Dj McCoy and Kristen Theile write to us from Community Lutheran Church, in Las Vegas, where their youth ministry is a diverse group located on the East side. Their youth have been wanting to speak out about the sin of racism and where we are called as a church to respond.

Micah 6:8 has been a verse that resonates with our youth ministry and faith calling. It’s also become a cliché verse plastered on mugs, t-shirts, and notepads. But it’s more than a t-shirt slogan. We believe it calls out what God requires of each of us and we hope, through this article, it calls to you and has you pondering where God is calling you as we look at our lives, churches, and community to speak out.

It was fall 2019 and for the previous ten weeks our volunteer group had been running a weekly park outreach program where we passed out lunch and snack bags to middle school students with food insecurities. Our team looked forward to our park outreach each week as it was a time for connection, community, and sharing grace. On that particular day, tensions were high because our team had been dealing with a neighbor who was infuriated by our presence and antagonistic towards our team. We gathered our supplies and began to set up. Out of the corner of our eyes, we saw a man marching towards Kristen with clenched fists.

I, Kristen, took a deep breath, bracing for impact. Our eyes met as insults and obscene language began flying out of his mouth. He stopped an inch away from my face and continued to yell.  At six foot three, he towered over my five foot seven frame. I felt his spit hit my face as his yelling and profanity got faster and louder. I kept looking him in the eye, not moving, and unwilling to succumb to his bullying. Frankly, as a woman who has been abused, I was tired of the antics of his and every other person who uses violence and harassment as fear maneuvers. He realized his tactics were not working and began lunging toward me, acting like he was going to hit me. 

At that point, one of the young adults spoke up. Our volunteer team for park outreach consisted of an older Latina woman and young adults, several of whom are Black. Z, who is Black, shouted, “Get out of her face! Don’t hit her!” He was brave, courageous, and trying to protect me, his youth minister. The man smirked and directed his attention to Z. He continued yelling and taunting Z to fight him. “Come on big man... let’s go. Let’s fight! You wanna go to jail? I’ll mess you up…easy!”

We both knew the man's intentions as we had heard him spout racial slurs in the past. Kristen and I believed that his hostility toward our park outreach program stemmed from the community that we served. Most of the students we served are Black and Hispanic. No one from our team had bothered this man before. In the year and a half of outreach, his aggression grew, week after week. He kept looking for opportunities to escalate. I believe he wanted someone to match his rage and fight him. Kristen pleaded with Z to walk away and reminded him that it wasn't worth it. I believe it was intentional that he was acting like he was going to hit Kristen, an attempt to incite a fight. We just wanted to talk to him in a calm manner and have it be dropped but we were worried he was going to hit Kristen. I told Z, “This could be the end. Let the man go and we will go home. We both have been to jail any little thing could make it worse. You know what will happen.” The hostile neighbor proceeded to shout over me and Kristen, taunting, and provoking Z. 

At that moment, everything stood still and vivid questions flew through my head. The park is located right next to a police station.

• If this man hits Kristen, the white woman, and she fights back, would she be arrested?

• If this man hits Kristen and Z steps in to restrain him, would the white man be arrested?

• And/or would Z, the black man, be arrested?

• Would the black young adults be believed against the white male’s word?

• Who would be arrested if the cops showed up?

We both already had an answer of who would be arrested and whose word would be believed. Thankfully, there was no physical altercation that day but that would not be the last incident. We both were asked in the following days and months how we can show this man mercy and Christ’s love. Our answer is, “Nah, we don’t.” We both believe in Micah 6:8 and a redeeming God but we are unwilling to advocate mercy and love before justice. We were never asked how we show love and mercy to the youth we serve or the young adults. The youth and young adults were traumatized. We do not believe that our Black and Brown brothers and sisters are responsible for sharing that grace before restitution is met. We do not believe that those who suffer trauma are required to do more work before they have their own healing.

We ask that if you have an answer of who would have been arrested that day, that you ask yourself how are we working to combat the evils of biases and racism. How are we and the church being called to seek justice before skipping a step and going to mercy and love? Can we show the neighbor justice and love the same way that Jesus showed it to the Pharisees?  Can we show justice and love to the neighbor by holding him accountable? What would you do to seek justice, mercy, and love for the youth being served and the young adults?