Biblical Calls For Justice A Focus At George Floyd’s Memorial
Family and friends of George Floyd, along with several celebrities, politicians and Christian leaders gathered today for Floyd’s final memorial at The Fountain of Praise Church, a Southern Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. Several invoked the Bible in calls for justice for Floyd, who died under the knee of a Minnesota police officer May 25 and has since prompted nationwide protests against racism and police brutality.
Members of the community and media (many wearing masks to protect from COVID-19) filled the church to capacity and left more outside, unable to fit. Many of Floyd’s family and friends gave tribute to his life and testimony, encouraging attendees and viewers of the ceremony to continue to fight for black lives and justice. They spoke about Floyd’s gentleness and protective spirit.
Read: George Floyd's Ministry Friends Say He Was Their 'OG,' A 'Man Of Peace'
The ceremony was also attended by the families of Ahmaud Arbery, Botham Jean, Eric Garner and others. Those who took the stage to memorialize George Floyd included the mayor of Houston, R&B singer Ne-Yo, and several other Gospel singers.
The Gospel music performed ranged from traditional hymns to more contemporary music, including Andrae Crouch’s “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power” and Douglas Miller’s “My Soul Has Been Anchored.” The music served as another point of unity among mourners, representing familiar songs from several generations of black Christians.
Joe Biden also delivered a video tribute to Floyd, in which he referenced Ecclesiastes 3:1 and said that “Today, now, is the time, the purpose, the season to listen and heal. Now is the time for racial justice.”
Three pastors from the Houston area were asked to speak during the ceremony, and the eulogy was delivered by well-known Baptist minister and activist the Rev. Al Sharpton. Each referenced the Bible to discuss George Floyd’s impact on the world and the necessity of racial justice.
Rev. Bill Lawson, Pastor Emeritus of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church
“Young men from humble beginnings can change the world,” said the Rev. Lawson in his address. The two men from humble beginnings he compared were George Floyd and Jesus.
Jesus, he says, was born in a stable and laid to rest in a manger, the son of a carpenter. He didn’t grow up wealthy. He was crucified on a cross — a death that the Rev. Lawson says was legal, but should still be considered a murder. But the death and resurrection of Jesus sparked the birth of Christianity, a global religion that he says has unified many people worldwide, no matter their geographic location or ethnicity.
Similarly, George Floyd was born poor and only became important to the world when he was killed. This death, too, the Rev. Lawson says, was legal, but should still be considered a murder. And since his death, global protests have created unity in the demand for justice.
In his eyes, the death of George Floyd did for the Black Lives Matter movement what the death of Jesus did for Christianity.
He ended his message by saying, “Praise God for George Floyd.”
Dr. Steve Wells, Pastor at South Main Baptist Church
Dr. Steve Wells was the only white pastor to speak at the ceremony. He began by quoting 1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”
He applauded those who have chosen the “path of love” by peacefully protesting for justice, and encouraged that this protest continue to cast out fear and bring a more perfect love.
His specific address was to white churches, who he says are “better than we were but not as good as we need to be” at combating racism within the church and the world as a whole. Dr. Wells encouraged white churches not to stay silent about racism — as he says is easy to do, even in his own church — but rather to become an active influence and ally.
Dr. Ralph Douglas West, Senior Pastor of The Church Without Walls
Dr. West was quick to point out that Floyd’s death was a tragedy that may seem inexplicable, but that God was not absent. “God did not cause it, but He can certainly use it,” he said.
He connected this to Romans 8:28, which says that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Rev. Al Sharpton’s Eulogy
The Rev. Sharpton began his eulogy by quoting from Ephesians 6:10-20, which calls believers to put on the armor of God in order to fight spiritual battles. “We are fighting wickedness in high places,” he said, as he discussed the influence of systemic racism on the lives of Floyd and others killed in police custody.
He said the only way to fight this wickedness is with justice — something else the Bible calls for — and listed several ways that justice can be done in the future. One of those ways is for organizations like the NFL, which previously denounced Colin Kaepernick’s peaceful protesting, to take action and give him his job back rather than just a public apology. Apologies, Sharpton said, are not enough to repair injustices.
He also returned to one of Floyd’s final pleas of “I can’t breathe,” and quoted from Genesis 2 when God breathes life into man.
“Breath is a divine decision that God made… breath is sanctified, breath is sacred,” he said. And to take breath away from another man is to defy God.
He concluded by reminding Floyd’s family that God is with them, and that people will continue to fight until they achieve justice.
Jillian Cheney is a Poynter-Koch fellow for Religion Unplugged who loves consuming good culture and writing about it. She also reports on American Protestantism and Evangelical Christianity. You can find her on Twitter @_jilliancheney.