Russell Wilson spoke to the media after his Seattle Seahawks beat the Atlanta Falcons 38-25 Sunday afternoon. Here is a portion of his press conference where he reflects upon the racial injustices and past America is coming to a reckoning with.
Well, I have a daughter. I have a beautiful three-year-old daughter and when I think about everything that has happened in our country it has been an emotional time. An emotional time where there is a lot of hate in the world a lot of disappointing things that are happening and when I think about Breonna, I think about somebody who seemed to be a gracious person from what we hear and what we read, but also somebody who was just trying to be at home. What is going on in America is very real. It is a very sad thing. I think it’s important that we need justice for Breonna. We need people to step up and our leaders in our country to be able to step up and make a change for these types of situations, especially like those. When I think about my daughter, I get fearful because a young girl like Breonna having her life taken away is pretty difficult.
“I think also for me I think about everything going on in the world, all of our faces may be different but for me personally I pray that we can come together and love people better. For me when I think about the Jesus I know I think about somebody who wants us to love one another. I actually had pulled this up because I want to read it because I think it is an important time in the world.
It is Jesus speaking, it is John 13:34-35 and this has been on my heart honestly all week. It says, ‘a new commandment I give you love one another. It says a new commandment I give you love one another as I have loved you so you must love one another. By this everyone will know you are my disciples if you love one another.’ I love that part where it says ‘a new commandment, I give you love one another as I have loved you so you.’ I think that is so important. And my other favorite scripture that I have been praying over is first Corinthians 13:4-8 it’s a love chapter in a way. It was read at our wedding even. It says ‘Love is patient. Love is kind. It is not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It is not dishonoring to others. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. Not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects. Always trusts. Always hopes. Always persevered. Love never fails.’ I think in the reality of life right now we are in a critical time.
With a pandemic happening around the world. Within America to be honest with you Black people being shot without carrying a weapon. These things are really happening and have been happening for years. To all the different things that are going on just in our country. You know there are wildfires at home and the reality is that this life is short. We only have so much to live and no matter how much we have or how little we have Paul talks about I have had a lot and I have had a little and learning how to be content with both and the reality is that we need to learn how to love better. We need to learn how to realize that this life is very fragile it is very short. We never know.
It is our assignment; it is our duty for each one of us no matter what we believe in or who we believe in to do a better job of that. To do a better job at loving because that is what we can control. To control our inner circle. We can control our language we can control how we are around each other we can control how we teach our kids. We can control our loved ones and how we control ourselves. The change we want to see has to start with me, it has to start with you all. I think that is really critical along this journey. I am proud to be a part of the Seahawks as we are going on this journey together as players, as an organization, as a coaching staff, and everybody else. It is a testament to knowing that love never fails, and it is important that we continue that.”
