How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? (Psalm 13:1)
194 days and counting!
That’s how long it has been since the Louisville Metro Police Department violently stormed into the apartment of Breonna Taylor, in the middle of the night, and recklessly fired a barrage of bullets leaving Breonna dead and her family grieving. No officer activated their body camera. There has been conflicting testimony from the police officers involved in the raid and eye witness accounts paint a grim picture of the state of policing during that catastrophe.
So much has happened since that fateful night on March 13, 2020. Details about the horrible incident have been hidden by law enforcement and government officials, uncovered by activists, lawyers, and journalists, and investigated by the FBI and Attorney General’s office. The firing, indictment, and arrest of all officers involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor remains.
When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers (Proverbs 21:15).
117 days and counting!
That’s how many days there have been protests in the city of Louisville, organized and impromptu marches. There have been prayer vigils and healing rallies. There have been demonstrations and sit-ins.
All of these actions have taken place in the name of justice. We need justice for Breonna’s family so the city can begin the process of healing. We also cry out for justice on behalf of all the victims of police brutality around this country.
The city of Louisville currently braces itself for a decision from the state’s Attorney General, Daniel Cameron regarding charges against the police involved in this killing. The task of delivering justice has fallen on him after being relinquished by local prosecutors, the police chief, and Mayor Greg Fischer. Louisville is officially in a state of emergency. Officials have ordered that all federal buildings be closed and boarded up. The area where nightly protests have taken place has been gated off. Roads in downtown Louisville have been blocked off by police in anticipation of an announcement by Cameron. Uncertainty and anxiety envelopes the city in anticipation for anything.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12).
Today.
Today, we expect an announcement. Will Black America have to endure the trauma of disappointment yet again?
Our eyes are on God. Only God can deliver true justice. Justice looks like arresting Det. Joshua Jaynes, Det. Myles Cosgove, Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly and former officer Brett Hankison for murder. But it is less about those individuals and more about the system of policing that is happening in Louisville. There has been a culture of corruption, coverup, and excessive force with the LMPD for decades. And the struggle for equality and justice will not come by focusing our efforts on individual policemen.
Justice comes when government officials hear the cries of the victims of police brutality and make substantial reform. Justice comes when no-knock warrants, falsified police reports, and aggressive police intimidation are things of the past. Justice comes when the cries of the marginalized are no longer ignored.
Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:24).