The last week of May 2020 will go down in American history as one of infamy.  The week will not be remembered for a positive discovery or development that benefitted humankind, but for a milestone in the war against the coronavirus (COVID-19) and an incident in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that together starkly show the tenuous state of race in the United States at the time.

On Wednesday, May 27, the number of deaths due to the coronavirus surged past 100,000.  The number is a grim milestone on the tortuous road the country has traveled since the deadly, mysterious virus began to wreak havoc in the United States early in 2020.  Inarguably an undercount, the figure is a jarring reminder of the virulence of the virus, not to mention the government’s less-than-stellar handling of the contagion that has disproportionately affected African Americans.

Two days earlier, on Memorial Day no less, an unarmed black man named George Floyd died while in police custody in Minneapolis, his death directly due to the actions of white police officers that were caught on camera.  The graphic video showing a policeman pressing his knee into the neck of the handcuffed, hapless Floyd sprawled out on the street has been played and replayed, each time triggering raw emotions in viewers.  Floyd can be heard pleading for his life in words eerily reminiscent of those uttered by Jesus Christ on the cross. One need not have 20/20 vision or the gift of discernment to conclude that Mr. Floyd’s killing was unjustified, unwarranted, and inexcusable. 

News that one of the four police officers involved in the incident has been charged with third degree murder and is in custody has not stopped protests in several cities. Irate demonstrators have continued a campaign of confrontation and destruction, demanding swift and full justice for George Floyd and his family.  The demonstrators have been compared to a mob and called thugs, and the destruction of property has been swiftly condemned.  While the destruction of property is to be bemoaned, the anger and anguish of people should be acknowledged as legitimate issues.

Commentators have argued that the COVID-19 pandemic, as lethal as it has been, is no match for the pandemic of racism still ravaging this country years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Some are even demanding that racism be declared a national emergency.

Should Christians be concerned?  How may we relate with integrity to the tragedy of the coronavirus and the travesty of what took place in broad daylight in Minneapolis?  Certainly, not by treating the milestone or the moment with benign neglect.  To be silent is to be complicit.  It may reveal that one is a co-conspirator.  We must strongly condemn every act and policy that dehumanizes and disenfranchises. We must work tirelessly for justice.  We must challenge unfair practices.  We must demolish every wall that divides, segregates, or classifies.  We must agitate for equity and fairness.   

Jesus made it plain that to be a disciple of His entails putting our lives on the line for those who lack power and voice (Luke 10:25-37).  Christ began His ministry by declaring His commitment to those who exist on the margins of society (Luke 4:16-19), and He consistently identified with suffering humanity (Matt. 25:31-45).  Throughout His earthly pilgrimage, Jesus stood  in solidarity with the oppressed.  We must not only admire but live as Jesus lived if we are going to be true to our Lord’s call.

The coronavirus affects the respiratory system.  At some point those victimized by the virus experience shortness of breath and may exclaim or mutter like George Floyd, “I can’t breathe.”  The words are a chilling reminder that we have work to do and a long way to go.