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16BODYOFCHRISTNEWSJANUARY2015from9to10AMCURRENTAFFAIRSIvebeenveryprayerfulandwatchingverycarefullytheeventsinFergusonMOaswellassomeoftheeventsaroundourcountry.Iamawareatthetimeofthiswritingoftheclear-ingoftheofficersinvolvedintheEricGarnercasewhodiedwhilepolicewasarrestinghiminachokeholdinNewYorkandalsothetragicpassingawayof12-yearoldTamirRiceinClevelandOhioshotbypolicewhilepossessinganAirsofttoygun.Iamalsoawareofthesenselessshootingof22yearoldJohnCrawfordinBeaverCreekOhioinaDaytonareaWalmart.JohnwaskilledwhilecarryinganewBBgunforsaleinthestore.IwantedtocometoyouandjustsharewithyouwhatIveprayerfullycometosomeconclusionsaboutconcerningtheneedforpolic-ingreformandalsosensitivitytrain-ingwithlawenforcementaswellaseducatingthepublicinengaginglawenforcement.Irecentlysharedwithourcongregationatoneofourservicessomeofthesethoughtsmorespe-cificallythedealingwiththeFergusonMissourisituationwithMichaelBrown.IknowthattherearedifferentsidesofthisstoryandIknowthatpeoplehavestrongfeelingsonbothsidesofthisstoryormultiplesidesofthisstorybutIdliketokeepitfocusedonthefactsandIdliketokeepitfocusedonscrip-tureaswellaspolicingreformsthatareneededinAmerica.IhavebeeninmeetingswiththechiefofpolicetheDistrictAttorneyofAdamsCountyandArapahoeCountyandwiththecitymanager.Ivedonemyresearchbecauseoneoftherea-sonsweareinthispredicamentisbecausewehavebeenreactingratherthanresponding.Afterdoingmyresearchacoupleofthingscometomind.Thefirstthingisthattherearesomethingsthatwecanlearnfromthisparticularincident.HoweverIamoffendedthatpeoplehavesuggestedthatthisincidentisinanywayshapeorformconnectedtotheTrayvonMartintravesty.TrayvonMartinwasonhiswayhomeafterpayingmoneyforSkittlesandicedtea.Hisonlycrimewaswear-ingahoodieintherainwhilebeingblack.Iknowthatthereareatroci-tiesinournationandIknowthatlifeisntfairandyesIknowthereareover-zealouspolicemenwhoarebiasedagainstpeopleofcolor.Butifwearetofurtherouragendaagainstracialbiasoflawenforcementweneedtopickalegitimatecase.TheMichaelBrowncaseisnotalegitimatecase.Itisnotlegitimateforalotofreasons.Firstofallwhatgotusallupsetisthereportstatinghewasshotinthebackonhiskneeswithhishandsupandwassurrenderingwhenhewasexecuted.Whatforensicevidenceandwhattheeyewitnesseshavesaidunderoatharedifferentfromthatreport.Wehavenoevidencethathewasshotinthebackandwehavenoevidencethathishandswereup.WehavenoevidencethathesaidDontshoot.Witnesseswhoassertedthisaccountrecantedtheirtestimonywhenunderoath.OneofthethingsthatwecanlearnfromthisisYoungpeopleandoldpeo-plestopsmokingweedYourjudgmentisimpairedandyourdecisionmakingisunstablesoyoudothingsyoudontnormallydo.InGenesis128weseeGodhasgivenusdominionoveralltheearthandHetoldustosubdueit.WhyarewegoingtosurrenderourdominanceoveralltheearthWhyarewegoingtosurrenderourcontroltoplantlifeintheformofcannabisInthestateofColoradoabloodTHClevelof5nanogramsmlisconsideredundertheinfluence.Accordingtotoxi-cologyreportsMichaelBrownhad12nanogramsmlofDelta-9-THCinhisbloodstreammorethandoubletheundertheinfluenceamount.Idontcareifitislegal.JustbecauseitislegaldoesntmeanitsrightStoprobbingconveniencestoresPayforwhatyouwant.Ifyoucantafforditleaveitalone.Youseetheselessonshavebeenlostinalltherheto-ric.AccordingtoDorianJohnsonwhowaswithMichaelBrownintheconve-niencestoreitwasnottheirintenttorobthestore.DorianJohnsontesti-fiedthathehadplannedtopayforthecigarillosbutBrownreachedoverthecounterandgrabbedthem.StopgivingthepoliceanexcusetoshootyouThepolicealreadyhavetheupperhand.Theyhavedeadlyforce.Thestreetisnoplacetopleadyourcase.Getoutofthatsituationassafelyasyoucanandthenhandleyourbusi-nessincourtlikesomebodywithsomesense.Stoptearingupyourownneighbor-hoodsNowwhereareyougoingtoshopNowwhereareyougoingtogotothehairstoreYouknowweNEEDhairstores.NobodywillwanttobuildthereanymorebecausethefirstthingwewanttodoisusesomethinglikethisasanexcuseanddowhatwefeeloutofangerwhichisnotwhatGodtaughtustodo.ThatiswhytheHollyShoppingCenterandtheDahliaShoppingCenterhavenevercomeback.Storeownersrefusetobuildthereagainbecausetrustwaslostbetweenthegrocerystorethecommunity.InMatthew543thewordofGodsaysYouveheardthatithasbeensaidthatyoushouldloveyourneigh-borandhateyourenemybutIsayuntoyouloveyourene-miesblessthemthatcurseyoudogoodtothemthathateyouandprayforthemwhodespitefullyuseyouandpersecuteyou.IhaveevenheardpreacherssayprayerisgoodbutIdontseeaBUTinmyScriptureWearenotthefirstgenerationofAfricanAmericanstobeper-secuted.AreyoukiddingmeWevebeenthroughthisbefore.Dr.Kinghastaughtushowtogothroughthis.TheScripturecontinuesthatyoumaybethechildrenofyourfatherwhoisinheavenforhemakeshissuntoriseontheevilandthegoodandsendsrainonthejustandtheunjust.ForifyoulovethemwholoveyouwhatrewarddoyouhaveDonoteventhetaxcollectorsdothesameAndifyougreetyourbrotheronlywhatdoyoumorethanothersDonoteventaxcollectorsalsoBeyethereforeperfectevenasyourfatherinheavenisper-fectWevegottostophatingLoveisnotwhatyousayitiswhatyoudo.LoveisgodlyactionIfweareChristiansifGodhasgivenusHisheartandHisspiritthereisnojustificationfortorchingpolicepatrolvehicles.Notonlythatbutyoujustburnedupsomeofyourtaxdollars.Nexttimearoundyourlevyisgoingtogoupandyouaregoingtospendmoreonpropertytaxbecausethatsyourtaxdollarsyoujustburnedup.Insteadweneedtolearnhowtoloveandperhapsweneedtotakeales-sonfromthechildren.ChildrenataFergusonMissourirallywereholdingsignsthatreadYoumatterFreehugsandSmileyouarebeautiful.Somebodyraisedthesechildrenright.SomebodyhastoldthemthatGodneedstofightyourbattle.SomebodyhastaughtthemnottogoandburnStopHatingByDr.RobinD.HollandContinuedonBOCNEWS.com