In a video that has gone viral, a group of White Christians kneel in prayer before their Black brothers and sisters to apologize and ask God to forgive them for generations of racial injustice perpetuated against Black communities in America.
The video was published on Facebook by local reporter Natalie Hee on May 31 and has been shared more than 100,000 times.
https://www.facebook.com/NatalieHee6/videos/674662239998004/
The event in Houston, Texas, was organized by rapper Bobby “Tre9” Herring, founder of Eye on Me, Inc.
Hip Hop Hope Missions shared in the YouTube description of the longer video of the event:
This took place in Houston, TX without a plan or premeditated action. After the tragic death of George Floyd, riots and crime broke out in the city but Christians were called to action in a different way. As Tre9, led a prayer circle in Cuney Homes, the place George Floyd once lived, the atmosphere shifted into a powerful reconciliation moment. Here are his thoughts that were posted to his Facebook and Instagram pages.
“Today, I was hit by a supernatural moment that I would’ve never imagined myself in the middle of. I’m not a man of eloquent speech nor do I have an education beyond a High School diploma, so I’m nothing short of unqualified for what you will see. I believe God wants something from his people that doesn’t require much more than a heart and attitude of humility and love. I kept wrestling with what to say to whoever showed up, regardless of how many, or their status. It only left my stomach in knots, my mind cluttered & my heart heavy all day long. My thoughts were all over the place & I couldn’t bring myself to write a speech or make special plans so I said to God, “Will you please use my mouth to speak your words during our time together?”
Johnny Gentry and I handed out written prayers on index cards and appointed a few believers to take turns praying specifically for the racial issues in our nation and in our hearts. Then after our prayer circle ended, I felt a burden in my heart to ask all white & brown people to get on one side of the center court line & for all black people to stand on the other side. George Floyd’s name was already written on the center court prior to our arrival. This was his home at one time. This court is where many outreaches had taken place which he was a part of. He was a person who wanted peace in the streets, as I’m told by people who knew him well. All day I kept thinking about how George Floyd’s legacy should be honorable and spark a unified movement, rather than the violence and division we are seeing everywhere. It’s tragic that he died, but I can honestly say that his death pulled the blinders off many of my white Christian brothers and sisters eyes and left most of us seeking answers and solutions like never before.
So there we were looking face to face with black people from all over Houston, of many different ages and backgrounds. For that moment, I believe we felt the brokenness, pain, anger, disappointment, discouragement, doubt and other emotions that most black people have felt for a very long time. All I can say is that this video of white and brown people on their knees represents genuine repentance from the heart. This isn’t the last of our PRAYTESTS but I’m pretty sure it is one of most impactful moments I’ll ever have in ministry.”
