I am so profoundly grateful to have heard the words
Guilty
Guilty
Guilty
I had expected to feel differently than I did. I had hoped to feel more joy. Justice doesn’t always bring joy!
I had this feeling of despair deep in my gut. I didn’t fully trust that justice would prevail. There was an eerie familiarity to the stare from Chauvin. The same kind of stare as when he kneeled on the neck of George Floyd.
So when the judge read the verdict, I could breathe a little deeper, but the wondering began. Will this day in history begin to bring about change? Many who testified exemplified such courage in their truth-telling. I hope they have some awareness of our gratitude.
Today is an invitation for us as a nation to hold onto hope that change is possible. Today is an important day, but the journey is not over. We have work to be done, and justice will prevail if we continue to bring systemic change and reform.
Today at 510 pm, I did not feel joy. Justice does not always bring joy. Tragedy will always be a part of this story. But today, at 510 pm, I did not feel despair. I could breathe just a little deeper. It was a moment in time when we saw that, yes, Black Lives Matter.
Lord hear our prayers,
Lord convict our hearts,
Lord give us courage,
Lord have mercy!
Blessed be His name!