The Liturgy Of Trayvon Martin: Skittles, Iced Tea And A Hoodie

Symbols have long been important for religious and spiritual reflection. These symbols have been employed to provide greater understanding to transcendent truths, to provide comfort amid chaos, and to inspire the faithful to put their faith to action towards the common good. Many times, these symbols have emerged from rather mundane objects closely associated with a historical event.

Prior to the beginning of his passion, Christ blessed and broke bread as a symbol of his soon to be battered and bruised body. He blessed and poured wine as a symbol of his blood which was soon to pour from open wounds. These rather ordinary objects, bread and wine, are symbols that remain central to Christian worship in celebrating the Eucharist today.

And that wooden Roman instrument of public execution, the cross, has emerged as the primary symbol of the Christian faith. I have always wondered how baffling and unnerving it would be for a first-century Roman citizen to see a known instrument of death now adorned with gold and jewels and adorning countless necks while also on display in houses of worship and within our homes. Yet, the cross, as a symbol, now transcends Roman execution and is widely held as a symbol of victory.

Considering the brutal murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, three rather mundane objects have emerged as greater symbols towards reflecting on the historic and on-going persecution of Black masculinity in America and towards a newly-energized movement to end it: Skittles, iced tea, and the hoodie. It has been widely reported that as he was being followed that fateful night, Trayvon covered his head with his hoodie to conceal himself from his pursuer. Unarmed, much also has been mentioned of Trayvon's sole possessions, a single bag of Skittles and a can of iced tea.

Since Trayvon's death, thousands have marched in protest themselves donning hoodies, and thousands more have posted, shared, and tweeted photos of the same throughout social media. Bags of Skittles have been mailed by protesters to authorities and have been creatively incorporated into signs of protest. Iced tea has remained central in our discourse and dialogue on the tragedy. But what do Skittles, iced tea and the hoodie now symbolize? What greater meaning do they possess? How can these objects form a new liturgy, not only for reflecting upon the life and death of Trayvon Martin, but for all who seek to "do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before God" (Micah 6:8)? I humbly propose the following:

Skittles possess a hard, sugary shell manifested in a multiplicity of flavors and colors, held together in a single package. The liturgy of Trayvon Martin inspires us to rid our nation of systemic racism and consider that although, like Skittles, we Americans come in a multiplicity of "flavors" (read preferences) and colors we are still held together in unity in the single-packaging of being created in the image of God. It is forever true that each of us has been endowed by the Creator with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Sweetened iced tea, a staple of Southern culture, refreshes the parched palate. Tea, however, does not originally emerge in sweetened form. Its sweetness is the result of an intentional action to remove its bitterness. The liturgy of Trayvon Martin reminds us that in our quest for justice against all forms of injustice and prejudice we must remain sweet, not bitter, lest we become what we oppose. This will take intentionality on our part, for it is easy to confuse revenge with justice. We do no justice to Trayvon's memory by likewise embodying the bitter racism that took his life.

The hoodie, that hooded sweatshirt of particular popularity within urban America, was first designed by Champion in the 1930s to provide warmth to workers who had to endure freezing temperatures. As such, the hoodie shielded them from the bitter cold, thus giving them the warmth needed to endure the biting elements around them. The liturgy of Trayvon Martin reminds us that the season of our fight against injustice may turn bitterly cold, but we must remain resolute and hooded in our commitment that we not grow "weary in well-doing" (Galatians 6:9) and endure to the end.

Let Skittles, iced tea, and the hoodie become symbols of truth, inspiration and comfort for a new generation of protesters against the on-going crucifixion of innocent flesh at the hands of a corrupt system of oppression and marginalization that has for too long tortured the masses and tainted our country's legacy.

Amen.

 

Follow Michael W. Waters on Twitter: www.twitter.com/RevMikeWaters

Comments

[doctoromans]

09:15 PM on 03/26/2012

Well I say amen well said it is harder to take the high road of love for our fellow man you sir are an inspiration

[Grevy Turty]

08:25 PM on 03/25/2012

Trayvon attacked Zimmerman. Zimmerman was correct in defending himself. He had injuries to his nose and the BACK of his head.

[Sistagirl Young]

06:15 PM on 03/25/2012

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another" . John 13:34.

"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written,vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith The LORD" Romans 12:19. Believe it or not. Cain't no body repay like The LORD. Life.

[nlightenup]

01:59 PM on 03/25/2012

Thank you for offering a way for people to see sanctity in these everyday things. May many people do so, and experience the transformation, the sanctification, of their everyday lives as a result.

[mjenk10733]

12:04 PM on 03/25/2012

Peopl;e are protesting because they are scared and tired of outright murder of young Black Men. Trayvon's murder was pre-meditated murder one. He was told ,after admitting to the operator that he was in fact following Trayon; to stand off. Breaking that command; he folowed him anyway. In his mind he'd already planned to kill Travon(premeditated). The young man comitted no crime and had no weapon. It was like hunting a dear. Even the deer may of looked pleadingly at the hunter; he would shoot anyway. The hoodie would not have made any difference. The Boy could have worn a Sunday suit. A sick animal would attack anyway. Especially when the attitude of Whites in that town look at all Black teenagers as criminals. He knew he would not only get away with the murder but would be a hero in White circles(something he wanted anyway since he is half hispanic). Has anybody even noticed that in that town, there was no white outrage? Blacks are rapidly beginning to realize that they will have to defend themselves "by any means necessary".

[Ramus]

09:35 PM on 03/24/2012

I posted this link today on another thread in HuffPo...sorry if this is a duplication for you. It's relevant. And I've found my hoodie.

http://welcometotripcity.com/2012/03/wear-your-hoodie-to-work/

[Andrew Schmitt]

02:55 AM on 03/26/2012

act like a gangsta, expect to be treated like a gangsta

[Ramus]

05:35 AM on 03/26/2012

Wearing a hoodie is acting like a gangsta? Most of the gangstas work on Wall Street and rob our pension funds. My lawyer wears a hoodie, and so does my doctor.- so does my dog's vet actually. How is walking with iced tea and skittles acting like a gangsta?

[QKingston Constantine]

04:19 AM on 03/24/2012

Well Said.

[Tamalyn Kralman]

02:10 AM on 03/24/2012

Thank you for this. I'm thinking our communion on Sunday should consist of Skittles and ice tea. It might make us re-think things a bit.

[seattlejames]

10:14 PM on 03/23/2012

It's ironic but one of the reasons people move into and live in gated communities is personal security. They build high walls or fences with locked gates. They trust that their fellow residents are upstanding, law abiding citizens and believe that any dangers reside outside of the walls, not inside. They deem themselves, family, and visiting friends to be safe behind those gates. Many of those communities hire trained private security to man the gates and/or patrol the neighborhood. In this particular case Zimmerman, the shooter, was out literally looking for trouble as he had frequently done in the past. He ended up stalking Trayvon Martin, a young man who, in his mind, stereotypically matched the profile of an intruder and didn't belong in the neighborhood. I'm sure Trayvon felt safe and secure behind the walls before he encountered Zimmerman because he was only walking home to his fathers house in this safe place.

There are many other aspects to this tragic story which are also being discussed but I just wanted to comment on this particular one.

[ChuckDv2]

06:29 PM on 03/23/2012

In my opinion, the ultimate symbol in this tragedy is the Black Male, but if non-black persons were to march in black face, that would be an even worse situation. Black Males in America are in trouble and only seldom does the media acknowledge this fact. When George Zimmerman is finally brought to justice, media focus on racial injustice's continuance will cease until the next "HOT" incident.

[Ezra Black]

04:57 PM on 03/23/2012

No Amen