So as many of you probably know, there have been major riots in the city of Paris for the last ten nights. Despite serious warnings from French officials haven’t been able to get the city under control with each night getting worse than the previous. Thankfully for us, none of the rioting has been close to where we live. Most of the worst parts have been far outside the city center. However, last night there were some cars set on fire in Place de la Republique which is in the city center, but still quite a ways from where we are. So, we’ll see what happens tonight.

But here’s what I really want to write about…It’s so amazing to me what the result of an ignored conflict is on a social level. Yes, there were two boys who died, but this situation is about so much more. It’s about a group of people who have felt oppressed for a long time and were never heard and now they are choosing to have a voice. Unfortunetely for the French government, the voice of these people has become a shout and not a discussion. This ‘shout’ has resulted in close to 5,000 cars and countless buildings being burnt. It has resulted in people being arrested and some killed.

The question I have is, “Why do we as humans have to let things get to this point?” While saying this I am very much pointing the finger at myself. I haven’t burnt and buildings or cars, but have certainly allowed a growing frustration to manifest itself as a ‘riot’ in my relationships. Just like a mob mentality can sweep over a crowd, an anger mentality has swept over me too many times to count. As I watch the news and see the pictures on the internet I am in a way seeing what my internal life could look like if I don’t take ownership of the conflicts that are below the surface.

In all of the chaos that’s going on in Paris, I think that people’s eyes are being open to the reality that the equality is still a dream, and not yet realized. My prayer is that this situation will open everybody’s eyes to a greater desire to listen and be heard…and then act. I hope that people start to truly look out for their fellow man and not wait until cars and buildings are on fire to hear the needs of people. I pray that I myself will start living out these things…after all I do think that every big change is only a culmination of a lot of small changes…

If you want to read the BBC aricle on this click here