#Ahmaud Arbery: The complicity of Saul

Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. (Acts 7:58)

The lectionary text for this week recounts the stoning of Stephen. There is a quote attributed to Karl Barth which is mostly apocryphal—“Preach with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.” This morning I sit with two tabs open the Revised Common Lectionary and Twitter. 

 I read the following tweet referencing the brutal murder of Ahmaud Arbery: “Black motherhood is praying everyday that my child does not be come a hashtag.” 

This never-ending loss of life that is symbolized by the sign of the hashtag is devastating.

In Acts Stephen’s martyrdom echoes the crucifixion of Jesus. 

Both the lynching tree and the vigilantes bullet stand in the shadow of the cross and replicate the mob violence of public stoning.  

This morning the figure of Saul sticks out to me—Saul complicit without throwing a stone . 

We know that Saul is more than just complicit in his silence.  He looks on with silent approval. He thinks the stoning is necessary to maintain the sanctity of law. 

What to say?  I do not want to be made complicit in my silence.  

 I want people who I love to stop allowing murderers to lay coats down at their feet. 

I want them to stop saying “let’s wait and see.” 

I want people I love to stop defending these lynchings and stonings with defense of law and order.

There aren’t two sides!

I don’t want to hear about the difficulties of policing.

I don’t want to hear any more shitty arguments about the right to defend one’s domicile or to stand your ground. 

I don’t want to hear about the lawlessness or “violence” of peaceful protests.

I don’t want to hear character assassinations of unarmed victims.

And most of all I don’t want to be made into a Saul myself!

Abraham Joshua Heschel summarize the prophets message: in our society not everyone is guilty, but everyone is responsible.

I want these killers to stop laying their coats down at the feet of my white womanhood.