When the posters and bumper stickers first appeared shouting “Black Lives Matter,” I was among those whose first response was to clarify that All Lives Matter, whether black, white, yellow, brown, or blue.

But my response has changed.

Ignoring the rioting, the looting, and the toppling of statues that served only to distract from the real issues, I listened to the hearts of those who sought to highlight the racial injustice that remains in our land.  As a son of the South, and one who grew up during Segregation, I have had a front-row seat on what racism looks like.  I believed, and still do, that much progress has been made in dealing with our racist past.  While we can debate how much racism remains (and I still believe racism plagues our country), I hope we can all agree that racial injustice, no matter the degree, is wrong and should be addressed.

We Christians should be on the front lines of this issue.  Why?  Simple.  A fundamental tenet of the Christian faith is that humanity is created in the image of God,  the “Imago Dei,” the concept that humankind is endowed with attributes that, unlike all other living things, reflect the divine nature of God.  All life has value, all life deserves dignity, all human life is worthy because it is created in the image of God.  

Therefore, if those who call themselves Christian genuinely embrace the concept of the Imago Dei, the Church can, and should, be a force of reconciliation rather than division in addressing the brokenness of this world.

Listening with an open mind, I have concluded that those who shout Black Lives Matter do not mean Only Black Lives Matter, but rather Black Lives Matter Too.  And I can agree with that proposition because all lives are created in the image of God.

But wait.  I want to expand on the thought of the current slogan.  I propose that to be fully inclusive, Black Lives Matter should be  “All Black Lives Matter.”

If these lives matter outside the womb, shouldn’t they also matter inside the womb?  Let me quickly add that those of us who see abortion as a form of “black genocide” should be equally concerned about the plight of impoverished black single moms.  Sadly, we have not always been supportive of policies to uplift the black community.  Nevertheless, the fact remains that black lives in the womb have more to fear from PP (Planned Parenthood) than the KKK.  

If Black Lives Matter (and they do), then All Black Lives Matter Too.

_{Author’s Note:  I should note that my willingness to embrace the term All Black Lives Matter is not a tacit endorsement of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation.    While some BLM organizations seek to bring police and the black community closer together, other BLM organizations like the Global Network Foundation, seek to defund the police, destroy the nuclear family, and support abortion on demand. There is a difference between supporting a proclamation that every color of life matters vs. endorsing an organization that has hijacked the slogan for its own benefit.} 

Photo credit:  Andre Adjahoe at unspalsh.com