Job 33:4 The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. [Revised Standard translation]
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD GOD formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. [King James translation]
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by GOD and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…. [English Standard Version translation]
Summary
Breath is important.
Byron Lee Williams, 50 years old, was chased down by the police for riding a bike without lights in Las Vegas early in the morning on September 5, 2019. The police handcuffed Williams and pinned him to the ground. Body cameras recorded Williams as saying, “I can’t breathe!” a total of 17 times before he lapsed into unconsciousness and died. https://www.ktnv.com/13-investigates/i-cant-breathe-death-of-man-in-vegas-police-custody-still-under-investigation
Eric Garner told the police “I can’t breathe” more than 11 times when he was put into a chokehold by a NYPD police officer on July 17, 2014. They were his last words. At the time Garner was being arrested on suspicion of selling loose cigarettes in front of a store.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-police-garner/new-york-police-weigh-officers-conduct-in-2014-i-cant-breathe-death-idUSKCN1SJ0YI
Christopher Lowe, 55 years old, died July 26, 2018, while handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser in Fort Worth Texas. While he was being handcuffed Lowe told the officers he was sick and screamed “I can’t breathe!” Lowe also complained about not being able to walk. Once inside the car, Lowe started beating his head against the inside of the car. The officers’ response was to threaten to pepper spray Lowe. When Lowe said he wanted to go to a hospital, instead of calling an ambulance, the officers delayed by asking Lowe for his name. Lowe died in the cruiser and was pronounced dead after his arrival at the hospital. https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article224615845.html
George Floyd was 46 years when he died on May 24, 2020, in Minneapolis, MN. Transcripts of the minutes leading up to George Floyd’s death reveal that he told the officers “I can’t breathe” more than 20 times, only to be told by an officer pressing his knee into Floyd’s neck “It takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk.” George Floyd was killed in police custody. He was arrested on suspicion of passing a fake $20 bill. At one point a witness said: “You got him down. Let him breathe.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_George_Floyd
Breath is important. The above cases are just part of the tragic history of the “I can’t breathe” deaths of individuals in police custody. https://www.chicagotribune.com/nation-world/ct-nw-nyt-i-cant-breathe-cases-20200629-lww5co52b5fpvatwtprt5vhndq-story.html
Breath is important. “I can’t breathe” is associated with the Black Lives Matter movement. It is associated with the need to seek justice against the unlawful police action.
It has been said that during the trial of George Floyd, the nation was “holding its breath.” Many people, including the Floyd family, reported finally being able to breathe again after the jury verdict. https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/549380-floyds-brother-after-verdict-we-are-able-to-breathe-again Breath is important.
Many people are still breathing shallowly, as they wait to see what will happen next. And, many people are still holding their breath as the nation deals with the pandemic, gun violence, poverty, homelessness, economic inequality, health care, child detention, isolation, loneliness, mental illness, and other problems, including every individual’s personal problems, that can sometimes “take a person’s breath away.”
While you wait, while you work you will still have to try to breathe, because breath is important.
Job reminds us that when we find “human air” hard to breathe (or when “we are going through it,”) we can “tap into” “the breath of the ALMIGHTY, the giver of life. Genesis 2:7.
2 Timothy3:16-17 reminds us to “tap into” scripture, GOD’s “breath,” which is oxygen to our spirit.
Justice is important. People who die unjustly in a police custody matter. Standing for right matters. Standing with and for the lost, left out, “the least of these” (i.e., those in need; See Matthew 25:31-46) matters. And there is still much work to be done….
So, breathe. And may the BREATH of GOD sustain each and all.
BREATHING EXERCISES
Purse Lip Breathing
- While keeping your mouth closed, take a deep breath in through your nose, counting to 2. Follow this pattern by repeating in your head “inhale, 1, 2.” The breath doesn’t have to be deep. A typical inhale will do.
- Put your lips together as if you’re starting to whistle or blow out candles on a birthday cake. This is known as “pursing” your lips.
- While continuing to keep your lips pursed, slowly breathe out by counting to 4. Don’t try to force the air out, but instead breathe out slowly through your mouth.
Exercise tip: Pursed lip breathing is good for performing strenuous activities, like climbing stairs.
Coordinated Breathing
- Inhale through your nose before beginning an exercise.
- While pursing your lips, breathe out through your mouth during the most strenuous part of the exercise. An example could be when curling upward on a bicep curl.
Exercise tip: Coordinated breathing can be performed when exercising or feeling anxious.
Diaphragmatic or Abdominal Breathing
- While sitting or lying down with your shoulders relaxed, put a hand on your chest and place the other hand on your stomach.
- Take a breath in through your nose for 2 seconds, feeling your stomach move outward. You’re doing the activity correctly if your stomach moves more than your chest.
- Purse your lips and breathe out slowly through your mouth, pressing lightly on your stomach. This will enhance your diaphragm’s ability to release air.
- Repeat the exercise as you are able to.
See diagrams at for additional information: https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-increase-lung-capacity
THE BREATH OF GOD
Take a deep breath and have faith.
Trust GOD!
Breathe deeply and BE BLESSED!
