How America Can Rescue Tragedy for Triumph

This tragedy, the brutal murder of George Floyd, is horrific.

And then we watched mobs. . .

• beat old women
• shoot police officers
• steal everything in sight

How many innocent Americans have they hurt?

How many have they murdered?

How do we put our society back together?

For some reason, Tyler Perry popped into my head.

No, not Madea.  Tyler Perry.

Tyler was born into the tragedy of a raging alcoholic father.

Abuse swarmed him and his mother day and night.

He didn’t even finish high school, so he cornered a GED.

And yet Forbes listed Tyler Perry as the highest paid man in entertainment by 2011.

“My childhood was a story of discouragement, belittlement and unthinkable abuse, and yet I rose above.”  Tyler Perry, Higher is Waiting

More than ever, folks in America are growing up in abusive homes.

I did.  That’s why I admire Tyler Perry.  He navigated abuse for 21 years before leaving home.

Racism and inequality are bad enough, but pile on abuse, and success is much harder.

Tyler Perry overcame all three.

His father’s blows made days feel like geologic time.

“He would be crazed and violent, belittling and beating my mother.  I didn’t escape his wrath either.  He was over six feet tall and muscular from his work as a carpenter.  You could sense his physical power even if he wasn’t touching you.  This was our hell on earth.  Mamma and I were burning in its flames.”  Tyler Perry, Higher is Waiting

Always fascinated by trees, young Tyler planted three seeds that would lead him higher.

Seed #1:  Listen to God-inspired people 

Thank God for trips with his mother in the country to see his Aunt Mae.

Trees, sun and Lake Pontchartrain swelled his senses along the ride.

“Why don’t it overflow and cover the bridge, Mamma?”  “Because, baby, God’s got it in his banks.  He’s in control.  He’s in control of the water.  He’s in control of the sky, and the birds, and you and me. . . and God is good, baby.”  Tyler Perry, Higher is Waiting

God is good.  And He is in control.  That’s the light Tyler walked in.

He saw God’s goodness in . . .

• mother’s faith
• aunt Mae’s faith

Wake in the morning and Aunt Mae is singing gospel hymns.

Precious Lord, take my hand.  Lead me on, let me stand.  I am tired.  I am weak.  I am worn.

And then there was the blind man walking with Tyler to school, talking with his cane tapping.  Who would ever guess an old blind man would give such wise advice?

“Sometimes in life, son, when you pray and you’ve said and done all you can, then all you have to do is stand and wait, and listen.  Just stand.”  Tyler Perry, Higher is Waiting

Listening is a lost art in this hyper-tweeting world.

But, listening is what leads to open doors.

I think God, in his grace, brings beautiful people to point us higher.

We can receive them and let them guide us, or we can ignore them and plunge into despair.

Seed #2:  Forgive and pray for mean people

Forgiveness is a big theme in Tyler Perry’s movies.

“Our work is to help one another get to the place where we understand that we are all worthy, despite our histories.”  Tyler Perry, Higher is Waiting

Why are we worthy?  Because God made us worthy.

I forgave my mother the emotional abuse she piled on our family.

How?  I simply asked, “What horrors has mother endured?”

It set me free to love her no matter what.

Seed #3:  Shine a light for your neighbors

Who’s my neighbor?  Everyone.

Even if they are stranger than fiction.

And if they are strange, remember the song by Mary Gauthier, “Mercy Now.”

Yeah, we all could use a little mercy now
I know we don't deserve it, but we need it anyhow
We hang in the balance, dangle 'tween hell and hallowed ground
And every single one of us could use some mercy now
Every single one of us could use some mercy now
Every single one of us could use some mercy now

Shine a light on tragedy, stand up for justice and seek mercy.