Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin killed an image bearer. He is a barbaric human being whose history of violence did not begin on May 25th, 2020. In his 20 years of service to the MPD, there were 17 complaints about him; several of those complaints entailed violence. Shame on the MPD for not removing such vile from their midst.
A white male named Kristopher Bergh in 2013 recalled being accosted by Chauvin and another police officer in what he described as a “terrifying” experience. When hearing about the death of George Floyd, Bergh noted: “I think Derek Chauvin intentionally escalated incidents because he enjoyed having that power over people.”
Though he is not a solitary example, Chauvin does not represent the entire police force nor is he a common example of the systemic racism of an institution, this was a tyrannical man in search for “power over people.” In fact, here is the heart of the matter: the abuse of power. Such cases exist in politics, religion, and other institutions where power is used as a tool of abuse.
What we are witnessing is the unadulterated disobedience to the fifth commandment. The Westminster Larger Catechism notes that the sins of superiors (those in authority) are the “inordinate seeking of their own glory” and a failure “to protect others and procure the glory of God” with the authority given him.
What Chauvin did is to assume that the power given him was a carte blanche to de-humanize those whom he was called to serve and protect. Once a human being forsakes truth and righteousness and submission to a greater Superior–God himself–he has nothing left but whatever authority is given him to use for his own selfish ambition.
Sin is insanity, and the remarkable power of sin is to make you lose the ability to see reality–to abuse power in the light of day under the watching eyes of recording devices, and a man screaming for mercy. Others in authority may abuse power in the dark, but Floyd suffered by the hands of an abusive man who long ago forsook the reality of what he was called to do. Chauvin is the embodiment of the demonic: the epitome of the union between man and the offspring of the serpent. May judgment be swift!
Interesting.
The officer of the court, with authority and the decision of deadly force having only .2 sec to make that decision of life and death… while we have two weeks to stand in judgement and assess the scenario from all angles.
Cops may take lives every day, by authority of self preservation, endure vile name calling and all manner of abuse from vile ungrateful scum, image bearers of satan, not God.
We excommunicate sinners who claim righteousness but continue in sin from participating at the table. We stand in judgement in time and space in Hope’s of seeing one turn from sin back to holiness.
George Floyd had a record of violent actions against police and women and the law. He was high and was prepared to get behind the wheel of a 2000 # lethal weapon, an automobile. The good news… he was stopped by an officer of the court, he resisted being stopped. And additional effort was used to restrain him from using that car as a killing machine, high on meth…
The image of God does not get stoned and become unrestrained behind the wheel of a motor car…
Maybe we can take two more weeks to assess that scenario!