I just read an informative, easy-to-read, easy-to-understand essay (The link is provided at the end of this post.) written by an African-American woman named Akilah Hughes on one of my favorite websites, www.hellogiggles.com.

Wherever you stand on the Michael Brown case, we must take note that a young man is dead and that his family is grieving--not only his family, but an entire community, and much of the nation as well. Jesus loves them and hurts for them--as should we all--in this time of suffering and loss.

Not only that, but if we want to begin to understand why people are so outraged about this entire situation and others like it, we're going to have to step out of our own contexts (and possibly outside of this particular instance entirely) and educate ourselves about the contexts of those who live in a constant state of fear and hesitancy due to the color of their skin. I've never in my life experienced anything like that and can't imagine experiencing it...

Can you?

It's impossible to fathom because it's not my reality, and I'm guessing this is a foreign concept to a fair amount of you as well. But it IS the reality of so, so many in our country, which is why we have to listen, learn, and reframe how we think about and live in our society if we want to take seriously this whole holistic community thing I think Jesus was shooting for with his earthly ministry. 

Hughes says, "I can’t force you to feel how I’m feeling—and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemies. I can only help to make you understand that life is not the same for everyone in this country, and it never has been. If you don’t feel anything about this Michael Brown case, please note that privilege. It is a privilege to not have to fear for your life, or the life of your family. It is a privilege to not have to critically think about race and oppression. Some of us may never be that lucky."

"What it feels like to be black in America in 2014"