In 2016 in Montgomery, Greg Gunn, a 58 year old black man was murdered by a white MPD police officer. I went to his home w/ 2 local pastors and prayed with his 87 year old mother and neighbors. The weight of the injustice was crushing. Lament. Still, they said “God will repay.” https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1265246231774846977
2/ Mr. Gunn’s mother pointed her finger at me when we offered to pray and said, “YOU pray! Your people did this! YOU pray!” The anger of a mother whose son had been killed by racism swept over me. She was 26 during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Now, her son was dead. Overwhelming.
3/ White people have real trouble grasping the weight, the history, the generational sorrow, the utter pain and lament of “How long Oh Lord?” when these things happen. Standing in that circle with her finger pointing at me, I felt it pierce my soul for a Holy moment. Pain. Anger.
4/ So, we called on Jesus together. I was undone. It all still stings my brain. She singled me out because I was white, yes. And nothing I said could undo what happened. We live in the midst of this pain and I pray for justice. For things to be made right. It’s waaay past time.
5/ My point isn’t to insert myself into this - it’s to say I DON’T KNOW. I DON’T UNDERSTAND. Not fully. No matter how hard I try. I don’t live it, I’m NOT an inheritor of this pain. Greg Gunn’s mother, we need to stand on the other end of that finger. And this needs to stop. Now.
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