“Jesus Grievous!” you say in a menacing voice, ready to spar.
That’s what I get when we read Star Wars books and children’s biblical stories on the same day.
You’ve been intensely interested in Star Wars these past weeks — since discovering Lego Star Wars shows — and less interested in God and life’s bigger questions, though Star Wars fanatics would argue the two are intertwined. In addition to watching the shows on Disney+ (America’s cheapest babysitter), we bought you four Star Wars books that you devour and practically read yourself. You’ve memorized every character in the books, including some trivia-quality references like Jango Fett and Nien Numb. I’ve always been a fan myself but am learning about the deeper universe with you.
As summer weather hits, Star Wars follows us outside. We’ve turned Whiffle ball bats into lightsabers. You like to play “nice” Darth Vader and I play Obi-Wan Kenobi in battle. To begin each round of lancing, you run around the backyard tent, surprise me with your presence and somersault into action. Each fight round lasts about 10 seconds of you swinging violently at me before you run around the tent again. We do this 20 to 30 times per fight session. I end up with a couple light bruises, but it’s all in good fun.
That’s nothing compared to the real fight happening on the streets of America right now. Since the death of George Floyd and delayed recognition of Breonna Taylor due to COVID-19, the Black community and allies have erupted with peaceful protests. Some have turned violent or been taken advantage of by looters. These are difficult circumstances to explain to a young mind, so we simply tell you that Black people have been hurt because of the color of their skin, and that’s not OK. We stop short at systemic racism, redlining, police brutality and misconduct, mass incarceration and a lot other dynamics that are complicated. Your Mom and I are still trying to process them ourselves.
Not everyone agrees on the big picture or details for how to address the problems the Black community faces. It’s an American problem and an American process through and through. What we can do is show support for our Black friends and community by joining them in saying, “Black Lives Matter.” This past weekend, we joined a peaceful protest in our neighborhood, among the hundreds of neighborhoods doing the same thing across America. I know the least your Mom and I can do is raise white children to be tolerant, educated and empathetic. That’s why we brought you to the protest to witness firsthand at your young age the suffering Black people feel. It will be up to you later in life to continue that education, ensure that you’re surrounding yourself with people from all sorts of backgrounds and act on your own will when you feel our voice should be heard. I trust you’ll know when to act.
Love always, Dad