When I think about social upheaval, like the situation in Egypt, I always think about this verse in Proverbs:
“When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice.
But when the wicked are in power, they groan.” - Proverbs 29:2
I also think about Malcolm X's response to those who said that he had the power to start or stop a riot:
“I don't know if I could start one, [but] I don't know if I'd want to stop one.”
People's response usually corresponds to the way they've been treated. When a people has been abused, oppressed and ignored for decades, you have to expect that some sort of uprising will take place sooner or later. No matter what a people has suffered, there always remains an inherent knowledge of their humanity that won't allow them to be treated as less than humans forever.
Here in America, it's only been a generation since we navigated similarly turbulent social waters. Our nation has progressed in the area of human and civil rights largely because of social movements that compelled our government to change and to take action on behalf of the oppressed.
So, with that said, I'm not happy about chaos or violence, but I am happy that freedom is becoming a tangible possibility for the people of Egypt. I pray for the safety of all Egyptians as they seek a better future.
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