I was flying back from a mission trip to Russia in April of 1992 and as our plane descended into Los Angeles International Airport, we could see the smoke and the flames. Rodney King, an admitted drug user and previously convicted for DUI had been speeding and refused to be pulled over by police in fear of violating his parole. After an eight mile chase, King was cornered. But there were no cell phone cameras or social media watching, just a plumbing salesman and amateur videographer who, from his apartment, recorded part of the “arrest.” King was severely beaten and tasered.
The tape made its way to TV news after no one at the police station took it. The images became worldwide news and the officers were charged with excessive force. The trial’s jury came to the decision to acquit the officers of three of the four charges. When announced, the decision sent Los Angeles into a weeklong tailspin of rioting, looting and burning that caused 63 deaths and a billion dollars in damage. King himself made a sympathetic plea to the community to, “I just want to say – you know – can we, can we all get along? Can we, can we get along? Can we stop making it horrible for the older people and the kids?”
Today’s world had not gotten any better. Political fighting across the aisle stalemates governments from state to federal. The world is at war over each other’s assets and the words from King ring truer today than they did 30-plus years ago – Can we, can we get along?
We can’t, without Jesus. We can try but I truly believe there’s not enough good within everyone to get along. We need help, every day. Last week, I took in the feature film, Jesus Revolution. This was just after watching Woodlawn. The two movies, though taking place historically on opposites of the country show the love of Jesus and what that love can do and accomplish.
Our plane touched down and the smoke got thicker. We got on a bus and somehow ended up on Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard near the airport. I had just come back from Russia where communism was falling but was more scared for my life in my own country. We got home unscathed as the riots continued. Lives were lost and nothing was really solved through it all. The earthly revolution was pointless and painful.
Perhaps we begin with prayer. Pray for our enemies. I have a situation where someone is trying to be my boss and I firmly believe they are not but we need to get along for
the betterment of the organization. I’m praying his own business becomes successful and he moves on. Maybe I should just pray that we get along and see each other’s side of the argument. We need to do what’s best for the team and not each other. But it’s only by following Jesus and getting from Him the wisdom, patience, peace, understanding and the 100 other things I need to make the situation better. I can’t do it within myself.
I’m trying to practice what Rodney asked and said all those years ago. Can we, can we get along?
Yes, yes, we can but only with Jesus in our hearts leading the way.
