Ashley Matthews attends theHeart. She's a part of our worship band. She's involved with a Spiritual Formation Group. And she's a member of the black community. Recently she shared her thoughts about the riots set off by the horrific death of George Floyd. Her words are raw and real. And Ashley's voice needs to be heard.
By Ashley Matthews, theHeart Family Member
This sums up my feelings.
While some understand the rioting and damage and others speak against it, right or wrong I see it as a DESPERATE cry from my people and others for actual change.
WE ARE TIRED.
I worry for my daddy, my brother, my boyfriend, who are all upstanding black men. They could be targeted. And the REALITY is, even if it hasn’t been your personal experience with law enforcement, IT IS A REALITY FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
I urge those who haven’t really thought about it and think that the black community is just ”overreacting” to LISTEN to our stories! Open up your heart and take your blinders of privilege off for just a second and see the fear and frustration of my community.
Yes I love everyone and every life is important, but every life isn’t being held down by the neck to the point of death on VIDEO.
I hope this is a wake-up call that this is actually an issue. I hope this helps people realize the issue is in the fact that we have to tell our black men and women to act a certain way just so they can make it back home to us after a law enforcement encounter. I am tired of this and I want to go numb to it but I can’t.
Will my caring dad be next? My wonderful brother? My sweet boyfriend? Even if it makes you uncomfortable, I urge you to LISTEN to the black community. We are SCREAMING now.
Your Voice Matters
Sharing how this time of uncertainty has affected you can be life-changing. It gives you the opportunity to process things while also allowing your church family to learn something profound from your experience. Through your personal story, we all get to see God at work in real and meaningful ways. And don't we all need that kind of hope right now? Understandably sharing your story can feel intimidating, but we want to give voice to your insights—they matter. Whether it's written, captured with photos, or recorded on your iPhone, would you consider contributing to theHeart Blog? Here's how it works:
Email your story idea to josh.anderson@theheart.us
Josh will contact you directly to discuss how best your story can be told on theHeart Blog (written, photos, video).
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