What Hath Ferguson to Do With Meadow Lake?

What hath Ferguson to do with Meadow Lake?

Ferguson, Missouri, is a place of turmoil and rage these days. And the anger and resentment and bitterness is not just in Ferguson, but throughout the United States and beyond. Some of it has been justified, some not. Some of the actions taken and the words spoken or written have been justified, some not. Perhaps no more needs to be said about Ferguson, because seemingly every possible position has already been articulated, probably by better spokepersons than I. Yet, I want to address Ferguson, not just from the perspective of a US citizen, not just from the perspective of a white male with all the accompanying cultural benefits and baggage, not just from the perspective of a pastor, but from the perspective of a pastor in a small, northern city in Saskatchewan, a city with its own ethnic mix and challenges. Hence the title: What hath Ferguson to do with Meadow Lake? (HT: Tertullian, c. AD 160 – c. AD 225)

For those who are not familiar with the story of Ferguson, here are some basic details. On 9 August 2014, Officer Darren Wilson, 28, was on patrol and asked Michael Brown, 18, and his friend Dorian Johnson to move onto the sidewalk. An altercation ensued, Brown struggling with Wilson through the window of Wilson’s police car. Wilson fired his gun, and Brown fled. What happened next is open to dispute and the witnesses disagree. What is not disputed is that Brown was hit six times, and died from his wounds. On 24 November 2014, this last Monday, a grand jury declined to indict Officer Darren Wilson. Chaos and riots broke out in Ferguson, and many took to social media and other media outlets to express outrage.

From the beginning, this story achieved notoriety. For some, this was clearly and undeniably another example of white-on-black killing, even and especially blue-on-black killing; the white police officer must necessarily be in the wrong and have acted from racist motives. For others, Ferguson was another example of the outrage machine, fueled by ‘unbiased’ media and social networks; the officer must be innocent. Quickly, various sides picked the facts or reports that fit their preferred narrative, and dismissed any alternatives. Some of my friends, whom I love and respect, seemingly believed that Officer Wilson must be punished, let the facts be damned. Others were quick to assign blame to Michael Brown, as being the aggressor.

As a white male, in and from the middle class, I have not had the experience of being a threatened minority. When I see the police, I assume the best. I know from my African-American friends and from those whom I have read, that this is tragically not their experience. When they see the police, they expect suspicion and even aggression. A former Starbuck co-worker was pulled over for DWB (Driving While Black); official reason: his music was too loud. When these dear brothers see the images of Ferguson, they immediately remember many, many other instances of blacks being killed for being black. This necessarily affects them. I am sorry for the sins of my culture and my heritage, and for the way too many whites are indifferent and callous toward the hurt.

But what does all this have to do with Meadow Lake? Here, things are different, but oh! so much the same. We don’t have a large black population with a history of slavery. But we do have a large aboriginal population with a history of injustice. And they have great grievances. Promises made and broken. Children abducted from parents to be raised in a residential school system, which was far too often abusive. Saskatoon police who dropped natives off outside of the city to freeze. The large numbers of missing and abducted and murdered aboriginal women. It is easy for whites like me to dismiss some of these things. They didn’t affect the people around me directly, we tell ourselves. Why can’t they let these things go? we ask ourselves.

To my aboriginal friends and neighbors and brothers and sisters in Christ, I am sorry. I am sorry for how you have been treated, and I am sorry for how frequently your thoughts are dismissed.

To my fellow whites: Will you join me in seeking justice and peace? Will you be quicker to listen and slower to speak? Will you be willing to listen without speaking? Hear their words, and listen intently to their message. Seek out people who are not like you. Choose to care, rather than to dismiss.