THE MEMPHIS POLICE AND THE DEMONIC

Let’s go be present.

Anti-racism educators are rushing to their platforms after the release of the video showing the horrific Memphis police beating and killing of Tyre Nichols. They are rightfully helping us understand that white supremacy is still the ideological frame/ system of cultural indoctrination at work in this beating despite the fact that the 5 officers were black men beating horrifically another black man. Just like white persons get socialized into a culture of white superiority, into believing that certain places in town are more dangerous and therefore violence is more accepted here than in privileged places, that black persons are more dangerous than white persons and should therefore be subdued with lethal force preemptively, etc. etc., so can black persons be socialized as well.

The solution for most anti-racism educators, is more education. Let us work on educating ourselves on the way white supremacy works. Now, education is important. It is an important first step to bring people to an awareness of the way the culture works, the way the ideological frame of white supremacy works in a culture, and the way we, (especially white persons) benefit, play into and enable this culture. But if this awareness becomes the end goal, if this is where we leave it, I contend that little will change. In fact, what will most likely happen is things will get worse. Indeed the same violence and racism will take different forms. Education alone will not get to the heart of the disease called racism (this is where the church comes in).

It all reminds me of what Cornel West said in the days following the George Floyd murder:

“It looks as if the system cannot reform itself ... We’ve tried black faces in high places. Too often our black politicians, professional class, middle class, become too accommodated to the capitalist economy … Too accommodated to the militarized nation state, too accommodated to the market culture tied with celebrity status, power, fame, all of that superficial stuff that means so much to so many fellow citizens.” Being more aware of the frame of whiteness, success, platforming, etc. is not enough to remove oneself from it. Its allure, its pressures, its security is too much to overcome.

The problem is power

The heart of the problem is power, the way it works, (not just persons), the way it is justified (ideologically to exploit), and then inhabited. This power, once entered into, becomes the way things get done. And this power, embodied and justified within a frame of whiteness, is hard to resist. Yes, even among black police persons.

What we saw in Memphis last week, in the horrific violence resulting in the death of Tyre Nichols, is power going off the rails. When power over another person is used in any fashion, and justified with a Godlike self-righteousness, it can possess persons in a demonic fashion. It turns inhumane. Unchecked violence is unleashed. Ultimate evil inhabits the soul. This happens within social systems. It happens in war. Systems that are organized to protect, that inhabit a cultural justification for using coercive power, can become a power unto themselves. They can take on a god-like justification and turn rogue. Violence and abuse is sure to follow.

The powers

The apostle Paul addresses this social dynamic in terms of “the principalities and powers.” Paul says, that there are systems that “were created through Christ and unto Christ. In him, they hold all things together” (Col 1:15-17). They are social organizations that do good work to preserve us. But something happens when these authorities overreach and go beyond their limits, and act as if they are God in autonomy from Him. They are now in rebellion. The apostle refers to them as stoicheia (Col 2:8, 20), as “the ruler of the power of the air,” “the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient,” “the powers of this present darkness,” “rulers of this age.” (Eph 2.2; 6:12; 1 Cor 2:6). These authorities that were meant to preserve society and hold things in order from evil now turned hostile and enslave us into evil.

The police forces of our cities might be described in this way. They are there perhaps created for good (some prelapsarian theologians think the instruments of government were there before sin came into the world). But they overstep. We ask them to do redemptive work. We allow them to think too highly of themselves. They begin to think they are a power unto themselves. They resist all accountability. They go rogue. And power like this, power over, power that is coercive, power that relies on unilateral force, can go rogue. And it is like being possessed. It is demonic.

Police forces are especially susceptible to this kind of evil demonic possession. Empowered by an ideology and ways of seeing people as lesser than, emboldened by a sense of superiority, and self-righteousness, with histories of white superiority-supremacy, being given more and more to do in relation to keeping order amidst a broken world, our police forces are prone to going rogue. It’s why some societies do not allow police to wield deadly force. It is why some people call for defunding the police, less police, asking police to do less giving more of the violent situations, or the social welfare situations, to specialized people who trained for this.

Jesus, the Church and the Powers

When police go rogue, becoming possessed with the powers of destruction, the apostle calls on we who are in Christ, under His Lordship, to refuse the sovereignty of these powers over us (Col 2:15). They have overstepped. We must step in between. This is bold. This is dangerous. It is always dangerous to step in the way of demonic possession. But there’s a spell here to be broken with the word of truth and physical presence. And Jesus, our Lord, has disarmed the powers (Col 2:15). In Him we go and be present giving witness to Jesus Lordship. We say a simple word. We will be present.

The church needs to be present with police forces all over the nation. We need to tell police they are being seen, appreciated for what they do and don’t do, and are part of us, accountable in relationship. The police cannot save the world. Churches, create relationships with our police, be present with them. Be present in the midst of conflict, struggles and pain. Let’s be on call, being the space for the presence of God’s people in all the pains and conflicts of our world, people, and systems. And people will get saved.

Fitch is writing a manuscript on power entitled ‘Not So Among You: Jesus, the Church and the Problem of Power’ coming via Brazos books (Grand Rapids) Spring 2024.  

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