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There seem to be a lot of demonstrations and protests around at the moment. London has been taken over with pro and anti-Israel marches, those showing their support for people in Iraq and Syria and those unhappy with government cuts. It’s not a new phenomenon, but as situations around the world get bleaker by the day, it is becoming more commonplace.
• Have you ever protested about an issue? Why / why not?
• What does it take for you to do protest?
• Are you vocal on issues you care about?
Sometimes a protest can be a nuisance; it can block a road or slow down traffic. On other occasions it can take over a whole town. This summer, the American town of Ferguson, Missouri, was overtaken by protests and demonstrations following the death of black teenager Michael Brown. The 18 year-old was shot by a policeman after being stopped for walking on the road near to the scene of a robbery. The treatment and death of Brown provoked outrage. There was little with no evidence connecting him to the robbery and reports say that he was knelt down with his hands in the air at the time of his shooting. This led to violent clashes between the police and the public, tear gas, curfews and an entire town being locked down.
• What’s your immediate reaction to hearing the story of Michael Brown?
• How would you have reacted if you lived in that town?
• Is the reaction of Ferguson acceptable?
Some of the clashes with the police have been violent, others have been peaceful. It may seem ironic when protests against violence turn violent, but when emotions are high and a teenager has died – can we blame people for it turning ugly?
• Do you think violent protests can ever be the answer?
• Do we need to turn to violence to get our point across?
At the key moment of Jesus’ life on Earth, at his very arrest, things could have got, seemingly justifiably, violent. Read Luke 22:47-53.
• Do you think Peter’s action is justified?
• Are you surprised by how Jesus responded?
• How do you think Jesus would have acted in Ferguson, Missouri?
• Does this passage change what you think about the reaction to Michael Brown’s death?
