8 Minutes and 46 Seconds
Take a deep breath, open your heart... and read Psalm 143

On average, humans breathe about 12 times a minute. It can be as much as 18, it can be less. Depends, of course on age, health, weight, activity, awake or sleeping. We do it without thinking. It is one of those autonomic activities that our miraculous brains just knows how to keep going without our thinking about it. Are you thinking about your breath right now, even as you read this? Probably not until I said something.
     I have myself gasped for air, wondered why breathing was coming so hard. Difficulty breathing was how they determined that I was allergic to codeine (pretty much wipes out a lot of pain killers) and also was one of my first signs of a heart problem. You see, the heart is another autonomic activity. The electrical systems are kept going by the brain and thankfully we don't have to think "beat, beat, beat." The heart, lungs and brain all work together in God's design and they do so until something gets in the way to interrupt their partnership. If you hold your breath your heart rate will go down, for a moment, but it can also puts a strain on your heart. If you can't breathe and can't get enough oxygen into your system, the heart and brain get thrown off their routine and pattern, and if it goes on, it will bring on a stroke, heart attack, or death.
     8 minutes and 46 seconds. Time for the average human being to inhale and exhale 105 times... if doing so easily. Not with someone's knee on your neck and pressure on you back. Breath is essential to life. It renews, it gives life, and at the end it is one last things to leave us... the brain stops functioning, so it tells the lungs to stop inhaling... and then the heart to stop beating. I've sat at many bedsides counting breaths, holding hands, watching the peaceful withdrawal of those breaths as they slowed. Usually it comes quite peacefully and a life withdraws into the hands of God.
    That's how it's supposed to happen.
     8 minutes and 46 seconds. At the end of the memorial service for George Floyd this afternoon they ended with folks standing for a moment of silence, but not just any moment... time to pray, time to reflect on what George went through, time to think about breath leaving, time also to think about the changes that must happen in our country, systemic changes, attitude changes, heart changes, listening changes, legislative changes. 8 minutes and 46 seconds. That's how long the silence was. Equal to the time it took for George Floyd's brain to stop receiving life-giving oxygenated blood and not know how to make his lungs function, which left his heart to stop. Not a heart attack that was chest-crushing massive and gone in a moment. 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
     I prayed, I thought about the senselessness of the violence... all of it... I thought about the hatred that still infests our country and the lack of true understanding of our racial bias and white privilege, even if you swear to God Almighty that you are not a racist. Our systems are, our comments often are, we just don't think about it because we haven't had to deal with it. I have never been followed around a store by a security guard while shopping. I have never been pulled over because I was guilty of driving while white. I have never worried about my son being shot simply because he is white.  Then I did one of the things they asked... think about George's last minutes. I held my breath. Only for a few moments. My brain went to times when I have felt trapped, claustrophobic, restrained. I have a deep seated fear of death by drowning ... even if I'm not in water... just not being able to breathe. And I had a flown blown anxiety attack. Had to walk outside, force myself to slow down my breathing, pray for help. Anxiety actually brings on more shortness of breath. And I sat down and cried.
    8 minutes and 46 seconds.... while the rest of the world was taking 105 breaths, they didn't even realize that the world was about to change forever. In 8 minutes and 46 seconds a spark would be ignited that has been a long time coming and will be the 8 minutes that history will look back upon. We will not, cannot be the same ever again. We must not take our breathing for granted... or our freedoms, or live in a sheltered world where we think that everyone is treated equally, because they often are not. We must work for, and pray for, God's life-giving breath to fill us all anew, strengthen us for the changes and work ahead, and also convict us of the unintended parts we have played in the past.
     What has happened in your life in the last 8 minutes and 46 seconds? How many heartbeats, how many breaths, how many smiles or frowns, how many music notes heard, winds felt on your cheek, how many times have you thought about God...about life... about death... about your safety. Don't take any of these things for granted. Take 8 minutes and 46 seconds to think about what you can do to take steps to make sure that these words are true: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." God has already ordained it... now it is up to us, after 244 years, work to make sure it is really true in our world. We are called (remember Micah?!) to work for justice... love kindness.... and walk humbly with our God... and to love others. Take 8 minutes and 46 seconds to earnestly pray. Set the alarm on your phone. If you think 20 seconds in worship seems long, you will find out just how long 8 minutes and 46 seconds can truly seem. And give thanks for the 100 breaths that you might take without thinking about it. And the injustice that happens... without you thinking about it.
     Amen