Curfew?

Photo by Adam Wilson on Unsplash

As our nation is convulsing with the labor pains of protest over justice too often denied to African Americans, many peaceful protests have taken place. At the same time other more opportunistic elements, more committed to breaking things and cursing others than seeking the blessed kingdom have burned and looted indiscriminately. Saturday night (5/30) in America, over 40 major cities had curfews in place in an effort to stem the tide of rioting and the property damage that results from looting and burning. It is ironic considering the origins of the word.

What is curfew? As a young person, I understood that curfew was when I needed to be home or face the consequences of being grounded or some other loss of privileges. My Mom used to say, “Nothing good happens after 12:30am!” Now, looking back forty years later, I see the wisdom in her words! In common understanding, a curfew is a time when by law or by emergency order specific groups or the general populace need to be off the streets and home, usually during the nighttime hours. While curfew has that meaning for sure, many are unaware that it was originally a fire-prevention term. 

The word meaning of “curfew” developed from the French term for “cover your fire” as Merriam-Webster.com explains.

During the Middle Ages, houses in European towns were often made of wood and were close together, and fires could quickly spread from house to house. To prevent this, people were required to put out or cover their hearth fires by a certain time in the evening. A bell was rung as a signal when the time had come. In early French, this signal was called coverfeu, a compound of covrir, meaning “to cover,” and feu, “fire.” Even when hearth fires were no longer regulated, many towns had other rules that called for the ringing of an evening bell, and this signal was still called coverfeu. A common coverfeu regulation required people to be off the streets by a given time. That was the meaning of the word when it was borrowed into Middle English as curfew.

So, in times like this, the word curfew is more appropriate than all, but a few Jeopardy champions might realize! The government has declared curfews to try to control the fires set by those claiming to be protesters. However, in many places, activist leaders are saying it is right to be angry and to protest but let us not burn down our own houses. Some authorities advocate using a violent response toward the rioters to stop the violence and destruction. To which I, surprisingly, have mixed feelings. Let me explain.

I have no patience for the systemic and individual racial oppression of black lives... people made in the image of God! Over the years, and especially in recent days, as I have had the opportunity to listen to the stories of injustice my black friends have personally experienced it makes me angry, and ashamed. I have been changed by listening to these black voices and wrestling through difficult issues with them over the years. Even so, I cannot begin to understand the level of trauma that racism produces in those who experience ethnic insecurity, who because of their skin color are always under suspicion and at risk of discrimination and profiling. How exhausting it must be to always have to translate themselves into the dominant culture. So, I am not one to sit in judgment of the various expressions of that trauma. Those who have suffered such historic indignities should not be told to cover their fire, to calm down, and to wait a little longer, or even to use the language of niceness (though I prefer it). My preferences have no voice in their testimony. For the common good, their fire must not be covered by the wet blanket of majority culture systemic sensibilities.

Having said that, I also have no support for those who have no right to co-opt the righteous grieving and outcry of a wounded people to opportunistically act hatefully in the wanton destruction of the property and livelihoods of others for the sheer emotional rush of rebellion. Such actions only further victimize the oppressed and the immigrants. In my area, this is mostly done by the skinny white Antifa crowd. These people are like hyenas looking for an opportunity to curse others with sloganized expletives, to smash windows and to dash dreams, to light fires, loot, and laugh at their own bravado as they hide their faces and run from the police. Their unholy fire needs to be covered for the common good. Yet even here, a relational approach may be more effective than an authoritarian response. When protests are self-governed, then the police do not have to step in and it leaves space for mourning, dialogue, and even celebration of our shared humanity.

Nearly 2000 years ago, some poor Galilean fishermen challenged the status quo by proclaiming to a lame beggar at the gate to the temple, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” (Acts 3:6). More money would not have changed that man's lameness, but the healing power of Jesus did! This act of powerful and generous mercy brought great openness for the crowd to hear about Jesus and at least 5,000 believed. The authorities were “greatly annoyed” by this disturbance and arrested Peter and John for preaching the good news of the risen Christ. The next morning, after a night in jail, as they were hauled before the authorities, it was their boldness as they spoke filled with the Holy Spirit that convinced the council that they had been with Jesus (Acts. 4:13). If I am ever falsely imprisoned, may it be for doing good and may my words be boldly Spirit-filled and kingdom-focused, speaking the “big-T” truth to the “little-p” power! When the authorities warned them not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus anymore, Peter and John respectfully refused to “cover their fire”, and answered, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20). That last line echoes in my mind, “for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” The apostles could not unsee what they had seen…a resurrected Jesus and they could not stop talking about him even when the authorities issued a spiritual “curfew”.

What about us? What have we seen and heard? I don’t mean in someone else’s social media rant, but what have we witnessed? Have we taken the time and made space to listen to the testimonies of others, to sit under what they have seen and heard? Or do we forbid questions and dialogue that might bring understanding and acceptance? One of my longtime favorite quotes is from Michel de Montaigne, “He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak.” Sadly, this is a common tactic that has been used by both extremes of the political spectrum and many polarized elements in the culture wars. Over the long haul, commanded curfews have never worked. However, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Gal. 5:22-23). The fire of the Spirit is not shackled, no matter what the authorities do.

Thankfully, on Sunday (5/31) we saw police and protestors beginning to kneel together and march together in solidarity, and today (Monday) we saw more people peacefully coming together in unity to be seen and heard together. What will tomorrow bring?