Forgiveness is a concept associated with human civility. Every conscientious person is able to forgive and forget the unjust actions of others as long as those who have acted unjustly accept responsibility for the wrongs they have done and sincerely agree to change for the better. Forgiveness has nothing to do with religion but Christians have claimed forgiveness as a quality that emerges when people become deeply faithful to Christ.

Christians of all races are now using forgiveness as a way to gain favor from their god. Unfortunately, forgiveness does not work the same way for white and Black people. The result is that Black people are always languishing at the bottom of every Christian society. When Black people use forgiveness, they accept all sorts of brutality from white people then forgive white people thinking that it earns them a golden halo from god. When white people inflict cruelty on Black people they ask for forgiveness from god and do get a golden halo.

This situation was in full display during the trial of a white police officer (Amber Guyger) that walked into her Black neighbor’s apartment and executed him in cold blood. She cried and pleaded on the stand claiming that she was suffering from fatigue which fogged her mind. She then claimed to have entered the Black man’s apartment (Botham Jean) thinking it was her own then shot him several times thinking that he was a burglar. Fortunately, the jury was not god therefore they couldn’t forgive. She was found guilty and sentences to 10 years in prison by the judge

The most shocking part of the trial, in my opinion, was when the brother of the slain Black man used his pre-sentence impact statement to forgive the murderer and even asked for and received a long hug from her. Both were seen shortly thereafter walking around with golden halos over their heads. If you are a Black Christian, I’m sure you are saying to yourself that it was a wonderful show of civility and humanity. You probably went outside and hugged your white neighbor and proclaimed that “god is good”.

If you are a Black person who is tired of Cops and white people killing Black people and getting away with murder you might have gotten a little satisfaction from the conviction and sentence of the cop. If you’re like me then you’re tired of seeing Black people “turn the other cheek” to racial acts of violence against us. I am not blinded by religion so forgiveness to me has to include full accountability and atonement by white people for all the wrongs they do to Black people daily. Until such time, my forgiveness vault will remain locked.