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Grand jury rules in Michael Brown's death - Reaction Predictable

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by Victor Kubik

Source: DanielVilleneuve/iStock/Thinkstock

Violence, looting and burning erupted last night after a prosecutor announced that police officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted in the August 9th death of Michael Brown. Since that date tension has been high and sustained in what appeared to be a delayed ruling. Fear was that whether Wilson was indicted or not, violence would erupt. Supporters of both sides were ready to take action after the verdict would be announced.
I watched President Obama urge calm after the announcement of the verdict. He added that if there were to be protests, that they should be peaceful. However, while he was speaking on television, a live scene was displayed alongside the President showing a crowd rocking a police car, attempting to turn it over.
Burning and destruction ensued through the night. Streets were closed. It is unknown still at this writing how widespread this escalation will go. Voices of reason warned that this conduct was not going to solve anything. It was only hurting the people who felt most strongly about this, along with their communities. And it would set back any progress in correcting broader injustices.
There was hope briefly after the grand jury announcement by some commentators that this would "settle down" on its own. However, it did not. What happened is what is so predictable in our human experience: inability to peacefully solve conflict, and instead resort to irrational rage that only harms everyone.
"When will they ever learn?" are the words to a popular song "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" by Peter Paul and Mary from decades ago. The song is about cyclical conflict, war and death. Again and again.
I was sickened when I saw the anger and fires on the news. I become angry and have rage build within me when I see people hurting themselves and others to express their wrath. However, my comfort is that I understand that humanity is intrinsically incompetent in peace-making skills. God's intent is that we turn from this behavior and take on a new nature. It is in God's plan to build a new person who abhors what he is and adopts a new nature. Humans need outside help, outside the human realm to learn this.
In Romans:3:17And the way of peace have they not known:, Paul states in a commentary about human nature: "And the way of peace they have not known." He quotes what was already in Isaiah:59:8The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.—"The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways."
We preach the Gospel of Peace that Paul spoke of when describing the metaphoric spiritual armor that we wear in Ephesians:6:15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;: "And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace…"
Our world simply will not "get it" when it comes to solving problems peacefully. Witness what else is taking place on this earth. We are coming to the time when there will be intervention for humanity spoken of by Jesus in describing the events prior to His second coming: "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved" (Matthew:24:22And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.).
It is this knowledge that is giving me real hope. It is not an empty hope. It is a hope based on what is shown biblically to come pass and what will end this world's conflicts.