Praying and Protesting in the Black Lives Matter Uprisings of 2020

Praying, preaching and protesting fill the lives of the beautiful women I am blessed to have as friends. They hold the world together as far as I can tell.

Too Much Fear

Too much of 2020 and now 2021 has been characterized by dread, fear, dwelling on the negative and separating ourselves from one another. Some of the physical separation is necessary because of COVID, but dwelling on the negative and often false narratives we hear about various groups in our communities has been polarizing. Going forward, I hope we can focus on the list of true, noble, excellent things listed by the Apostle Paul in Philippians.

Philippians 4:4-8 has been a lodestar for me in challenging times. Let’s break that down verse by verse:

Rejoice Always

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Even in the worst of times, we can rejoice in the love of God and in the love of our families and friends. Paul is writing these words while in chains. He is familiar with suffering, and yet he can rejoice. We need to grieve sometimes, but rejoicing is the “always” condition of knowing we are loved. I hope you can feel that you are loved and rejoice in it, even in the midst of grief.

Show Gentleness

Verse 5 says, “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit, and God knows we need more of it these days. God is with us and God is love. Awareness of the nearness of God should yield gentleness in the people of God. Let us be known for our gentleness.

Prayer Brings Peace

What is the best response to difficulties? “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Because I am an expert at anxiety, my wild imagination can think of all kinds of crazy, tragic outcomes that will probably never happen. But on a good day, I can pray, give thanks, and accept the peace of God. I hope you can too.

Whatever Is True and Noble

This next verse is a biggie for these days of internet conspiracy theories and questionable news reports. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Okay, so we may not know the truth about every news report, and we may not know what to believe. But let’s not dwell on every negative thing we hear. Let’s focus on the true and the good, especially when it comes to our family, neighbors, friends and community members.

Praying and Protesting

Here’s what I know to be true about the circumstance depicted in the artwork above: The artwork is based on a photo taken by a young man who is no longer with us, but I have communicated with his family and obtained permission to use the photo as a basis for the artwork. Friends from my church shared this photo on social media. They were in the photo. They were there in person. This happened in my community during the Black Lives Matter uprising last summer. I sang in church with one of the ladies in the artwork.

Let’s focus on the truth: There were beautiful women of God from my church praying with people in the middle of the uprisings last summer.

The true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy actions of these dear friends—I was thinking of these things as I completed the artwork. I know Black Lives Matter to God and they matter to me. I hope we will pull together to help each other through the coming year. And let’s celebrate the lives of noble women who are changing the world.

Can you share something true or noble that gives you hope for the coming months, or is there a woman you admire? I’d love to hear in the comments.

I’m an artist who loves to write. If you’d like to get to know me better, please follow me on social media.

My Blog: susanebrooks.com

Instagram @sebrooks81 (Mostly Art)

Facebook, Susan E. Brooks, Artist,

Twitter @sebrooks81

YouTube Susan E. Brooks, Artist