Protesting Injustice with God and Prayer

Ferguson and Faith

The primary purpose of this book Ferguson and Faith, by Leah Gunning Francis, is stated explicitly in the Introduction: "This book shines a spotlight on some of their sacred stories of courage and hope that might awaken in us seeds of possibilities that, if nurtured, could bend our imagination and actions toward a future filled with hope" (4). In other words, the book aims to highlight the stories of faith leaders and their role in the Ferguson movement, and it pays special attention to their commitment to justice as well as their focus on hopeful things to come. The book shares these stories for the purpose of inspiring the reader and guiding future actions towards a better tomorrow.

The key question the author is addressing is not so explicitly stated. However, it can be surmised in the following terms with regard to the crisis in Ferguson: How did faith leaders, especially clergy, respond to the situation in Ferguson, and how did their actions represent their faith and extend out from their faith? How did this in turn affect the overall push for justice within the wider community?

The most important information in this book is the information surrounding the death of Michael Brown and its aftermath in Ferguson, Missouri. The book sheds light on what leaders of faith were doing in the protests and movements that followed and how their faith inspired a push for social justice. It especially shows how the young people became leaders and how they were “praying with their feet” so to speak, i.e., taking to the streets and preaching God’s Word in protests. And instead of looking the other way or ignoring the situation, these leaders engaged with it and took ownership of it.

The main conclusions of the book appear to be that leaders of faith had a big role to play in the Ferguson crisis, particularly as they saw it as an extension of their own experiences during the Civil Rights Movement era (38). In other words, Ferguson was like a continuation of that earlier period in American history and it brought it all back to life for them in a big way when the streets filled with people calling for justice and equity. Others, like Mike Kinman, saw it as a chance to do something new and using the energy in the crisis to bring people to God, to the Eucharist (48).

The main assumptions that underlie the author’s thinking seem to be that the crisis in Ferguson was significant because it exposed the deep need for God in the community, which also needed the leaders of the faith communities to bring its fullness of meaning to the surface. For that reason, there should not be a gap between religion and social justice. But it is important to make sure that God is not lost in the hubbub and chaos of the momentary anger.

If we take the author’s line of argument seriously, the implications are that faith communities and leaders need to be actively involved in social justice movements. There is also a need for greater collaboration between older and younger faith leaders. Moreover, the crisis in Ferguson should be seen as a call to action for the whole nation. On the other hand, if we fail to take the author’s line of argument seriously, the implications are that churches and people of faith will miss an important opportunity to make an impact on the social justice front while at the same time bringing God into a very violent and chaotic situation. Plus, the gap between the young and the old could worsen.