In the past month we have been reminded of the reality that in our country we have a problem. It’s a problem deeply rooted in the history of our nation and while we don’t like to think that racism continues to plague us as a society the circumstances of our world tells us otherwise. Ahmaud Aubery was killed while out on run, confronted by two white men. Breonna Taylor was shot 8 times, killed in her own home by police who were at the wrong home, serving a warrant on someone already in custody. A white woman in Central Park, New York City calls the police and tells them a black man is threatening her life, simply because he asked her to put a leash on her dog, and did so assuming his race would elicit a rapid response.

In the United States, it’s a privilege to be white. We can hear these stories, grieve for a moment, and then continue on with our lives as if nothing had happened. But if the privileged do not stand in solidarity with the oppressed we will continue to hear this story over and over again.

Tuesday we woke to learn that yet one more black man had been killed by a police officer and this tragic incident in our own community. Video footage at the scene showed George Floyd handcuffed and pinned to the ground by an officer who had his knee on his neck. Clearly in distress, Floyd begged for mercy. “Please, I can’t breathe.” Bystanders pleaded with the officer to stop. Eventually Floyd lost his life due to the use of brutal and unnecessary force by one officer while the other officers who could have altered this course of events didn’t step in.

The Christian tradition tells us that every human being, from the unborn to the elderly, men and women, people of all races and ethnicities, are created in the image of God. Every human life has inherent worth and value given by God. And all must be treated in a way that reflects basic human dignity. Even the Declaration of Independence recognized the first of the Creator-endowed rights as the right to life. As Christians and as Americans, we have a duty to ensure that these values are consistently upheld in our community.

It took 74 days and live footage of the incident leaking to the public before authorities in Georgia took steps to seek justice for the murder of Ahmaud Aubery. And without bystander video of George Floyd’s last few minutes on earth, we might not even know what happened. But we do know. And we cannot remain indifferent.