If Jesus walked into Ferguson today…

The following is an excerpt from a 2014-2015 study I edited while at Yale Divinity School entitled Gospels on Ferguson. Then, as now, trying to say something useful for the discussion related to George Floyd is all too similar to the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, MO in 2014.

If Jesus walked into Ferguson today…
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The heavy presence of police and soldiers would have been familiar to Him (Matthew 8:13; Luke 23:36; John 18:12; John 18:18)
The governor as well (Matthew 27:14)
He would have had choice words for the lawyers (Mark 12:38)
And likely the clergy (Luke 19:37-40)
The tools of the riots would have been familiar to Him (John 18:3; Luke 22:49; Mark 14:43)
He might have blessed the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9)
He might offer troubling predictions (Luke 19:41-44)
He might have preached forgiveness (Matthew 5:39; Matthew 6:14)
He might have told all to love each other (Luke 6:27; Matthew 22:39)
He might have prayed (Matthew 6:5)
He might have told his followers to put their sword back in its place (Matthew 26:52)
He might have talked about a house divided against itself (Matthew 12:25)
He might have said not to Judge (Luke 6:37)
He might have come by boat up the Mississippi then walked the road to Ferguson… 
  
Steve Richards
Nov 26, 2014