilities against our hidden enemy that I know is powerless against You. Lord, I pray for our juvenile and adults who are incarcerated. Lord, I pray that you will allow them the space necessary for social distancing knowing when others have failed them by bringing this virus from the outside to their confined spaces that we trust in you to cover them with the full armor of your Mighty protection. Lord, we want to see our loved ones come home one day and not face the peril of losing their lives to this virus because that definitely would be cruel and unusual punishment. Too many wouldn't even be there if it had not been for the mandatory minimums brought on by the 1994 Crime Bill that has been a blow to our family structure and togetherness for crimes that weren't even heinous. Especially for the ones who are falsely incarcerated and those where these systems of uniformity have failed us and cost us dearly as a nation. I ask that you forgive them for their sins and transgressions of every one according to your Will and lean them towards stepping in righteousness for your namesake.
Please open the minds of those who are taking this pandemic as a joke and instill upon them the necessity to take this thing seriously. To wear face masks out in public because they can be asymptomatic and prevent them from causing harm to others. Encourage them to distance and protect themselves for everyone's safety out in public.
I pray for the frontline workers who have had to witness the trajectory of this virus that will be laid off once things calm down and their services will no longer be needed after they have fought the good fight. Lord, I can only imagine how heavily this will weigh on their minds to be essential one day risking their lives for others and be non-essential without even a job the next. For this and all things pleasing in Your sight, I pray. Forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost I pray and your Will be done. Amen!"
